I Scream for Eye Cream

When I was younger and crow's feet had yet to appear around my eyes, I often wondered why there had to be a special cream for the eye area in particular.  Then, it hit me when one day someone, a close acquaintance, said I "looked tired."  Well, indeed, maybe I was tired.  There are only so many hours in a day and well, no, I had not had eight hours or sleep or had eight glasses of water and the recommended exercise, but she said I "look tired."  That's code for, "you look really bad and old and maybe need to do something about it."

That's when I scream for eye cream!  The eye area is one of the first areas to show signs of age.  The eyes can get little fine lines under and around them where the skin has a fine, wrinkled appearance.  This same area can show puffiness, pigmentation, hollowing, you name it.  There are also many choices when it comes to eye cream, and it may be hard to pick from all the options.  I like to define my choices by what the worst problems are. 

If the problem is mostly puffiness and pigmentation, pick a cream that helps promote circulation in the area, reduction of pigment, and hydration.  These creams may contain ingredients like caffeine or coenzyme-A to promote circulation to reduce the puffiness.  They have natural lighteners and brighteners to help reduce pigment production and also help scatter light to mask the appearance of dark circles.  There are often potent antioxidants to reduce any further damage to the area and hydrating agents to keep the skin well-moisturized.  Any dry skin in the area will make the skin look more wrinkled and aged.

If the problem is more related to aging and wrinkling of the skin, pick a cream more geared to anti-aging.  The main ingredients to look for in this category are retinol and peptides.  Retinol is particularly known for helping boost new collagen production, but the formulation must be mild in this area of particularly sensitive skin.  Peptides also work to increase collagen production.  These creams will also need good hydrating agents to keep the skin well-moisturized, and there are often anti-oxidants in the mixture to further prevent aging.

If you are a little (or a lot) tired but don't want the world to know, or if you see the first signs of aging around the eyes, let us help you with an eye cream best suited to your needs!  Several eye creams are on special this month at Trinity Vista Dermatology.