How to Apply Eye Cream & When to Start Using It

Taking care of the skin around your eyes is key to maintaining a fresh, rested, and youthful appearance. From understanding your eye area to selecting the right ingredients, and of course, how to apply your chosen eye cream, here's our guide to achieving brighter, refreshed eyes.

Why You Get Dry Skin Around the Eyes

Did you know that the skin around the eye is much thinner and has less oil glands than the rest of the face?

The elastin and collagen breaks down faster than in other areas, and there are approximately 22 muscles working any time you make an expression. This constant activity creates creases earlier than on other parts of the face.

Because the skin is thinner and drier it is more susceptible to dehydration and irritation. Even the salt in tears can dry out skin if you shed them enough.

Fine Lines & Wrinkles

Even people with oily or thick skin will age around the eyes before anywhere else. It isn’t unusual for people with dry skin or those who have had a lot of sun exposure to see lines around the eyes in their early 20s. Eye cream for wrinkles are typically the first anti-aging products women purchase.

Dark Circles and Puffy Eyes

The eye area can be prone to dark circles as well as puffiness.

Swollen under eyes are usually caused by fluid retention. Excess sodium in the diet often shows up as puffiness under the eyes after sleeping, but alcohol, lack of sleep, allergies, and aging are also culprits.

We often associate dark circles with fatigue, but genetics play a key role. Some people are prone to this condition no matter how much sleep they get. Medications, allergies, rubbing the eyes, and even sleeping on your stomach can contribute. Because the skin is almost transparent, oxygenated blood that has pooled in capillaries will be more obvious.

What Does Eye Cream Do?

Eye cream is designed to address the unique needs of the delicate skin around the eyes. Packed with potent ingredients such as antioxidants, peptides, and hydrators, eye creams work to combat common issues like fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles, and puffiness. They're expertly crafted to be gentle yet effective, providing the necessary nourishment and moisture to rejuvenate and revitalize the eye area without being too active. By promoting collagen production, improving elasticity, and reducing signs of tiredness, eye creams can help promote a brighter, more youthful appearance.

How to Apply Eye Cream

Treat this delicate area with the gentleness it deserves. Any time you are touching the contour around the eyes, use a light touch. Over time, tugging, rubbing and excess pressure on this skin will contribute to the problems you want to prevent.

Step 1: Remove Your Eye Makeup

When removing makeup use an appropriate eye makeup remover wipes that dissolves makeup thoroughly without having to rub. Always remove eye makeup before bedtime and apply a product designed especially for the eyes like an eye cream or eye serum.

Eye Cream: Before or After Moisturizer?

We recommend you apply your eye cream after your serum, and before your moisturizer and SPF. That way it gets plenty of time to get to work. You can apply it after your moisturizer if you prefer, but always remember to apply it before your SPF.

Step 2: Applying Eye Cream

With your eye cream, apply a portion smaller than a pea to the back of the hand and then to the ring fingers of both hands, so there is an equal amount for each eye. Moving from the outside of the eye inward, lightly pat the product onto the skin staying on the orbit bone. This may seem counter intuitive, but it is beneficial because you are moving in the correct direction recommended for massage, the insertion of the muscle to the origin.

If your eye cream comes in a jar, use a spatula or cotton swab to get it out, or take the plastic insert on top and use it as a scoop. Don’t dip your fingers in the jar as the bacteria from your fingertips can break down the cream over time.

Gently work the product into the skin until absorbed. Don’t over work it, but a light massaging motion has a smoothing effect on the skin.

EYE CREAM TIP: Do not take the cream too close to the eye because it will move inward due to the natural muscle movements, so stay on the orbit bone. While a product is designed to be applied to this area and considered safe, it is not designed to be in the eye and may sting.

Step 3: Repeat the Process Morning & Evening

This process should be repeated both evening and morning. In the morning just put the product underneath the eye, and at night move all the way around the eye, under the brow and back around. During the day, if eye cream is applied on the upper lid, eye makeup may slide off.

The few extra minutes it takes to apply eye product and using it correctly will keep the eyes looking as beautiful as they are supposed to be.

Choosing an Eye Cream to Target Concerns

Depending on your eye concerns, you'll want to find an eye cream to solve for your specific needs. Retinol eye creams are great for anti-aging as they help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, creating a smoothed eye area. While it doesn't contain retinol, Phyto-Active Eye Serum is a great anti-aging option as it contains plant stem cells to firm and smooth. If you're looking for an eye cream for dark circles, try a vitamin C-based eye cream like our Hydra-Bright Eye Cream or C-Shield Eye Restore Hydrator.