Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado – A creamy, moisturising eye treatment formulated with Avocado Oil; @kiehls.co.uk
It’s one of my less popular views on beauty, but I firmly believe the vast majority of us don’t need an eye cream. It’s true that the skin around the eyes has less fatty and muscly scaffolding than elsewhere on the face, so is prone to earlier lines, wrinkles and sagging – but it is skin nonetheless. I use exactly the same serums and moisturisers (including those containing alpha hydroxy acids, antioxidants and active ingredients) around my eyes as on my face and neck, and if you can tolerate the same, there’s really no reason to spend extra money on what is essentially an anti-ageing moisturiser put in a much smaller pot. It frequently costs twice the price for no justifiable reason.
That said, there is a caveat. Very sensitive types, some contact lens wearers and rosacea, eczema or hay fever sufferers may find regular skincare causes eyes to puff or water. Others may find the skin around the eyes much drier than elsewhere. For all of these cases, it’s worth using a special eye moisturiser.
Despite my previous feelings of ambivalence around Glossier’s skincare offering, I find myself keenly attached to their lovely new eye and lip cream, Bubblewrap (£23 for 22ml). A little aluminium canister of creamy, hydrating, non-greasy moisturiser, it can be massaged in as part of your twice-daily routine or, as I prefer, patted over makeup to plump skin when things begin to look ropey circa 3pm. The very gentle formula contains no undesirables, only effective, tried and trusted ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, squalane, glycerin and simple antioxidants. It’s a pleasing cocktail that sits nicely under or over makeup without peeling (and gives lipstick a smooth base without the destabilising jamminess of lip balm).
Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado (£26 for 14g) is perhaps my most often recommended eye cream for very dry skins and those undergoing chemotherapy, who often report increased dryness and sensitivity around eyes. Rich and emollient, it provides a cosseting blanket of moisture and a smooth, healthy-looking base for concealer. For those so sensitive they fear any product within yards of their eyes, I recommend La Roche-Posay’s wonderful Toleriane Ultra Sensitive Eye Cream (£14.99 for 20ml), an almost unfailingly benign balm for tetchy skins in need of some love.
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