Do You Really Need A Face Cream AND An Eye Cream?

A small stroll through beauty aisles in supermarkets can leave you puzzled as to how many creams do you really need?! Ads on TV don’t help either. You get that you need a separate body lotion and face cream, obviously, but do you actually really need a face cream AND an eye cream? Read on to find out.

What Exactly Does An Eye Cream Do?

One of the major reasons beauty experts recommend using an eye cream is because the skin around your eye area does not contain oil glands. The oil glands essentially help keep skin moist. Eye creams usually contain emollients or moisturizers that help hydrate the skin around your eyes and make it look smoother. The skin around the eyes is more fragile, more prone to dryness, and quicker to show age and fatigue. Be very gentle while applying moisturizers and makeup. Always remember: pat on the product under the eye, never drag or rub.

So Getting Straight To It… Do You Really Need A Separate Eye Cream?

Well, yes and no. YES – you need a separate eye cream IF the skin type around your eyes differs from the rest of your face and if you have issues like dark circles, wrinkles and under eye bags. Eye creams can address some of these issues. The area around your eyes is a lot more sensitive than the rest of your face, and as you age you definitely need a specialized cream for the area and not just your regular face cream. And similarly, No, you don’t need a separate eye cream if you have a uniform skin type. Typically in your teens and early twenties, you can afford to forego the eye cream, but as age catches on so do wrinkles, fine lines, dryness, dark circles and sagging skin. To correct these, we often end up on a search for that perfect eye cream.

Also Read About Best Collagen Creams For Face

What You Should Look For In An Eye Cream

With so many options out there, we don’t blame you for being confused. Cosmetic companies make promises of younger looking, smoother, brighter, wrinkle free skin in 14 days. These products are often just glorified and overpriced moisturizers in tiny bottles, loaded with ingredients that can potentially irritate your skin. A good eye cream contains one or more of: emollients, collagen, retinol (vitamin A), vitamin C and Vitamin E. Collagen helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles, Vitamin A, C & E help deal with darkness, dryness, fine lines and wrinkles. Just make sure it is chemical free and if possible fragrance free.

If You Don’t Think You’re Quite Ready For An Eye Cream…

Facial oils double up as an excellent eye moisturizer. Olive, Coconut, Vitamin E, Jojoba have excellent emollient properties. They also correct skin issues like wrinkles, dark circles and dry skin. Give the oils a skip if you have oily skin under your eyes. If you’re already using a well-formulated facial moisturizer or serum – those can absolutely work effectively around the eye area, too, as long as skin around your eyes is the same type as skin on the rest of your face. Whatever you decide to use, eye cream or a facial moisturizer/ serum, just make sure it’s a fragrance-free formula packed with collagen, vitamins, antioxidants and skin-repairing ingredients. Opt for a thicker formula for night and a serum or gel based formula for the day.

Our Top Picks

Some of the best luxury and budget eye creams available in the market are:

• Blossom Kochhar’s Almond Under Eye Cream (Rs. 135)
• Aloe-vera gel (Rs. 160) (Yes! That’s right, aloe vera gel!)
• Garnier Eye Roll On Pen (Rs. 199)
• L’Occitane Angelica Eye Roll On Pen (Rs. 1790)
• Clinique Superdefense Age Defense Eye Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 20 (Rs. 2910)
• Clarins Super-Restorative Total Eye Concentrate (Rs. 5475)   

Images: Shutterstock HAVE A STORY IDEA FOR POPxo? If you want to hear about it, we can write about it! Just tell us your idea here! MUST-READ: #ByeByePandaEyes: The Best Under-Eye Creams For Every Budget MUST-READ: #RealGirlBeauty: Why You Should Be Using an Under Eye Cream Even in Your 20s