Do I Really Need An Eye Cream?

Eye creams are given a tonne of airtime when you’re talking skincare. It does seem to make logical sense to have a separate cream or gel for your eyes, considering many concerns are focused around the eyes - lines and bags and circles, oh my! 

Because the area around our eyes has less fat and tissue and thinner skin naturally, a loss of skin density, lines, wrinkles and any other eye concerns seem to appear twice as noticeable as anything else on our face. It simply has less support than the rest of your face. 

However, regardless of this, we actually don’t feel like most people need a separate eye cream. 

Why don’t I need an eye cream? 

The main consensus that experts come to with regard to why you need a separate eye cream is due to how delicate the skin is. Their thoughts on the matter is that you actually need lower amounts of actives in the area. 

We would disagree, and because of this, we feel that your potent vitamin A and antioxidant serums will do the same job… But maybe better! 

As we always say, it’s about the ingredients, so if you’re applying topical products that contain vitamin A, peptides, vitamin C and other antioxidants (like your Environ AVST 3 onwards or Skingredients Skin Protein) up around where you’d apply eye cream, you can save your eye cream budget for a new gadget instead. This is why we made sure Skin Veg, Skin Protein and Skin Good Fats in the Skingredients range are all ocular-tested… We’re nerds, after all.

One note - make sure the serums, moisturisers, SPFs and masques you apply up around your eye area are actually eye-safe as not all of them are. Notably, not all eye creams are even eye-safe and what good is a cheekbone cream? 

When you may actually need an eye cream 

If your eye concerns are quite severe and you’ve been bringing your serums and SPFs all the way up to your eye area with no results, that’s when it’s time to think about an eye cream. 

Make sure that the eye cream you introduce isn’t simply duplicating all of the ingredients in your routine, or if it is, it’s ingredients that you can always use more of - as mentioned above, vitamin A, vitamin C, peptides and antioxidants.   

There are a rare few that we actually rate highly, for multiple different reasons… 

Environ YouthEssentiA Vita-Peptide Eye Gel (€74.00)

This eye gel makes a real difference. With bossy boots peptides that tell your skin to make more collagen, ceramides, vitamin C, vitamin A and other botanical antioxidants, it’s powerful without causing irritation. It is a firm favourite of the mams AND dads of Team Nerd and let us tell you, they’re not easily won over. 

Pestle & Mortar Recover Eye Cream (€38.00)

This is probably our favourite of the more affordable eye creams as it simultaneously tackles dark circles, puffiness and lines and wrinkles. With beta-carotene (provitamin A), a peptide and antioxidant extracts, it helps to firm and soothe. 

IMAGE Vital C Hydrating Eye Recovery Gel (€51.50)

The point of difference between the Vital C Eye Gel and others is the inclusion of Haloxyl, a patented ingredient that is proven to reduce dark circles by up to 19%. There’s also vitamin C and peptides - as you can tell, peptides are a prerequisite for us to love an eye cream.  

How best to apply your eye cream 

It’s all in the technique too! Decant a rice grain sized amount onto one of your ring fingers, tap half onto your other ring finger and then gently tap the product over the top of your eyelid and brow bone, and across your under eye area. 

Why the ring finger? It is the finger with the least power and thus the most delicate eye cream application tool! Use what your mama gave ‘ya. 

You should actually apply your eye cream directly after cleansing and before applying anything else, unless there is an element you’ll be removing after (like a wash-off masque). 

So there you have it, you probably don’t need an eye cream but if you feel that you do, don’t hesitate to ask your Nerd or Nerdette for a recommendation!