At What Age Should You Start Using an Eye Cream?

Eye cream is not just meant for those with mature skin who are trying to fight signs of aging. Even if your eye contour is free of visible wrinkles, bags and puffiness, it’s wise to add an eye cream into your skin-care routine to protect and nourish the delicate skin. “You should start to use an eye cream beginning in your early 20s,” says board-certified dermatologist and Skincare.com consultant Dr. Michael Kaminer. But if your early 20s have come and gone, don’t panic. We’ve rounded up our favorite eye creams for every concern, no matter your age, ahead. 

The Importance of Eye Cream

The skin around our eyes is thinner and more sensitive than the rest of our face, which is why the delicate eye contour is generally one of the first areas to show visible signs of aging. Rather than waiting until you notice wrinkles, fine lines, crow’s feet or puffiness, you should start using an eye cream that will help keep the skin youthful, hydrated and plump as you age. When applying an eye cream though, make sure to be gentle. We suggest dabbing the product gently around the eye counter with your ring finger, as opposed to dragging or tugging it on the skin. 

Our Editors’ Favorite Eye Creams for Every Skin Concern 

Our Favorite Eye Cream for Crow’s Feet 

Crow’s feet are those little lines that appear around the outer corners of your eyes and are often 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 the Vichy LiftActiv Supreme Eyes. The anti-wrinkle eye cream contains rhamnose, a naturally-derived plant sugar, to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles around the eyes and eyelids.

Our Favorite Eye Cream for Dryness

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

Our Favorite Eye Cream for Puffiness 

Formulated with hyaluronic acid and three essential ceramides, the CeraVe Eye Repair Cream works to restore your skin’s protective barrier and reduce signs of puffiness, under-eye bags and dark circles. It’s great for all skin types, is non-comedogenic and fragrance-free. 

Our Favorite Eye Cream for Sun Protection

Unprotected exposure to the sun’s harmful rays is the number-one cause of premature aging. To help prevent wrinkles and sun damage, protect the skin around your eyes with broad-spectrum sunscreen, like the SkinCeuticals Physical Eye UV Defense SPF 50. Its tinted formula nourishes the thin and delicate skin around the under eye and eyelid while offering mineral protection from UV rays. 

Our Favorite Eye Cream for Wrinkles 

For an anti-aging eye cream that’s packed with pro-retinol, we love the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle and Firming Eye Cream. The drugstore eye cream fights wrinkles, firms skin and reduces the appearance of dark circles with four weeks of use. 

 

Photo: Melissa San Vicente-Landestoy

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