Ask The Expert: When Do You Need to Start Using Eye Cream?

Think eye cream is only meant for older women trying to help fight the tell-tale signs of skin aging? Think again. We tapped a board-certified dermatologist to share the best age to start using eye cream, below. Spoiler alert: It’s a lot earlier than you may assume!

Eye cream. You’ve seen products sitting pretty on the shelves of both your grandmother’s medicine cabinet and the beauty section at your local drugstore. Still, you quickly shuffle past and don’t bother to invest. Why should you? Your eye contour is free of visible wrinkles (at least for now, anyway) and there’s little sense is slathering on an anti-aging eye cream…right? Well, not really. You may not have any obvious concerns with the skin around your delicate eye contour, but it’s still wise to apply eye cream daily, especially once you reach a certain age.

“You should start to use an eye cream beginning in your early twenties,” says board-certified dermatologist, and Skincare.com consultant, Dr. Michael Kaminer. That’s right, he said early twenties—not forties, fifties, or sixties. Talk about an eye opener!

If your early twenties have come and went, don’t panic. Starting to apply eye cream now is better than never doing so. For noticeable results, reach for products formulated specifically for use around the eyes.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EYE CREAM

Did you know that the skin around our eyes is thinner and more sensitive than the rest of our face? It’s true. As such, the delicate eye contour is generally one of the first areas of skin to show visible signs of skin aging, making it all the more important to give the area the TLC it deserves. This often means incorporating an eye product specifically formulated to address any current or future concerns, be it the appearance of dark circles or crow’s feet.

You might be thinking: why do I have to use an anti-aging eye cream before visible wrinkles begin to even creep up around my eyes? The answer is simple. When it comes to visible signs of skin aging, maintaining a good skin care routine all along—rather than intervening later when concerns become noticeable—is your best bet in the long run. Even though your eye contour doesn’t necessarily show visible signs of skin aging now, it’s still aging. Instead of standing by and doing nothing, take matters into your own hands from a young age. Besides, if the eyes are truly the windows to the soul, don’t you want the skin around yours to look its best?

5 EYE CREAMS TO TRY

If you aren’t already slathering the skin around your peepers with an eye cream, we hope you’re now newly inspired to give it a-go. But before you start, you’ll need your perfect product to address your specific concerns and skin type. That’s where we come in. From noticeable dark circles to visible crow’s feet, we’re sharing five of our favorite eye creams—from the L’Oreal portfolio of brands—that can help address your biggest eye contour concerns, below.

FOR DARK CIRCLES: LA ROCHE-POSAY PIGMENTCLAR EYES

Dark circles got you down? Don’t fret. This formula—with phe-resorcinol, caffeine, and light reflective pigments—reduces the appearance of blue and brown dark circles. In addition to the visible results (ahem, a brighter eye contour), you’ll fall in love Pigmentclar Eyes’ cooling applicator and melt-in texture.

La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Eyes, $42.99 MSRP

FOR CROW’S FEET: VICHY LIFTACTIV EYES

Crow’s feet—those pesky little lines that appear around the outer corners of your eyes—are among the first signs of aging to crop up on our skin. Thankfully, there are plenty of products out there formulated specifically with this concern in mind, like LiftActiv Eyes. The formula—with rhamnose, a naturally-derived plant sugar—reduces the appearance of wrinkles/crow’s feet, puffiness, and dark circles around the eyes and eyelids.

Vichy LiftActiv Eyes, $33.50 MSRP

FOR DRYNESS: KIEHL’S CREAMY EYE TREATMENT

If your eye contour looks and feels dry, help restore hydration with a moisturizing eye formula like Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment. Tested under both ophthalmologist and dermatologist control for safety, this creamy preparation with a unique, concentrated texture does not migrate into your eyes, is formulated with avocado oil, and gently moisturizes the delicate eye area.

Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment, $48 MSRP

FOR PUFFINESS: GARNIER CLEARLY BRIGHTER ANTI-PUFF EYE ROLLER

Don’t let the appearance of puffy, tired-looking eyes ruin your day. Reach for this gel formula to roll away visible under-eye puffiness for a brighter, more rested look! Formulated with antioxidant vitamin C, peppermint extract, and caffeine, Anti-Puff Eye Roller instantly cools and refreshes the eye contour. You’ll love the way the unique micro-stimulating roll-on applicator helps de-puff and reduce the look of under-eye bags!

Garnier Clearly Brighter Anti-Puff Eye Roller, $12.99 MSRP

FOR SUN PROTECTION: SKINCEUTICALS PHYSICAL EYE UV DEFENSE SPF 50

When it comes to premature skin aging, the sun is public enemy #1. To help keep premature wrinkles and sunburn at bay, protect the skin around your eyes with broad-spectrum sunscreen. Instead of using a traditional facial sunscreen around your delicate eye contour, reach for one that’s tailor-made for the thinner, more sensitive skin around the eye. We love this broad-spectrum SPF 50 by SkinCeuticals because it helps keep the eye contour protected from the sun’s harmful UV rays without migrating into and irritating eyes. Plus, it boasts a sheer, universal tint that can help enhance skin’s tone. 

SkinCeuticals Physical Eye UV Defense SPF 50, $30 MSRP

Got your eye cream down? Good. The next step is making sure you apply it correctly. Of course, we got you covered there too. We tapped a celebrity esthetician to share the right way to apply eye cream, here!