Advice On How To Keep Your Eye Area Looking Young

Eye Cream: Skincare Tips for Applying Eye Cream & Who Should Be Using It

Sophia Loren once said, “Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes.” Do you think the iconic, beautiful, Italian actress was using eye cream? We do! 

Of all the facial skincare products out there, eye cream can be perceived as one of the most redundant. Isn’t it the same as face cream but more expensive? Why should you use it? When should you use it? How do you apply it? 

As your go-to skincare experts, we’re here to answer all of your eye cream questions, so you’ll be able to clearly see how taking special care of your eye area should be a vital part of your very own iconic beauty regimen. 

Under Eye Skin

First things first. Let’s talk about the skin around the eyes and what makes it unique to the rest of your face and body.  

You may or may not have realized that the skin around the eyes is "the thinnest and most delicate on the body," says board-certified dermatologist Morgan Rabach, M.D. This sensitive skin combined with the constant movements of our eyes surveying the world around us, smiling with our loved ones, and squinting because we forgot our sunglasses, all create the perfect storm for creating those pesky fine lines and wrinkles around the area.  

Once you add a few decades of sun damage (unless you live in a cave), blue light from screens, and pollution, you can see how the problem would only get worse with time. As our skin ages, our bodies also produce less collagen and elastin, two key ingredients that keep our skin looking renewed and refreshed.  

In addition to sensitive skin, the skin under the eyes can collect fluid that can cause the eyes to look puffy or have dark circles underneath them.

Dermatologists Explain the Science

Dermatologist Arielle Kauvar, MD, details the causes of puffy eyes and recommends ALASTIN'S Restorative Eye Treatment because it "contains a blend of peptides that removes the damaged proteins in the [skin] to reduce inflammation and peptides to stimulate collagen formation."

Dermatologist Hadley King, MD, gives our formula gold stars across the board thanks to its powerful ingredients and firming properties. "This [Restorative Eye Treatment with TriHex Technology®] contains Alastin's proprietary blend of peptides that helps clear damaged proteins in the skin's extracellular matrix," she explains. "It supports the production of elastin and collagen to promote even skin tone and improve the appearance of skin firmness."

Quenby Erickson, MD, a dermatologist in Chicago, recommends ALASTIN'S eye treatment because it "is fantastic for improving the appearance of fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness around the eyes. These are the top three eye concerns that most people want to address and improve, which is why we recommend this product. It feels very luxurious and has just the right consistency for day or night."

Dr. Mary L. Stevenson, MD, says it's one of her favorites "because it contains both peptides (which can have antiaging effects) and niacinamide, which can “help brighten and even skin tone." 

Dr. Stevenson and Dr. Erickson's comments can be found in "The 22 Best Eye Creams, According to Dermatologists" article published by SELF.

Double-board certified dermatologist, medical director, and founder of FCP Dermatology MD Dr. Kristy Baily says, “Dark under-eyes are generally due to thin under-eye skin, allowing you to see the structures under the eye. If there is a valley or hollow under the eye, then the best way to brighten the under-eye is to fill in that hollow. If the hollow is removed, then light shines off the under eye differently making it appear brighter. Picking an eye cream with caffeine and peptides can help give you a morning refresh.” Luckily, ALASTIN'S Restorative Eye Treatment is dermatologist-approved and made with both ingredients. The peptides in this eye cream help to reduce the appearance of puffiness and smooth out fine lines, while the caffeine works to minimize dark circles.

Eye Cream: Who Needs it and When?

Have you ever heard the phrase, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away?” While eye cream won’t help with your digestion, the sentiment that prevention is the best medicine is the same.  

Starting an eye cream routine in your 20s is the best way to get ahead of the curve before your skin shows any signs of aging. However, for some of us, the list of “things we wish we would have known in our 20s” is long and we’re past that point. So are you a lost cause? #nope. It’s never too late to get started! 

