Do You Really Need to Use Eye Cream

I am obsessed not only with eye care products but also my under eye area, as such I can't begin to tell you how frequently I research both topics. It seems I'm not alone, apparently the term eye cream is one of the most searched for beauty buzz words, however we don't all share similar views on under eye nourishment; some camps don't believe it to be a necessary step and others swear by it as a stand alone product. As such I have often found myself typing in the term "Do I really need an eye cream?" into the Google search bar - I mean what if this whole time I have been wasting time, effort and money?

Do You Really Need to Use Eye Cream

The biggest argument is that not every eye cream has actually been formulated for the delicate eye area - misleading to say the least. In some and I must stress some instances, it is a case of a typical facial moisturiser in a smaller tube. The way around this of course is to compare ingredients and see if it stands up to expectations. Typically I expect my eye cream to contain Peptides as well as Vitamin C, E and antioxidants- all great for anti-ageing purposes and in some instances known to brighten and protect the skin. I do also look for a shot of caffeine and as always SPF if it is a day time product.

Do I look for such ingredients in a facial moisturiser? Honestly not so much, I tend to gravitate towards Hyaluronic Acid and textures aimed at oily complexions; sure there is a thought process but it is not as laboured when compared to the research I do before purchasing an eye cream. Why? Well as we all know the skin around the eyes is thinner and more delicate, I was lead to believe not fully able to tolerate a typical moisturiser. The more I think about this, the less convinced I am it is true - I mean we don't have use a separate foundation formulation nor SPF for the under eye area so typically speaking yes, you could use any moisturiser on the whole face free from consequences.

Do You Really Need to Use Eye Cream

However a sub-par moisturiser, regardless if it is for the eye area or not is just that and when applied to a thinner area of the face it may not be absorbed properly and as such offer next to no benefits. Like it or not, good eye creams actually do serve a purpose, they are not only richer in ingredients but with a lighter, easier to absorb texture. Yes a facial moisturise is safe to use on the eye area but heavier textures may lead to fluid retention - yep puffiness, despite your best intentions.

In my opinion and let's face it, I'm no expert, a good eye cream is an important part of the skincare puzzle and something I wouldn't be without. Yes there are plenty of under-performing eye creams out there giving such product branch a bad name but a great, anti-ageing, peptide rich formula is hard to beat, as such I do feel very few standard facial moisturisers can take their place. Personally I recommend CeraVe Eye Repair Cream - a great, all age and purpose eye cream, and Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream - the ideal option for day wear (be sure to team it with an SPF) and to brighten the eye area.

What are your thoughts? Are you a huge advocate of eye cream or is it something you skip? I'd love to hear all sides of this argument.