What Makes the Best Under-Eye Cream? Take a Look at Ingredients that Work Wonders

What to use to condition skin under the eyes? Which ingredients really work and give desired effect? You're about to find out what to search for in a quality eye cream and why putting something extra prior to cream or serum is a good idea. Bid wrinkles, dark circles and puffy eyes farewell, once and for all. Turn to skin care that gives full support; meet the ingredients that are real enemies of wrinkles.

Skin under the eyes is one of the most fragile areas of the entire body. Extremely thin and deprived of sebum glands. Since it doesn't produce sebum, it doesn't have any protective shield against negative effect of outside elements. That is why skin under eyes expects us to act and never leave it without support. What to apply under eyes to delay the appearance of wrinkles? It's not a myth: a high-quality serum or cream is able to smooth unwanted face lines and creases. What should it contain to prove effective? What should flawless under-eye skin care be like? Today, you're going to finally see which eye cream is the best one.

What causes under-eye wrinkles?

• bad skin care habits
• fatigue, stress, diseases
• making facial expressions
• age, skin aging
• lack of moisture
• negative influence of environmental stressors

Good under-eye cream - what does it actually mean?

A good eye cream is rich in finest-quality ingredients. In other words, effective cream must have effectively-working components. The position of a given skin-enhancing ingredient on the INCI list matters too. For instance, two different creams contain the same ingredient (hyaluronic acid, for example) but only the product containing the highest amount has it on top of the list. Summing up, if you want a quality eye cream - always check the components and choose cosmetics with the highest content of active ingredients.

How should a good eye cream work?

Best (of the best) cream should answer many problems, that is it shouldn't concentrate on just one thing. It must moisturize skin, as well as protect, nourish, repair, tighten epidermis and smooth wrinkles, brightening skin and camouflaging puffiness at the same time. After applying such cream your skin should be brighter, smoother, younger-looking and radiant. A good eye cream:

1. Moisturizes

Our skin, including skin under eyes, loves water. Its trace amounts in skin make it lose elasticity and leave it thin. Providing moisture is the most important stage of skin care so  eye creams should mostly have strongly-moisturizing effect. Thanks to this, skin is always in shape.

2. Tightens, firms up, lifts

When skin loses firmness and is fatigued, you expect a cream to give it some energy and so you search for substances that tighten and add elasticity.

3. Prevents the occurrence of wrinkles

The truth is you can never totally reduce existing wrinkles but a good eye cream will make them much shallower and additionally delay the new ones.

4. Revitalizes & nourishes

Delicate skin under eyes needs nutrients for easier repair and renewal. Consequently, intensive process producing collagen and elastin (main skin-supporting fibers) occurs under skin. An under-eye cream should deliver what skin really needs to be nourished, smooth and youthful.

5. Reduces dark circles & puffy eyes

The best eye cream will let you look your best even after a sleepless night. Thanks to active ingredients brightening dark spots and eliminating puffiness, it helps delicate skin look flawless and radiant despite the feeling of tiredness. Substances which stimulate skin and reduce the look of fatigue are the key components of effective eye cream.

Eye cream. When to start using it?

More and more people are becoming aware that an eye cream is a must before you notice aging skin and face full of wrinkles. It is an essential much earlier. Already after turning 25 we should get a gently-moisturising product to prevent aging and keep delicate eye area healthy. Anti-wrinkle routine is highly likely to delay first face lines. Young skin will do with a lightweight gel (e.g. with eyebright or aloe) and a natural oil which locks in water and has occlusive effect.

Eye cream that works. Does it actually exist?

The secret of a good cream is its composition. Only high-class ingredients have a positive effect on the looks and condition of skin under your eyes. Search for products that are made of natural, safe ingredients, which largely affects the quality. Around-eye skin needs special care and substances tailored to its needs.

The list of under-eye skin enhancers is long and filled with stunners which belong to the ‘cosmetic elite'. Actively-working ingredients which do away with free radicals, repair, strengthen cellular membrane, improve the looks, revitalize and nourish the epidermis.

What to use before an eye cream? Natural oils as alternative to regular under-eye skin care

An eye cream has been designed to protect skin and work superficially on the epidermis by making it smoother, preventing aging and damage, saving from bad effect of weather conditions.

But if you're serious about your eye skin area and want to ensure the best protective shield - think of extra care, that is treat your skin to something special.

What I mean is serum - a cosmetic which is more watery, lighter yet has richer ingredients penetrating deep skin layers to nourish and strengthen skin letting it keep away from wrinkles and reduce existing ones. Serum is either a watery formula or a bit heavier oil-based product.

