Eye Cream Review

Eye Cream of the Month: Caudalie 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream

This month’s eye cream review features an antioxidant-rich, paraben-free formulation that helps prevent the first signs of aging. 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream by Caudalie is designed to prevent and reduce wrinkles, lighten and brighten dark circles, diminish puffiness, and shield the skin against free radical damage. The secret to this eye cream product’s efficacy is its long list of natural ingredients. 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream contains grape seed polyphenols, calendula extract, witch hazel extract, licorice extract, ceramide 3, horse chestnut extract and more! For an in-depth look at why this under eye cream is so effective, take a look at the following ingredients and their uses.

• Grape Seed Polyphenols (OPC): an antioxidant that’s 10,000 times more effective than vitamin E when neutralizing free radicals. Extracted from grape seeds, OPC is a rare ingredient indeed. It takes one ton of grape seeds to extract one kilogram of OPC!
• Calendula: anti-inflammatory and anti-irritation, calendula will help reduce puffiness and discomfort, leaving the eye area feeling fresh and calm.
• Witch Hazel: an astringent and soothing ingredient that reduces redness and irritation around the eye area.
• Licorice: lightens and brightens the under eye area, making this cream-gel formula a great eye cream for dark circles.
• Ceramide 3: restores the skin’s natural barrier system while helping to maintain a comfortable level of hydration.
• Horse Chestnut: improves the health and strength of the skin’s veins and capillaries, helps support healthy collagen and works to fight inflammatory conditions, which can lead to premature signs of aging.

User reviews of this anti wrinkle eye cream feature an overall rating of five stars and many stories of success. Some product benefits mentioned by users state that the gel-cream formulation absorbs quickly, supplies long-lasting hydration, is lightweight and non-greasy, and seems to provide both immediate and cumulative results.

Caudalie 1st Wrinkle Eye Cream may also be used around the lips to heal and prevent fine lines and wrinkles. The formulation is free of parabens, synthetic dyes, sulfates and phthalates, making it safe enough for use by those who wear contact lenses or experience sensitive skin issues.

source:flickr by:NickPiggott

Best Hydrating Eye Cream Ingredients

One of the best ways to prevent and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and crow’s feet around the eyes is to keep the eye area well hydrated. In addition to drinking at least eight 8 ounce glasses of water a day, applying topical hydrating under eye cream can keep the delicate eye area moisturized, supple, radiant and youthful-looking. There are many hydrating eye cream ingredients from which to choose, which can lead to an over-abundance of choices when shopping for your anti aging eye cream. To simplify your search, here’s some information on three of the leading eye area hydrators.

Glycerin
Glycerin is able to hydrate and soften the skin due to its hygroscopic natural. This means that glycerin attracts water from the air and binds it to the area covered by your glycerin-infused anti wrinkle eye cream. Glycerin is a neutral, non-toxic liquid that is often used as a gentle base for skin care products because many ingredients dissolve into glycerin easier than water or alcohol. It is free of side effects and is so soothing that many use it to reduce the discomfort and itching associating with eczema and other easily irritated skin conditions. These properties make glycerin-based eye creams a great choice for those with sensitive eye areas.

Lactic Acid
Lactic acid is an extremely gentle alpha hydroxy acid that’s been used for centuries to beautify the skin. Legend states that Cleopatra would bathe in baths filled with sour goat’s milk to maintain her youthful beauty. Today, we know that sour milk products, such as yogurt, truly do have skin care benefits due to their naturally high levels of lactic acid. This fabulous ingredient is used in eye wrinkle creams and other anti-aging skin care products to slough away dead skin cells and boost the production of new cells while supplying soothing hydration. Lactic acid, like glycerin, is able to work without causing irritation, allowing those with sensitive skin to experience its hydrating and rejuvenative qualities. Users of lactic acid will experience:

• Reduced fine lines and wrinkles
• Reduced age spots
• Reduced hyperpigmentation
• Smoother, softer skin texture
• Increased collagen production

Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid, also called hyaluronan, is the body’s natural moisturizer. It cushions and lubricates the body, including the joints, heart valves and eyes, and helps the skin maintain its youthful elasticity, smoothness, “plumpness” and radiance. As humans age, hyaluronic acid is destroyed by environmental aggressors, poor diet, smoking and other factors, causing visible signs of aging, as well as aging within the body. When used in skin care eye creams, hyaluronic acid works by attracting water up to 1,000 times its own weight and binding it to the skin. It forms a protective barrier that helps keep hydration within the skin, allowing the water to re-plump and soften the skin while diminishing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

As you can see, any one of these three hydrating skin care ingredients would be a great addition to your eye cream products, as well as any of your other skin care regimen formulations.

source:flickr by: The Style PA

Skin Care Eye Cream vs. Skin Care Face Cream

Many people wonder why they can’t use their anti-aging moisturizer as their under eye cream. After all, skin care face creams contain many beneficial ingredients that work to nourish and protect the skin. Using a basic face cream as an eye cream seems like it may save time and money; however, the damage this would cause would end up costing way more time and money to correct than if you had chosen better products to begin with.

The eye area is thinner, more delicate and more sensitive than the rest of this complexion. These are the main characteristics that require a separate skin care eye cream. In order to care for the eye area without causing irritation, the products used there must be tested by an ophthalmologist. As you may have guessed, most anti-aging face creams are not ophthalmologist tested, making them more likely to cause unwanted side effects. In addition, skin care products formulated for the face contain higher concentrations of active ingredients, which may be too aggressive for the delicate eye area.

Common eye area concerns, such as puffiness and bags, can be exacerbated by face creams due to the high levels of hydrating ingredients. While the best under eye creams certainly contain hydrators, the levels used are specially measured in order to work without causing excess puffiness in the eye area. Along those same lines, face creams don’t often contain skin care ingredients that help with dark circles and other eye area issues, making them less effective.

Overall, the debate of eye cream vs. face cream for use on the eye area comes down to common sense. The best eye cream is just that — an eye cream! When putting together your skin care regimen, choose a face cream formulated for your skin type, and an eye cream product that’s made to treat your specific eye area concerns. By selecting two separate “made for you” products, you’ll be able to target your unique skin care issues with a decreased risk of side effects and irritation.