There seem to be two general schools of thought when it comes to eye cream. There are those who apply their specially formulated eye cream religiously, and those who fall into the camp of believing that whatever they use to moisturize and protect the rest of their face is just fine for the undereye area. After all, why spend the money or time to find the perfect eye cream when what your standard moisturizer seems to be doing a fine job?

Honestly, I understand this point of view. I’m a fan of clean, simple skincare and there’s no point in having an arsenal of skincare products you never use when you can have just a few that do the job wonderfully. That said, eye cream is one thing that you shouldn’t skip on for a whole variety of reasons. Let’s take a look at what eye creams do, and why they’re an important step in your regular skincare routine.

Do You Really Need a Separate Cream for Your Eyes?

If you’re already using a moisturizer on your face, do you really need a separate eye cream? The answer is yes, and here’s why.

The skin under and around your eyes is very different from that of the rest of your face. It’s thinner, more fragile, and has fewer oil glands.

The fact that the skin of the eye area is more fragile isn’t a reason to skip applying products there altogether. In fact, it’s thinness and fragility makes it more prone to aging and is often one of the very first areas we begin to notice those very first signs of aging – making it extra important to make sure you keep the area properly moisturized.

The Benefits of Eye Cream

Because the skin of the undereye is different, it’s prone to an entirely different set of problems. Who hasn’t woken up after a night of not so great sleep to find puffiness under their eyes? Or how about those dark circles that seem to appear out of nowhere, yet are impossible to get rid of? It isn’t just fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes that can add a few years to your complexion, it’s also this combination of unique problems that the eye area is known for.

The best, most effective eye creams are formulated to moisturize and soothe the eye area, while also working to fight the most common problems. The skin around the eye is so thin (the thinnest that you’ll find anywhere on your body) that it quickly shows signs of fatigue, stress, health issues, and even a poor diet long before similar signs show up elsewhere.

The area under the eyes is especially well known for retaining fluid and becoming puffy due to a number of triggering factors. Eye creams that are formulated with soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients can help fight puffy eyes that are the result of a lack of sleep, emotional stress, physical stress or illness, and allergies. It’s amazing how the right eye cream clearing up a little puffiness in this area can instantly brighten your face.

The eye area is also prone to discolorations (AKA dark undereye circles). Because the skin in this area is so thin and fragile, little tiny blood vessels can show through the surface. Most of the time, this is not very noticeable. However, the blood that flows through this area can be less oxygenated when you’re tired, stress or suffering from allergies. This results in vessels that are darker, lending a brownish/blueish hue to the undereye area.

Eye creams can help with dark circles by hydrating the area, and essentially “puffing it up” a little so that those tiny dark veins aren’t so close to the surface. The act of applying eye cream, especially if it has ingredients that encourage circulation, will help boost the flow of oxygen to the area and lessen the appearance of dark circles under your eyes.

Smiles Lines, Fine Lines, and the Anti-Aging Game

Short of having injections or a more intrusive procedure done, smile lines around the eyes are a fact of life all of us have to come to terms with. Personally, I see these lines as reminders of all the wonderful times that have brought a lingering smile to my face. Still, other things like stress can wear on our appearance as well, and at the end of the day it often doesn’t feel like eye area wrinkles are such a good thing. Plus, the image we see looking back at us affects our overall self-image.

A high-quality eye cream, formulated with super effective, gentle ingredients can be your undereye area’s best friend. An eye cream won’t completely erase the hands of time, but it will soften the blow, brighten your eyes, and can even work to slow down how quickly the skin in this area ages.

Pampering Your Beautiful Eyes

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, and they deserve to be pampered. If you’ve been skipping eye cream as part of your skincare routine, now is the time to stop and take the time to find a light, brilliantly formulated eye cream that will lift your eyes and brighten your smile. There are other steps you can take to protect the skin around your eyes, like making sure you get plenty of quality sleep, nourish your body, and feed your soul. With all the other pieces in place, your eye cream is just icing on the cake.

"Allergies " "Anti-Inflammatory;Diet/Nutrition;Healthy Choices;Natural Skincare;Self-care;Sleep Habits;Stress Management " "Dehydrated;Dry;Fine Lines and Wrinkles;Hyperpigmentation;Premature Aging;Puffy Eyes;Under-eye Circles "