Eye Cream Review

Evaluating reviews of eye cream

Eye creams are touted as an absolute necessity in the fight against aging, but are they effective? We turned to beauty expert Paula Begoun, author of Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter without Me, and her website CosmeticsCop.com for reasoned guidance. Also interesting are reviews in several fashion magazines, including Allure, Shape and Natural Health. These magazines and others test numerous eye creams over the course of the year and choose the best for their annual beauty awards. Because the experts had varying opinions, we also consulted user reviews at MakeupAlley.com and Drugstore.com to balance out the differences. Consumer Reports has not yet tested eye cream.

We found that while skin care companies and some fashion magazines insist that eye creams are a necessary part of your daily regimen, several experts disagree. Dermatologists interviewed by Cosmopolitan magazine, for example, say that a hydrating face cream is acceptable for the eye area, as well. Paula Begoun agrees, saying that "product formulations for eye creams don't differ from those for face products." She explains that ingredient labels for the two are similar and the only difference is in the size of the container and price; consumers will pay a much higher price for eye cream than for daily facial moisturizers. Still, Begoun gives several eye creams high ratings because of their high quality ingredients. She explains, however, that they, too, are appropriate for any area of the face -- not just the eye area. The only time a separate moisturizer is needed, Begoun states, is when the eye area has a different skin type than the rest of the face ? and even then it does not have to be an eye cream; any good facial moisturizer will do.

Linda Wells, editor of Allure magazine, agrees that facial moisturizers work well for the eye area but insists that many anti-aging ingredients can irritate the eyes. She suggests using a specially formulated eye cream if you want anti-aging benefits for this area.

Begoun points to one other concern with eye creams, saying, "Ironically, one of the real drawbacks of many so-called eye creams is that they rarely contain sunscreen." In fact, of the dozens of eye cream brands covered in this report, only four of them contain an SPF formula. Studies show that sun damage is the number one cause of premature wrinkles. If your eye cream does not contain sunscreen, you might consider using a foundation or concealer that does.

Based on this research, therefore, many people may not need a separate eye cream at all -- good quality facial moisturizers works perfectly well and costs far less per ounce. ConsumerSearch has a companion report on facial moisturizers. If your main concern goes beyond merely moisturizing the eye area, and you are concerned about puffy eyes or under eye circles, a few eye creams are recommended in reviews as effective.

The array of problems that occur in the eye area happen for a myriad of reasons including genetics, sun damage and eventually, age. That they happen earlier than anywhere else on the face has much to do with the shape of the eye and the thin skin that surrounds it.