Key points

People who are obsessed with skincare are well aware that it’s easy to get carried away at times trying more and more intricate self-care practices, ranging from dermaplaning to jade rolling and gua sha massages. Many of these few skincare trends have supplanted tried and true traditional skincare routines most women used in the past. With so many different unusual products and innovative procedures available today, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and confused about what steps and products a basic (and timelessly effective) skincare routine should include.

One glaring example of this phenomenon is eye cream, which is often overlooked among the plethora of products available on the market. Many people think that they don’t need a cream or serum specifically for the eyes because they use a moisturiser for their entire face. 

And that’s exactly why we’re here. In this article, we will explain what eye cream actually is and why it’s absolutely essential to include it in your skincare routine. We will also talk about the difference between an eye cream and serum, tell you when you should start using eye cream, and provide information about the advantages of this product. 

You know what they say – the eyes are the window to one’s soul, so you should take great care of their frame, that is, the skin surrounding them. So let’s get started without delay!

What is eye cream? 

Have you ever noticed bags, dark circles, or abnormal puffiness underneath your eyes after a sleepless night or an evening of partying? Or maybe you’re seeing some crow’s feet and fine wrinkles underneath your eyes, which are some of the first signs of ageing? All of that isn’t happening just by chance. The skin under your eyes is more delicate than on the rest of your face and body. It’s considerably thinner, has fewer oil glands to keep it hydrated, and is constantly subjected to facial mimics and micromovements. But fortunately, there’s a dedicated skincare product that can help the skin underneath your eyes look young and healthy. 

Eye cream is a type of moisturiser designed specifically for the delicate skin around the eyes. Although some people choose to apply regular face cream to the skin around their eyes, it is vital to remember that this particular area needs to be treated with extra care. As we’ve mentioned above, the skin under the eyes is very thin and sensitive, and the eye contour is usually the first area to show signs of ageing. While it is true that regular moisturisers contain ingredients that are beneficial to the rest of your face, those face creams might be just too concentrated for the under-eye area. 

Eye creams are not only meant to keep your skin hydrated. They can also diminish the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven skin tone while ensuring the area stays supple and nourished regardless of the season. Furthermore, a good eye cream can protect your skin from early signs of ageing and delay the appearance of wrinkles.

When should you start using eye cream?

Prevention is the key to preserving healthy, good-looking, and youthful skin, especially when it comes to under-eye contour. Many people start using eye cream in their 30s after they notice first creases in the outer corners of their eyes, but if you want to prevent unpleasant signs of ageing such as wrinkles, crow’s feet, or fine lines, it is recommended to add an eye cream to your skincare routine as early as in your 20s. You know what they say: better be safe than sorry.

Eye cream and eye serum: what’s the difference? 

Many people find it hard to tell the difference between eye serum and eye cream. It is true that it might be pretty difficult to put a finger on the difference between these products at first, but once someone explains it to you, it all starts to make sense. So, let’s start with definitions.

Eye serums

Serums are skincare products with lightweight formulations that nourish your skin with active components. They are typically quite thin, which helps your skin to quickly absorb them, leaving little if any residue on the skin surface. Serums can come in a variety of formats, meaning gels, lotions, or oils may also be considered serums. Serums are also used to address a wide range of skin issues, such as acne, ageing signs, and dull skin. They tend to be more expensive than other skincare products because they are packed with powerful active ingredients that are absorbed into deeper layers of skin. 

As you can see, eye serums are just as important as creams in your skincare routine. However, the power of serums is in potent, high-quality ingredients, so you shouldn’t rush to the local drugstore and buy the first product you see. Instead, look for products from well-respected brands that put their clients’ safety first, just like we do it here at Dr. Kinsella. Our Premium Eye Serum is a light, moisturising product that absorbs into your skin in just a few moments. It delivers potent active ingredients, including caffeine, vitamin C, CBD, haloxyl, and fucogel®, aiming to enhance skin firmness, decrease puffiness and dark circles around the eyes, and leave your skin looking nourished, toned, and invigorated.

