Ask A Dermatologist: Do I Need a Separate Eye Cream?

Raise your hand if you have been lured in by miracle-working eye creams. Don’t worry, you’re in good company – the promise of banishing fine lines, dark circles and under-eye bags is a hard one to resist.

But are eye creams a necessary skincare investment, or are they too good to be true? Head of Medical at Skin + Me, Dr Jason Thomson, has the answer.

Do I really need eye cream? 

According to Dr Jason, “Eye creams represent a pretty sizable chunk of the beauty market being amongst the most expensive cosmetic products per ml sold. To answer this question it’s important to understand what’s different about the skin around your eyes and what can potentially go wrong with it.”

“The skin around your eyes is the thinnest skin anywhere on the body and also has fewer oil-producing glands,” Dr Jason explains. “This means it’s often sensitive and more prone to dryness and irritation, whether from the environment or your skincare products.”

“Having thin skin around the eyes also means this area comes with its own specific problems such as dark circles, puffiness and bags as well as being the first place that fine lines and wrinkles develop,” Dr Jason continues. There are lots of reasons why this is an area that deserves your attention. With this in mind, the rationale behind a separate eye cream is clear – a cream that’s suitable for sensitive skin that targets specific issues such as dryness and dark circles sounds like a great idea.

Do hydrating eye creams really work?

If you have dry skin around your eyes, you might’ve already purchased an eye cream that claims to help. However, Dr Jason says your moisturiser does the same job – “Eye creams designed to hydrate and brighten the skin around the eyes usually contain the exact same ingredients, in the same proportions as a face cream.”

Eye creams claiming to treat fine lines will also contain the same ingredients as many moisturisers, including humectants like hyaluronic acid, allantoin and betaine, emollients like shea butter, as well as ceramides, peptides and glycerin. 

We know that hydrating the skin with moisturiser can temporarily plump it, which does smooth fine lines — meaning the eye cream might seem effective, but if you’ve already invested in a decent moisturiser, eye creams are not essential.

Can an eye cream treat my dark circles?

If you have dark circles, even after eight hours of sleep, you might be tempted by eye creams targeting pigmentation. 

However, Dr Jason says results can often be underwhelming. “Creams that claim to treat dark circles are often going to end up disappointing,” he says. “This is because dark circles are usually caused by multiple factors including your genetics and your skin tone, which no cream will be able to influence.” 

Anatomy is also important –  dark circles are often due to thin skin, underlying blood vessels and your face shape. No cream will be able to change these characteristics. 

Tretinoin and dark circles

Our Skin + Me Dermatologists are often asked about using tretinoin for dark circles. This is because tretinoin is often used to treat the early signs of skin ageing. However, it’s not so simple in this case.

Dark circles are a challenge to treat because they can be influenced by lifestyle, genetics and age. Even a powerful retinoid such as tretinoin can’t fade or cover up dark circles completely.

Dr Jason’s advice? “I’d recommend going to see a Dermatologist (face to face) to diagnose the cause of your dark circles and give you the best chance of treating them effectively.”

Can an eye cream treat fine lines?

Dr Jason says, “Eye creams can also be beneficial in providing active ingredients such as retinoids at lower concentrations than you’d apply to the rest of your face which means they’ll be better tolerated by the sensitive eye skin.”

“However, you don’t need a specific eye cream to do this,” Dr Jason continues. “Buffering your retinoid by applying a thin layer of your moisturiser immediately before it serves to effectively dilute the concentration and make it less potent and more tolerated for the eye area.” So, you can create the same effect as an anti-ageing eye cream with products you already have in your bathroom cabinet.

Can an eye cream treat fine lines?

Dr Jason says, “Eye creams can also be beneficial in providing active ingredients such as retinoids at lower concentrations than you’d apply to the rest of your face which means they’ll be better tolerated by the sensitive eye skin. 

However, this is not strictly needed and buffering your retinoid by applying a thin layer of your moisturiser immediately before it serves to effectively dilute the concentration and make it less potent and more tolerated for the eye area.”

Can an eye cream treat puffy eyes?

We’ve all had puffy eyes the morning after having a little too many cocktails, (yes, alcohol affects your skin), but some people are more prone to swelling than others. Can a good eye cream really make a difference? 

Dr Jason explains, “Some specific problems such as puffy eyes can be improved with an eye cream. These usually contain ingredients such as caffeine which work to constrict blood vessels in the skin to reduce swelling temporarily.” If you feel like puffiness is a problem for you, then you might want to invest in a caffeine eye cream – or, you could use a cooling eye mask as a soothing remedy.

The bottom line

As with all skincare, the best routine is one that is personalised and works for you. Eye creams can be effective for some people, but you can get many of the benefits from your regular skincare. 

As Dr Jason says, “If you suffer from specific issues such as dark circles, it’s unlikely a cream will result in much improvement so overall you’re better to spend money on a good all-rounder face cream.” 

“The skin around your eyes is a special area and does require attention, but a good face cream, that’s gentle and moisturising (as well as a high factor, broad-spectrum sunscreen like Skin + Me’s Daily Defence) is really all you need to benefit your entire face and support you during your Skin + Me journey.”

So, your everyday moisturiser should do the job just fine. Our very own Skin + Me Soothe + Smooth Moisturisers, both Light and Rich, are safe to use around your eyes — maximum results, minimal fuss