Updated 8/2/17. Eye cream. You definitely should be using one, and you absolutely want to make sure you’re applying it correctly. While eye cream application seems fairly self-explanatory, people get this wrong all too often. Here are my expert tips on how to apply eye cream to get the best results.
How to apply eye cream the RIGHT way:
1. Choose the right finger. In this case, it’s the ring finger. Since the ring finger is the weakest finger of the hand, this ensures the most delicate application.
2. Apply from the outside in. The idea here is that you’re working in the opposite direction of how the skin naturally wants to crease.
3. Use a patting motion. This will prevent unnecessary rubbing and tugging. Since the skin around the eye is already so thin and sensitive, you want to treat this area gently.
4. Don’t use TOO much eye cream. A tiny dab of product will spread easily. When the skin under the eyes is dry, it’s normal to think that this area needs a lot of cream to replenish moisture. Using too much eye cream before bed, though, will cause the cream’s oils to seep into the eyes. This can result in unnecessary puffiness in the morning. When the eyes are puffy, this causes stretching of the skin’s tissue. This then weakens elasticity, which may make under eye bags appear more quickly with age.
5. Don’t go too close to the lash line. The eye cream can get picked up by your eyelashes and travel into the eyes. This can also cause unnecessary puffiness.
6. Make sure your eye cream is not too greasy. Since you don’t have many oil glands around the eyes, the under eye area greatly benefits from oil. However, your skin can only absorb so much. After absorption, the product that’s left on top of the skin can then seep into the eyes (again–not good!). The eye cream I use and recommend is Total Eye Repair Creme. This is loaded with firming agents and the right type of moisture-repairing oils, but it’s not too heavy. This product gives the eye area EXACTLY what it needs to keep the skin looking firm, plump and moist.
Finally, another big question I get asked frequently is, “Do eye creams really work? I use one and it doesn’t seem to make any improvement!” The answer is yes, you really should be using one. Read why here.
Watch the video below for my quick and easy demonstration for applying eye cream!
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Celebrity Esthetician & Skincare Expert
As an esthetician trained in cosmetic chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 30 years researching skin, educating her audience, and building an award-winning line of products. Her hands-on experience as an esthetician and trusted skin care expert has created a real-world solution — products that are formulated for nine different types of skin so your face will get exactly what it needs to look and feel its best. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare obsessives around the globe, her vast real-world knowledge and constant research are why Marie Claire calls her “the most passionate skin practitioner we know.”