Eye creams

Eye creams and moisturisers have a thicker texture which allows them to create a physical barrier that locks in water, keeping your skin from drying out. They can also help your skin maintain moisture levels by improving the function of the stratum corneum (the top layer of skin that consists of oil and dead skin cells). Some creams contain anti-ageing compounds as well, meaning they can both hydrate and rejuvenate your skin. However, if you’re dealing with a really challenging skincare issue (like sun damage) or want to care for your skin as well as possible, it’s much better to combine an eye cream with a good eye serum.

Eye serum vs eye cream

Now you know the difference between the textures of these two products, but what about their performance? 

Serums are designed to penetrate deeper into the skin to transport specific active ingredients, while creams work to reinforce the skin’s surface, bind skin cells, and operate on top of the skin to provide extra moisture.

In addition, creams generally consist of larger molecules compared to serums, meaning that a moisturiser can’t penetrate the skin as deeply or as quickly as a serum does. Thus, your selection of a product should depend on the effect you’re looking for. If you’re seeking immediate results, a serum should be your go-to, but if you want long-term hydration, eye cream should be your product of choice. Of course, the best option is to use both products in your routine.

Using eye cream and serum together

When it comes to applying several skincare products at the same time, the order in which they are used is crucial. Generally, skincare products are applied to the skin in layers, starting with the thinnest and ending with the thickest textures. This actually makes sense when you take a minute to think about the goals of these products. Serums are designed to penetrate deep layers of skin, whereas moisturisers work as a barrier, enhancing the effect of serums. 

To layer your eye serum and cream correctly, apply a few drops of serum to clean skin underneath your eyes and spread the product. Then, after waiting 30 to 60 seconds for it to get absorbed, put your eye cream on top. Don’t skip this waiting time, as it’s necessary to allow the serum to be properly absorbed before you apply the cream.

Eye cream benefits

You think that you’re still young and thus don’t need to use eye cream just yet. However, eye cream isn’t just used to prevent ageing signs. There are lots of other reasons why eye cream should be an essential part of your daily skincare routine! Here are some things eye cream can do if you use it regularly:

Prevent prominent signs of ageing

Environmental stresses and dehydration are two major causes of dull and tired-looking skin. When your skin is dehydrated, it can have a significant negative impact on your appearance, making you look older than you actually are. However, even if a person were to never experience any environmental stresses and always stay hydrated, it still doesn’t mean they could fully escape the ageing process. 

But don’t worry, there is a way to delay the inevitable, make your skin look youthful and rejuvenated, and erase unpleasant signs of ageing from your face. Just choose a good eye cream and eye serum packed with active ingredients and make sure to use them every day.

For instance, antioxidants like vitamin C can prevent and reduce cell damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules produced by the body in response to environmental and other stressors. Humectant ingredients like glycerin contained in quality eye serums and eye creams can help to keep your skin moistured. Using good products to care for your under-eye area is the easiest way to delay ageing signs for as long as possible.

Diminish fine lines and wrinkles

But what if you already have some fine lines and wrinkles? Is it too late for you? Not at all! Quality eye creams and serums can diminish wrinkles and expression lines, smoothing out and rejuvenating the skin.

The loss of collagen, the protein that is responsible for our skin’s structure and suppleness as we age, is the main reason why fine lines and wrinkles appear on our faces when we get older. While sun protection and good lifestyle choice are critical for preventing and reducing fine lines and wrinkles, using quality under-eye products can also be very effective. 

But the loss of collagen is not the only reason for the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Our face movements also play a role in this. All the blinking we do throughout the day puts a lot of stress on fine, thin, and sensitive skin underneath the eyes. 

So if you want to find a product that won’t just hydrate your skin but will also be effective at reducing fine lines and wrinkles, we suggest choosing an eye cream that contains the following ingredients:

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can help alleviate sun damage symptoms.

Humectants  

Hydrating ingredients can help plump up the skin and temporarily diminish the look of small wrinkles. For instance, a 2017 research study showed that using a hydrating cream underneath the eyes significantly improved the appearance of the skin only after 15 minutes. And researchers were able to observe a decrease in fine lines for at least 56 days after the application. 

This is why we recommend opting for skincare products that contain hyaluronic acid or glycerin.

