Ah, eye creams — one of the last products you may contemplate purchasing, if at all. Eye creams are slightly controversial. People wonder if they’re needed at all or if your regular moisturizer or even something like Aquaphor can replace yet another pricey skincare product. If you can avoid spending more money on a product, you certainly would, but have we gone too far in believing eye creams aren’t worth your time and money?
Board-Certified Dermatologist Shereene Idriss certainly doesn’t think some eye cream are worth it: “Eye creams are useless, unless it’s an eye cream with purpose,” Idriss says.
But that caveat is an important one. When an eye cream contains effective ingredients, it can minimize the appearance of crow’s feet, brighten dark circles, and help tighten the loose skin around the eye. The key word here is “ingredients.”
Here, Idriss points out two eye creams that are actually “worth” your hard-earned money based on your under eyes’ biggest problem.
1. Problem: Dark Circles
If you have dark circles, Idriss recommends looking for an eye cream that has vitamin C, niacinamide, and ginseng — one example is Origins Ginzing Brightening Eye Cream ($39). This cream also contains caffeine from coffee beans to help literally awaken the eyes and de-puff. This unique cream even comes in two shades: warm or cool. The addition of a slightly tint provides a bit of concealing to cancel out those purple and dark tones beneath the eyes.
2. Problem: Fine Lines and Wrinkles
If your concern is the appearance of normal fine lines and wrinkles (which usually appear first under and around the eyes), the best solution is an eye cream that contains retinol that is specifically formulated for the eye area. Your regular retinol that you use on your face may simply be too strong and irritating for the delicate area around your eye, but a product like this retinol eye cream from Kate Somerville ($99) helps boost collagen production and “even out those fine lines and wrinkles,” according to Idriss.
3. Problem: Low Elastin and Collagen
Lower elastin and collagen levels (which both deplete with age and hormonal changes) can result in looser skin around the eyes. Idriss recommends using an eye cream that contains peptides, like Shani Darden Intensive Eye Renewal Cream ($69). This cream contains nine actives that include peptides, brightening and lifting silk tree extracts, hydrating squalene, and niacinamide.
The next time you want an eye cream that hydrates under the eyes, Idriss urges us to take things one step further and choose a cream that both hydrates and provides key ingredients for more obvious skin changes.
