Eye Cream: Yes or No?

This article intends to be a discussion as there is no right or wrong opinion about moisturizers. It is only your choice what is best for your health.

I decided to buy a cream and came across one comment, which captured my attention: “All creams are the same, so I am going to buy one cream for my eyelids and face and I will save lots of money.” I couldn’t bypass this comment because all of them were positive, and this is the only comment which contrasted with the others.

Okay, let’s look into the situation.

First of all, why do people think that any face moisturizer is suitable for eyelids? Because they think all creams contain the same ingredients (cream for eyelids and face) and/or the skin around the eyes is the same as the face. Even though the first point is true, the second point is totally wrong.

1. creams consist of a variety of ingredients but its quantity if different (which is the most important but you will never know an exact formula because it is a commercial secret), and
2. the skin around the eyes is thinner than the rest of the face, fragile, temperamental, and contains fewer oil glands. (Biology course, 5th class. Hello school).

However, these facts do not mean you should or should not choose special cream for eyelids.

Like any other person, I googled “what is the difference between eye cream and face moisturizer”, “eye cream vs face moisturizer” and so on. Also, I contacted several well-known cosmetic companies by email and received responses.

After reading publications, it seems that dermatologists are divided into two groups who think that:

• we do not need to apply special cream on the eyelids,
• we need to use a special eyelid cream.

The first idea says you should not spend lots of money on an eye cream because the skin around the eyes does not need a special formula. (Actually, creams can be cheap. No one forces you to buy an expensive product). This is a common opinion and it’s nothing out of the ordinary (but, as consumers, we need more scientific explanation in a blog about health).

Okay, you do not need to apply a special cream on your eyelids. However, if a facial moisturizer causes your eyelids to burn, turn red or itch (or everything together), wash it off with face cleaner and water. And if that doesn’t help, see a doctor, and use a different moisturizer in the future.

Ok, using this $5 cream can cost you if you have a consultation with a dermatologist/ophthalmologist and medication for the recovery of your skin and/or even the eyes. This is ridiculous.

There is nothing strange to apply a facial moisturizer to the area around the eyes, just avoid direct contact with your eyes. And if your skin gets irritated — you know what to do.

Another opinion is using the same facial moisturizer for both face and eyelids can be risky and here is why.

The area around the eyes is more prone to sensitivity and irritation. That means that you should choose formulas that do not have fragrance, parabens, artificial colors, and aggressive ingredients, which common facial creams usually contain. An eye cream should be dermatologist- ophthalmologist- tested for sensitive skin.

As far as received emails, opinions are also different. Some of them think that our eyelids have other needs and creams should be specific for this area. Some think you should not spend money on another cream unless you do not have an allergy to ingredients or sensitive skin. It all depends on the delicacy of the skin.

Consider testing each product you are going to apply on your face on the wrist first. It gives you an understanding whether the product is suitable for your skin or not.

To sum up what we have just discussed, which cream you should apply to your face and eyelids is only your opinion. Due to advances in science, now we can use effective products against dryness. Now, we have modern laboratories for creating, and testing products. There were created sophisticated computer models that can help to deliver relevant results in hours.