Are Eye Creams Really Necessary?

We all know how important it is to apply a moisturizer to our face daily, regardless of our skin type. Moisturizers literally help lock water in and protect skin from free radicals, which are extremely damaging to our cells.

Years ago, during a trip to Saks 5th Avenue in NYC, a Lancôme sales associate approached me (at Saks, they can be just as harassing as those mall kiosk crazy ladies) and asked me what kind of eye cream I used in my skincare routine. Mind you, I was only 19 years old, so I innocently said "whatever moisturizer I use on my face, why?". She replied with a big, wide-eyed "Oh... OH! OH Nooooooo!". Sacrilege? Oops.

I was learning for the first time that, as it turns out, the skin around our eye area is more sensitive and thin than the rest of our face, therefore needs extra special attention. I instantly felt guilty for apparently neglecting that part of my body for so long.

Ironically enough - and I wonder why - very few eye cream products contain SPF protection, something which is very crucial to me. Most eye creams set their targets towards either fighting undereye puffs and dark circles or wrinkle damage and prevention. If the skin under our eyes is so sensitive and delicate (and it really is), how come they are not packing those creams with heavy duty sunscreen? That never made sense to me.

Eye Cream Guinea Pig
Traumatized by my Saks 5th Avenue lecture, I've tried a lot of eye creams since then and I confess I've yet to find the perfect one. I usually get a lot of samples from Sephora's Beauty Insider program or those gifts-with-purchase from the department stores, but I've also invested on a few "surefire creams" that didn't do much for me, as far as I could tell. Clinique All About Eyes is a classic, but was no different than a plain ol' face moisturizer. I really wanted Benefit's EyeCon to work, but my eye circles stayed right there where they were. Neutrogena Radiance Boost actually irritated my skin a little.

My biggest concern when it comes to my eye area is dark circles, something that even 8 hours or more of sleep can't fix. So whatever claims to help fight that raccoon look, I'm trying, but I'm very skeptical if not reluctant.

So do they work or they don't?
If you don't have wrinkles yet, I would say don't worry so much about a specific cream just for your eyes. If you have puffiness (whether it's chronic or you cried yourself to sleep the night before), however, you might want to try one of those rollerball gel thingies (more info below) that contain caffeine. Caffeine helps with blood circulation and is also anti-inflammatory, which is why most anti-puff creams contain some form of this ingredient.

I don't have much puffiness going on and to combat undereye darkness, the best trick is to keep it hydrated and concealed. None of these expensive creams have worked alone for me so far, so I never skip the concealer. An illuminating concealer or some kind of illuminating powder, stick or cream also helps a good deal by reflecting light into an otherwise dark area and giving you that well-rested appearance. Just be very careful not to use a concealer that's much lighter than your skin tone or you will look very goofy.

Finding a concealer that works for you:
Makeup professionals say that if you have very dark circles and you use a yellow-toned concealer, the result will be a grayish appearance. Not good. You may want to try a peach or pink-undertoned concealer (that matches your shade). The best way is to test it out on yourself and take a picture. Use flash light and then natural light as well. That will tell you the truth far better than any best friend.

As far as maintenance goes, until I find the most amazing, life-changing eye cream, I will continue to apply face moisturizer to my eye region. I'm currently using Lancôme Absolue Premium Bx, which I got as a sample. The sample size is 0.5oz (pretty much the average volume for a full-size eye cream) and it's been lasting me a while. It's a great moisturizer, feels good on my skin, dries fast, doesn't cause irritation and it contains SPF 15.  They make an eye version of this cream but if the regular-size face version is $125, I don't want to know how much the eye cream costs. Besides, eye version has no SPF! This little pattern puzzles me to no end. When I run out of this one, I will just have to hope for more samples.

Out of all the samples I've tried, the best one so far has been Dior Hydra Life Pro-Youth Protective Creme SPF 15. Yes, they have the eye version, no, it doesn't contain SPF either so yes, I was using the face cream on my eyes. It was really fantastic. It absorbed quickly, it offered great moisture without feeling sticky and worked great under makeup. This is actually a moisturizer I would buy the full-size version.

So here's a quick tip list for common undereye issues and easy (even if temporary) solutions:

• Puffiness, bags, redness and swelling: 

          Try this: Slices of cucumbers (make sure they're cold) or cotton pads soaked in cold chamomile or green tea. Squeeze excess liquid and let it rest on your eyes for 15 minutes. Follow with a moisturizer.
          Also try: An anti-puff rollerball gel like Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller or Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage). The rollerball gets the blood circulating and caffeine helps de-puff.

• Undereye darkness and circles:

A highlighter in reverse C shape
on the upper cheek bones
fakes an 8-hour sleep

          Try this: A good concealer. Start with a moisturizer for sensitive skin. Pat gently with your ring finger, don't rub. Let it dry. Apply concealer that doesn't make you look like you went tanning with your sunglasses on, making sure skin looks even on entire face. Use a luminizing concealer, lotion or stick (like YSL Touche Éclat or Nars The Multiple in Copacabana) just below the undereye area, on the upper cheek bones, in a reverse C shape that goes from outer corners of eyes, inwards.

Some people like to keep their eye creams in the refrigerator for added boost. Like a nice cold water rinse in the morning, the temperature really helps waken skin up and get the blood circulation going. Leaving your cream in the fridge can do you no harm.

Skip the expensive eye cream, not the SPF!
Eye creams may be an unnecessary extravagance, but a good facial moisturizer never is. Look for one that is sensitive-skin friendly since the skin around our eyes is indeed very delicate. Some ingredients, such as salicylic acid, are great for the face but a no-go for eyes.  Focus on these 3 letters: S-P-F. No matter what age you are or skin color, your face cannot afford to live without SPF. Sun damage is a fact and it's a fast-pass to early aging. Prevention pays off.