The Skin Nerd: Eye, Eye: Do I really need an eye cream?

Spoiler: you don't need an eye cream to brighten, tighten and lift.

In the modern cosmetics bag, the eye cream is a mainstay that some will not go without. There are eye creams for brightening, tightening, moisturizing, de-puffing... You name it, it exists. Although eye cream is considered an aging essential, the first thing to reach for when you see any hint of darkness, lining or puff in the eye area, I disagree on it being necessary, at least for the majority. The height of controversy!

Most eye creams tend to feel like a thicker, stickier serum, and in general, results-driven eye creams include similar (or even the exact same ingredients) as results-driven serums. A great eye cream will have vitamin A, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, ceramides and peptides, which is what you should be looking for in serums anyway. 

“But,” you say, “the eye area is more delicate!”. 

This is the truth - the skin around our eyes is more delicate, as it is thinner and this is exactly why we tend to age around our eyes first. 

In my opinion, all the more reason we would want more actives around our eyes rather than less, so long as it's in an approach that suits our skin.

Because of this, I would tend to recommend that rather than adding to your skincare routine with an additional product, instead, you ensure that your serums a) contain what you're looking for for your eye area and b) are suitable for use around your eyes. Would you be surprised to learn that some eye creams aren't even suitable for use under the eye? I call these around-the-eye creams, and they are about as useful as they sound.

The beauty of this is that you don't have to run around trying to find an eye cream that contains all of the ingredients above... Instead, you can get a pinch of this and a dash of that from the multiple products that would make up your routine anyway without needing to spend more money. 

Now, not to be biased, but more because I can vouch for this, Skingredients Skin Veg, Skin Protein and Skin Good Fats are all ocular-tested and safe for use around the eyes so you can get all of the ingredients listed above. On top of that, our SPF is eye-safe too.

Bringing your SPF up around your eyes is much more important than having an eye cream. UV is one of the main culprits when it comes to accelerated aging, so protecting from UV on the daily is more valuable than trying to repair the damage caused. Many avoid this as we've all had the sensation of sweat-mixed-with-sunscreen in our eyes, the stinging that has ruined many a holiday. 

The good news is that you tend not to get the stinging from certain SPFs, such as mineral SPFs like Skingredients Skin Shield SPF 50 PA (€42, skingredients.com & selected stockists) or Murad City Skin Broad Spectrum SPF 50 (€70, theskinnerd.com & selected department stores). Using your ring finger, glide your serums and SPF under the eye and over the eye, not forgetting the brow bone and outer corner - take care not to get it on the eyeball or the waterline.

For some, a caffeine-based eye cream like the Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream (€11.95, selected pharmacies) will instantly (and temporarily) de-puff and improve darkness, and for those looking to spend a bit more on their routine and specifically target aging eyes, a vitamin A and peptide eye gel like the Environ Vita-Peptide Eye Gel (€74, theskinnerd.com & selected salons) is an option. In general, though, you can save yourself a bit of money and time by using what's already in your routine!

Nerdie Pick

IMAGE Skincare Total Eye Lift Créme (€49.50, theskinnerd.com & selected salons)

Although I speak extensively on the benefits of retinyl palmitate, the fat form of vitamin A, if someone has been using vitamin A for a while, a retinol product can be added to maximise results, especially when it comes to the signs of ageing in the eye area. The IMAGE Skincare Ageless Total Eye Lift Créme contains a retinol-glycolic acid blend with vitamin C and a polypeptide blend to fight wrinkles, lax skin and puffiness. This is a fantastic add-on for someone who wants to see results around their eye area sooner rather than later.

IMAGE Skincare Total Eye Lift Créme (€49.50, theskinnerd.com & selected salons)