the EYES have it

I often get asked about my suggestions for eye creams.  Before I suggest one, I would first need to ask you about your skin type, your life style, the climate you live in...is it arid? Is it tropical?  I would ask you your budget, whether you wear make-up on a daily basis, and what products you've used (if any) in the past.  I'd also ask about your skincare regime and whether you prefer a lighter weight cream, a thicker cream or a gel-based lotion. I would need to assess your skin type and if you're concerned with under eye hydration, fine lines, proactive anti-aging or all three.  

Products used on the delicate eye area, should be eye-specific, which means: Never use face creams, butt creams, facial lotions, petroleum jelly or any other product un-related to the eye area! The eye-skin is unique and should be treated consciously, not haphazardly.  I'll assume that your main concern is from a hydration and anti-aging stand point, since that appears to be the main concern for most women, 

therefore I'll focus on those issues in this post. Should you have additional questions, I encourage you to ask them! Questions make me happy :)

Before we talk about the different eye creams and serums on the market, we need to address the unique eye-skin itself. The skin around the eyes is the thinnest skin on the entire body, and to make matters worse, this skin does NOT have hair follicles. Why does this matter? It matters because the sebaceous glands live within the hair follicles and use the hair-shaft-highway to disperse sebum (your body's natural oil/moisturizer) onto the skin. The human body is covered in hair follicles from head to toe (with the exception of the eye-skin area, palms of hands, soles of feet and lips).....whether you see the hair or not, the follicles are there. The biology of all humans differ, obviously, that's why some of us have more oily hair and skin than others. For those of you who have excessive facial oil, oh how lucky you are! Sebum creates a moisture barrier on the skin (this is what fancy creams attempt to simulate). Blot away the excess oil from your T-zone to tone down that shine, but do NOT attempt to use astringents or harsh cleansers to remove the oil; these products will strip away that precious, pH-perfect moisture (see my blog on Skin Care 101). 

I'm a big fan of Mario Badescu's skin care line. Their Glycolic Eye Cream is one of my favorites. It's thick and creamy, intensely moisturizing (which I love) contains vitamin E (an anti-oxidant), and best of all, contains an alpha hydroxy acid, Glycolic (see my blog on Exfoliators) which gently sloughs away dead skin cells and reveals new skin (essential for product penetration).

If a lighter version is what you prefer, I recommend Mario Badescu's Hyaluronic Acid Eye Cream. It's incredibly moisturizing, but a bit lighter than it's Glycolic sister,  for those who prefer less of a product-presence on their skin. 

Hyaluronic Acid 101:  It is naturally occurring in the body....it's what gives skin it's volume and juiciness.  Notice the cheeks and skin of a baby....deliciously smooth, full and plump right?  This is the Hyaluronic Acid affect. Injectables such as Restylane use a synthetic form of the acid to smooth-out the prominence of wrinkles by filling in and smoothing out the crinkled area. 

Another amazing thing about Hyaluronic Acid?  It's like a magnet for water, attracting moisture.....what a beautiful thing!

Regardless of what product you use on the eye-area, whether it be Mario Badesco or a drugstore brand, be consistent. Apply your eye cream during your twice-per-day "CTM Ritual" (see my blog on Skincare 101). Be consistent with your skincare routine, treat your eye skin gently (never pulling or tugging at the skin). Tap-inward towards the nose whilst applying make-up or other eye-products.  Avoid pulling at that skin, as well as tugging outward towards the ears. This skin is fragile and thin (the thinnest skin on the body); it's precious and it's the only eye skin you've got. Treat it kindly and with lots of TLC! Why aren't there more eye creams or concealers with SPF on the market??  Hmmmmmm...Don't know why!!  I'd have to guess that the extracts and/or chemicals used to formulate SPFs may be irritating to the eyes. Personally, I have to admit, I do NOT practice what I preach.  The eye area, more so than any other part of the body, needs protection from the sun, so I use a dab of my CC Cream with broad spectrum 30 SPF around my eye area (after I've applied my eye cream). I lightly, and gently, tap the product inward, towards my nose (using my ring or pinky finger...these fingers use less pressure), ensuring that my delicate eye skin is protected from the UVA and UVB rays. The best part for me?  I receive added hydration from my CC Cream and the coverage helps to conceal my under-eye circles! I do add a bit of concealer to my inner eye area, closest to my nose (never apply concealer to the outter "crow's feet" area of your eye skin). The key here is to apply a light application of CC, however, if you experience any irritation to the eye area, keep the CC Creams away from your eyes (see my blog on Luminescent Skin and CC  Creams). 

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--CIAO for now xo