Can’t seem to find a quality anti-wrinkle product that actually works? Try our weightless eye serum enriched with vitamin C, fucogel, haloxyl, caffeine, D-panthenol, and CBD today and wake up with rejuvenated, smooth skin tomorrow.

Decrease puffiness

Allergies, ageing, and sleep deprivation can all contribute to puffiness caused by fluid accumulation. But you can temporarily reduce puffiness underneath the eyes by using serums and creams with caffeine since this ingredient has the ability to constrict blood vessels, decreasing blood flow to the eye contour and reducing puffiness. Studies have also conclusively proven that using eye products with caffeine reduces the appearance of wrinkles, minimises dark circles, and smoothes out the skin.

Reduce dark circles and bags under eyes

Today, there are millions of people who suffer from dark circles and bags under their eyes. This is due to the microvessels in the eye contour becoming penetrable and leaking fluid, which accumulates under the eyes. When your body reabsorbs this liquid, the swelling typically goes away, but this might take a few weeks.

Although there are no skincare products that will get rid of dark circles permanently, a lot of serums and creams are packed with healthy botanicals and powerful ingredients that help reduce discolouration and brighten up the skin. Sunken eyes can sometimes be helped by changing your lifestyle habits, such as increasing your consumption of water or adopting a more regular sleep pattern. 

Hydrate

Since the undereye area has fewer oil glands than the rest of the face, it dries out rapidly, which is why it is so important to always keep the eye contour hydrated. Eye creams and serums provide just the right level of hydration that the delicate under-eye skin area needs. The key is to choose products that contain a healthy concentration of effective ingredients that won’t irritate or dry out the skin even more. A good eye cream will typically contain: 

Humectants

Hyaluronic acid and glycerin are humectants, which are ingredients that bind water to the skin. These chemicals are used in a lot of eye serums and moisturisers because of how well they preserve water and hydrate the skin.

Occlusives

Occlusives such as coconut and mineral oils create an inert barrier on the skin and physically inhibit transepidermal water loss. 

Even out skin tone

Skin that has been hydrated and nourished with effective yet safe ingredients will always look a lot healthier and brighter. Eye serums and creams containing anti-ageing components and vitamins can help even out your skin tone and ensure you always look radiant and glowing.

Serve as an excellent base for your makeup

Eye products are excellent for smoothing out the skin and reducing the appearance of dark circles and puffiness around the eyes. Thus, they serve as an excellent makeup base that ensures that your concealer can be applied evenly and prevents it from building up in fine lines during the day.

Best eye cream and eye serum ingredients

You may be wondering how eye creams can have so many miraculous effects on the skin. Of course, this is due to the high-quality ingredients in their formulas! Here are a few ingredients to look out for when you’re searching for an effective eye cream or serum:

Final Thoughts 

Eye creams and serums give you a perfect way to treat yourself while also preventing and fighting off symptoms of premature ageing and brightening up the skin around your eyes. Nothing can stop you from looking and feeling your best if you follow a healthy diet, drink lots of water, sleep well, choose a quality sunscreen and use professionally formulated skin care products from the Dr. Kinsella brand to care for your skin. Try our products today and enjoy seeing hydrated, healthy-looking, wrinkle-free, and glowing skin in the mirror.

FAQ

When should I start using eye cream?

Some people start to think about adding an eye cream to their skincare routine around age 30, when the first signs of ageing begin to appear along the eye contour. But if you want to avoid visible indications of ageing, such as wrinkles, crow’s feet, or fine lines, you should have at least one eye care product in your cosmetics bag in your 20s.

Is it important to use eye cream?

Eye creams are very good at keeping the thin and delicate under-eye area of the skin hydrated. Taking into account that the eye contour has fewer oil glands to keep it moisturised, we can say with certainty that eye cream is a must-have for every woman since a regular moisturiser is usually too harsh for this sensitive area. Specialised eye serums and creams can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven skin tone, while also keeping the skin supple and nourished. In addition, these products can prevent your skin from developing premature signs of ageing.

Does eye cream help dark circles?

Yes, eye creams and serums with caffeine can help minimise dark circles and brighten the skin.