Do I Really Need an Eye Cream?
I have to admit, up until fairly recently I really didn’t believe that an eye cream deserved a place in my skincare routine. I was convinced that the extensive regime I have for my face would adequately look after the skin around my eyes, it’s such a tiny area after all, surely it couldn't need its own product?
But as age, generally being glued to a screen for 14 hours a day and the sleep deprivation that comes along with running a startup took its toll, I started to become really conscious about the skin under my eyes. Every morning it seemed to look even darker, even puffier and even more textured, with fine lines cropping up on the regular. I must be clear that it’s not necessarily “fine lines and wrinkles” that concern me; I appreciate that wrinkles are a natural part of ageing and actually lines around the eyes like crow’s feet are a sign of many of smile, grin and giggle. It’s more the thinning texture leading to the skin feeling drier and bags looking more obvious, than the inevitable cycle of applying more concealer which catches in the creases and makes everything look worse.
I hit a point where it really started to bother me and I began to question my previous stance on the importance of eye-specific products. As we sat down as a team to scope out the BYBI new product development calendar for 2020, most of our research pointed to a similar theme. Through our surveys and focus groups it seemed that you guys also had similar concerns and that many were on the lookout for a decent eye cream. So many of you, in fact, that we decided the only way to answer your need was to make not one but two! Bright Eyed and Eye Plump. Read on to find out why you actually do need an eye cream in your life.
First up, how is the skin under my eyes different to the rest of my face?
There are some key differences that lead to a lot of common eye-area concerns. Firstly, the skin under your eyes is thinner than the rest of your face, which means for some you can actually see the blue-ish veins underneath, causing that bruised, dark circle look. The thinness also means it’s more delicate and prone to highlight textural issues. The skin under your eyes also produces less oil so it inevitably gets drier, and some skin tones also produce more pigment in that area, leading to dark circles. All in all, the skin is prone to looking discoloured, dark, dry and thin and the skin on your face is just generally a little sturdier.
What should I be looking for in an eye cream?
Bearing in mind what I’ve said above regarding the skin around your eyes, you really want to be looking for products with ingredients that improve moisture levels, plump, even skin tone and light reflect. Favourites include hyaluronic acid which, by attracting and retaining moisture, plumps the skin so will help with dryness, lines and textural issues. Anything that boosts collagen production is also a win, so things like Bakuchiol, as that helps promote skin elasticity which basically means that thin skin will look less brittle. Calming ingredients that help reduce inflammation can also help with the appearance of dark circles; arnica is great for helping to even out tone. A subtle shimmer from something like mica powder will also help to reflect light away from dark circles.
Why are they always so expensive?
RIGHT?! This is something that the BYBI team feel very passionately about. Before we launched our own, I scoured the market for affordable options but it seemed as though they were all triple the cost of my normal face cream, despite the fact they all come in tiny pots about a fifth of the size. It is of course a specific type of formulation to be suitable for the skin around your eyes and only the best of ingredients will really have an effect, but we believe that high performance can be done without the price tag, which is why you’ll find Bright Eyed for £14 and Eye Plump for £18.
Written by Elsie, BYBI Co-Founder