Moreover, natural beauty oils are getting really common in under-eye skin care. Some of these oils are called youth elixirs by the natural care enthusiasts and it's not exaggeration. 

After all, oils comprise omega-3 and omega-6 acids essential for delicate eye skin, as well as phytosterols and flavonoids which outstandingly improve the looks and state of the skin, prevent the dissolution of collagen and elastin, stimulate cells to work and slow down occurrence of wrinkles by protecting cells against oxidative stress.

Some of the oils contain squalene which makes up sebum yet skin under eyes lacks it. It is known as brilliant beauty-enhancing substance which moisturizes, strengthens natural lipid barrier and is like a shield reducing the harmfulness of external aggressors.

The source of oils' benefits seems to be endless. Each oil contains many vitamins and minerals, and is amazing natural sunscreen. Their sun protection factor isn't as high as 30 or 50; still, even lower protection helps skin face up to solar radiation. Additionally, UV filters in oils are natural and safe, they don't build up in the body and thus are harmless.

Oils make the best option for the nighttime under-eye skin repair. Excellent ingredients and light, slightly greasy formula form so-called occlusion which protects from loss of water and other beneficial substances. Natural oils applied under the eyes make a good option for all skin types.

In the case of young skin and barely-there facial lines, one application after precise makeup removal in the evening will do.

On the other hand, skin bothered by lack of moisture, striking wrinkles and fatigued look will surely welcome oils in the morning routine too. Perfect makeup primer for aging under-eye skin.

Oils owe their popularity to working as natural multifunctional substances; feel free to apply them not just to under eye skin. Use it on your face, hair, nails and body - it's another huge asset of oils.

The best oils for under-eye skin care

• argan oil has gained fame as the strongest antioxidant among oils. It is amazing at skin repair and moisture-boosting, prevents water from escaping from the epidermis. The oil contains over 100 beneficial active ingredients enhancing your skin and hair. It has high vitamin E concentration, carotenes, squalane and butyrospermum which acts as natural sun protection. Regular use of argan oil smoothes fine lines and keeps skin in shape.

• raspberry seed oil - natural source of polyphenols, strong antioxidants (flavonoids, phytosterols) and vitamin E. This oil abounds in EFAs, mainly linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid. Brilliantly regenerates skin and boosts its firmness.
• jojoba oil - diversity of nutrients: vitamins, squalane and essential fatty acids. Effortlessly absorbed by skin, natural sunscreen, similar in structure to human sebum. Jojoba forms a microscopic protective coat on the delicate under-eye skin which normally lacks it due to squalane deficit. Jojoba oil moisturizes and locks in water.

• Barbary fig seed oil - its strong antioxidative power makes it known as natural botox. This oil speeds up skin repair, stimulates it to work, prevents premature aging and protects against damage. Barbary fig oil is a source of vitamin E, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and iron.
• avocado oil of seven vitamins (A-B-D-E-H-K-PP) - intensively moisturizes, nourishes epidermis, has impressive compatibility with natural lipids in skin, replenishes lipids, protects against TEWL and dry skin. Avocado oil strongly nourishes, slightly lubricates and keeps skin smooth and bouncy all day long. Wrinkles are less visible day by day and the skin is soft and youthful.

• shea butter is rich in beneficial fatty acids and vitamins of youth - A & E. It displays intensive moisturising and nourishing properties so skin gets smooth and radiant again. Shea enhances repair of epidermis, makes it stronger and increases its resistance to external aggressors.
• almond oil boosts moisture levels, deeply nourishes, rejuvenates and stimulates repair process. This very oil features one of the highest concentrations of vitamin E having strong antioxidative effect. Sweet almond oil also contains vitamins A and D, minerals (iron, magnesium, calcium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc) yet omega-9 fatty acids are its most important ingredients.

How to use oils on under-eye skin?

1. Solo. Oils have the power of active ingredients and frequently top eye creams when it comes to their amounts and concentration. Because oils work both inside skin and on its surface, feel free to use them as independent under-eye treatment.

2. Prior to eye cream. If your under-eye skin is far from perfection, follow multi-stage eye skin care routine. Apply oil as serum and then use a rich eye cream. This way you upgrade the effect and strongly nourish skin.

3. After eye serum (oil forms occlusive layer). Oils protect against loss of water and other active ingredients, therefore, you can treat them as addition to a lightweight moisturising serum (hyaluronic acid makes perfect match with oils). This way you make serum work more intensively and additionally nourish and protect delicate skin around the eyes.