When to Start Using an Eye Cream, According to a Dermatologist

Eye cream isn’t just meant for those with mature skin who are trying to fight signs of aging. Even if your eye area is free of visible wrinkles, bags and puffiness, adding an eye cream to your skincare routine can protect and nourish the delicate skin. 

“You should start to use an eye cream beginning in your early 20s,” says Dr. Michael Kaminer, a board-certified dermatologist and Skincare.com consultant. 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 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, make sure to be gentle. Rather than dragging or tugging the product along your skin, try lightly dabbing it on the under-eye area and along your orbital bone with your ring finger. 

The Best Eye Creams for Every Skin Concern 

The Best 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 appear on our skin. Thankfully, there are plenty of products out there formulated specifically with this concern in mind, like the Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Anti-Aging Eye Cream. The anti-wrinkle eye cream contains niacinamide, which helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles and brightens the under-eye area.

Our Favorite Eye Cream for Dryness

If your eye contour looks and feels dry, help restore hydration with a moisturizing formula like the Youth to the People Superfood Hydrate + Firm Eye Cream. Ingredients like aloe, green tea, kale and sunflower oil help soften the look of fine lines and keep your skin intensely hydrated throughout the day. 

Our Favorite Eye Cream for Puffiness 

To plump up and brighten your under-eye area, reach for a cooling formula like the L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 2.5% Hyaluronic Acid + Caffeine Eye Serum, which has a unique triple rollerball applicator to gently massage and de-puff. The fragrance- and paraben-free formula is lightweight and dermatologist-tested to suit sensitive skin.

Our Favorite Eye Cream for Brightening

Dark circles can be a result of genetics as well as external stressors. An eye cream with vitamin C, such as the SkinCeuticals AOX+ Eye Gel, can help lighten the appearance of dark circles and protect against damage from free radicals. This formula also incorporates ferulic acid to help enhance and stabilize the brightening effects of vitamin C, as well as caffeine to help depuff. 

Our Favorite Eye Cream for Wrinkles 

For an anti-aging eye cream that’s packed with retinol, we love The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream. This cruelty-free eye cream contains a stabilized retinol compound that helps reduce the irritation typically associated with the anti-aging ingredient.

Photo: Melissa San Vicente-Landestoy

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