The general recommendation is to start using eye cream in your 30s when perhaps you just begin noticing the results of all of your fun in the sun from your youth. As far as the “who” is concerned, basically everyone should be wearing eye cream. Everyone’s eyes are subject to the same smiling, squinting, looking around wear and tear that we mentioned above. And yes, that includes men as well!

What Should I Look for in an Eye Cream?

At this point you’re probably thinking, great, so now I know I need one because I’ve been winking and squinting for years, but there are so many out there! Help! How do I know what I’m supposed to look for in an eye cream?  

As mentioned earlier, the eyes are delicate and ensuring that you choose an eye cream that will take special care of them is critical. The right eye cream will be tailormade for addressing these types of issues. 

Enter ALASTIN Skincare's award-winning, Restorative Eye Treatment with TriHex Technology®.  

InStyle Magazine agrees that this is the best eye cream, made specifically for those areas around the eyes that are essential for a rejuvenated, youthful appearance. It reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as helps improve skin firmness around the eye. And let’s not forget about those puffy dark circles, this best-selling eye cream promotes even skin tone and lessens the appearance of puffiness and dark circles. Don't just take our word for it, though. Actress Ashely Greene of Twilight and Aftermath said our Restorative Eye Cream is "worth it."

Dr. Rabach says you can truly see the anti-aging effects of ALASTIN'S Restorative Eye Treatment. "It's specially formulated to both clear out damaged collagen and elastin (the proteins responsible for keeping our skin firm, smooth, and youthful), while also promoting the production of new, healthy collagen and elastin. Credit a patented blend of active peptides." Shape listed it as the "Best Eye Cream for Wrinkles" in 2020.

Founder of Allenby Cosmetic Dermatology, Dr. Janet Allenby recommends ALASTIN'S Restorative Eye Treatment because it "contains green tea and oak leaf tea extracts, which help reduce the appearance of dark circles, plus niacinamide and tetrapeptide-30, which help brighten and even out skin tone" according to the article published on huffpost.com. 

Expert Tips for Applying Eye Cream 

A few months ago on the blog, we talked about the proper order of application for skincare products to get the best results out of your beauty products and routine. Eye cream falls into the middle of the sequence under the Heal and Correct category. This is after your face is cleansed and prepped with toner, but before you add hydration and moisturizer to your whole face and neck.  

Essentially, once you’ve washed your face with a gentle cleanser, exfoliated, and toned, now you’re ready for your eye cream. 

Remember when we said that the skin around the eye is thinner and more sensitive and already works pretty hard just to make it through the day with all the squinting and smiling?  You want to make sure that when you’re applying the eye cream, you’re doing it in a soft and delicate manner so as not to pull on the skin unnecessarily. Especially because we’ve already learned that as we age, skin elasticity decreases so we don’t want to do anything voluntarily to make it worse.    

First, you’ll want to get about a pea-sized amount of eye cream. This should be enough for both eyes. Your ring finger is your weakest finger so it will be the gentlest with your application. Use your ring finger to dab small dots from the inner corner of your eye all the way to your brow bone.  

Important! You don’t want to just rub the product in. Remember what we said about skin elasticity? Just gently tap each of the dots on the skin following the pattern until it is absorbed. Also, be careful not to apply it too close to your eyes to avoid any of it getting into your eyes. 

Finally, let’s talk about the best time of day to apply eye cream. For best results, you’ll want to apply eye cream during both your morning and evening skincare regimen. This will allow the product to be working for you all day long. When applying it in the morning, you’ll want to wait about 90 seconds after application before adding moisturizer, sunscreen, concealer, or any other products to the area. You really want to make sure all of the goodness of the product has some time to sink in and absorb into the skin. If you were to add another product right on top of it, then you’d likely be spreading it around to different areas of the face and not getting the full benefits where they’re really needed. 

Once you’re done, you can continue with your hydration and moisturizer and the rest of your morning or nighttime regimen!

So, do you have an award-winning eye cream yet? Make sure your daily ritual also includes carrying/using sunglasses and sunscreen because … squinting.