Top Tips: How To Use An Eye Cream

One product I use without fail every single day, come rain or shine, is an eye cream. It's been a fundamental part of my morning routine for around five years, ever since I discovered the benefits it can bring to brightening dark circles and tightening dull skin. One of the first signs of ageing appears around our eye area (with fine lines creeping in and giving the game away,) which is why bright eyes are so associated with youth. Using a great eye cream daily can not only help to hydrate, add luminosity, tighten and lift delicate skin that's seen better days, but also help in the long term fight against ageing too. However, so many of us are still using eye creams incorrectly and not fully benefiting from their ingredients and advanced formulas. Here are some of my top tips on how to use an eye cream to ensure your peepers are looking their best at all times.

Choose The Right Product For You
There are so many eye creams available, ensuring there's something for every need and all budgets. Although there are plenty of affordable options, if you're concerned about your under eye area then it's worth investing in a little more. Advances in technology now provide us with creams that not only target hydration problems that are the root cause of dark circles, but ensure we're protected from damaging free radicals and other environmental factors. Gel formulas are much lighter and can effectively cool the area, while some creams also include light reflecting particles to highlight without the need for makeup. Shop around and ensure you get the perfect product for your needs, rather than buying from a brand that you know already.

Cleanse Thoroughly Before You Begin
Like with any skincare product, if you don't cleanse the area thoroughly before application then the efficacy will always be limited. Ensure you cleanse your skin before you begin, both morning and evening, to ensure makeup and pollution has been totally removed from the delicate skin under your eyes - otherwise you'll just be applying it over a layer of grime and wondering why it's not doing the job you thought it would.

The First Before All Others
Your routine should always start with an eye cream, with serum and moisturiser coming afterwards. Ideally you want the eye cream to be absorbed first so it can get to work without overloading the delicate skin, rather than applying it over an existing product layer - it then simply won't be able to penetrate into the skin and effectively get to work. I would also always recommend that you avoid applying serum or moisturiser directly to the eye area, focusing more on the other areas of your face; a great eye cream should provide all the benefit you need in one shot.

Use The Perfect Amount
So many people overload the delicate skin under the eye and end up doing more damage than good. Trying to apply a huge blob of cream to a really small area of skin will only make eyes look puffier and potentially damage them in the long-term. You need only a pea sized amount of product, split between both eyes, dabbed into the crease between your cheek and lower lid - never apply cream directly under the eye - and to the brow bone. If you're concerned with fine lines and wrinkles around the edge of the eye, apply a small amount to the corners too.

Application Is Key
Massage the cream delicately using either your ring finger (the digit that applies the least amount of pressure,) or a cotton bud. Dabbing the cream onto the crease delicately will help it not only to be absorbed gently, but helps to drain away excess fluid that can cause eyes to look puffy. Don't ever rub eye cream into the surface, as it can cause the sensitive and delicate skin to be damaged and irritated. If anything, be gentler than you think you need to be and build up the pressure gradually.

I hope my tips help you to get the most out of your eye creams and hopefully help avoid a case of puffy eye. Do you have any current favourite eye creams?