Beauty 101: Common Eye Care Concerns, Decoded

Did you know that the thinnest skin on our entire bodies is the delicate skin right under our eyes? No wonder concerns like dark circles and dry skin are so common - and yet, so difficult to truly get rid of. Taking care of our eyes starts with understanding just what causes common eye concerns like eye bags and crow’s feet to happen - and what we can actually do about them. 

4 Common Eye Concerns (and What Causes Them)

We’ve rounded up the top four eye concerns that most people are dealing with - here’s our guide to exactly what causes them and what can help minimise them. 

When it comes to skin, our genetics can be what’s responsible - especially in the case of dark circles and eye bags - but in other cases, there are much simpler reasons like lack of sleep or sun exposure. Now that we know the difference between what eye care products are out there, let’s take a deep dive into the four most common issues that they target.

Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Eye Cream | $286
This rich, moisturising eye cream is packed with antioxidants to shield the delicate eye area from free radical damage.

1) Dark Circles

Dark circles and under eye shadows are usually the first things that come to mind when someone says they want to start using an eye cream. The thing is, dark circles can be caused by a few different factors - so it’s important to take a holistic approach. 

One common underlying cause of dark circles is lack of sleep. How? Well, by not being able to take enough ‘time out’ and rest, fluids (including blood) begin to pool in that delicate eye area, creating a shadow that signals that you need more rest!

However, even with enough sleep, some of us need a little more help boosting circulation in that delicate under-eye area - and that’s where ingredients like Caffeine and Peptides come in! Both of these skincare ingredients help to encourage blood circulation, helping your skin’s natural lymphatic system move any shadow-causing fluids away for a well-rested look.

La Prairie White Caviar Eye Extraordinaire | $805
This illuminating eye cream brightens under eyes by inhibiting excess melanin production, gently erasing dark circles caused by pigmentation.

There’s one more tool that you can reach for to help with this too - and that’s an eye massager. They work twofold for your skin - first, ultrasonic vibrations can help enhance absorption of circulation-boosting skincare like peptides to make sure they’re even more effective at brightening any panda eyes. 

Second, an eye massager itself helps improve circulation, reducing the appearance of any shadows with gentle (and super relaxing) massaging motions that relieve wrinkle-causing tension.

FOREO IRIS Eye Massager | $179 
Boost your eye care’s absorption with this high-tech eye massager from Foreo.

2) Dry Skin & Fine Lines

Dry skin and fine lines go hand in hand - you might notice tiny dry skin flakes, or that on some days, those natural creases under your eyes are way more noticeable than yesterday. When it comes to these minor lines, the only thing that can make a difference in such a short amount of time is hydration.

Hyaluronic acid and other humectants have the absolutely fantastic side effect of plumping the appearance of any fine lines and wrinkles as they attract water into the skin - making your under eyes look younger and (temporarily) banishing those fine lines. Huzzah!

La Mer Genaissance De La Mer The Eye And Expression Cream | $580
This rich eye cream uses the power of La Mer’s Miracle Broth to fight the signs of ageing. 

However, humectants are just part of the equation - skincare ingredients that help your skin hold on to as much water as possible play a role in fully getting rid of under-eye dryness and filling out those fine lines. 

Look for ingredients like Panthenol or fermented skincare ingredients like SK-II’s uber-famous Pitera™, a sake-derived probiotic extract that works wonders at boosting your overall skin health and trapping hydration in skin.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum | $105
Advanced Night Repair technology from Estée Lauder fortifies and nourishes the eye area, making it more resilient against fine lines and wrinkles. 

3) Crow’s Feet

Crow’s feet are the wrinkles that sneak up on us when we least expect it. Does this situation sound familiar? You’ve just taken a photo with some friends and you’re wondering where those sneaky little lines came from. Crow’s feet are a tricky one to deal with because unless you naturally have RBF, they naturally form as expression lines when we smile. However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do about them. 

Half of dealing with crow’s feet is preventing them in the first place - make sure you’re always wearing sunglasses when outside for two major reasons: repeatedly squinting could make them appear faster, plus sunglasses can help slow down how much sun exposure the delicate skin around your eyes get.

Sisley Supremÿa Eyes at Night | $365
This antioxidant eye serum supercharges under eyes overnight so you wake up looking well-rested the next day.

That doesn’t mean you get a free pass to not wear sunscreen around this delicate area, though - preventing collagen breakdown by UV exposure will go a long way to preventing these crow’s feet from popping up as quickly and avoid making any existing wrinkles deeper. 

Superstar skincare ingredients that can help manage the appearance of crow’s feet are Retinol, Antioxidants, and Peptides. Retinol encourages collagen production and strengthens skin from the inside out, while Antioxidants work double-duty to protect skin from UV damage and plump up collagen levels at the same time. 

Lancôme Absolue Yeux Premium Replenishing Eye Care | $215
A balmy, rich eye cream that locks moisture to your undereyes for a youthful glow. 

4) Under Eye Bags & Puffy Eyes

Puffy eyes actually have similar causes to dark circles - the number one culprit being lack of sleep. For most people, getting more sleep helps with puffy eyes. The golden number seems to be 7-8 hours a night for most adults, but there are a lot of us who are probably coming in well under that number. 

Under-eye bags are caused by fluid build-up under the eyes, and can become more apparent with age and lack of sleep. Getting enough sleep can be tricky - and that’s where eye care for puffy eyes comes in. A lot of the same skincare ingredients help with puffy eyes and dark circles, like caffeine and peptides to encourage said build-up to circulate, deflating any puffiness for good. 

Alongside using an eye massager, getting rid of eye bags can require one more trick - an ice roller. The cooling, soothing feeling of an ice roller helps to bring down any inflammation and puffiness - think of it as the grown-up version of using cold, sliced cucumbers on your eyes.

And there you have it - common eye concerns demystified and what you can do about them. Still trying to create your perfect skincare routine? Try our skincare quiz.

Products Mentioned:

• Guerlain Orchidée Impériale Eye Cream | $286
• FOREO IRIS Eye Massager | $179 
• La Mer Genaissance De La Mer The Eye And Expression Cream | $580
• Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum | $105
• Sisley Supremÿa Eyes at Night | $365
• Lancôme Absolue Yeux Premium Replenishing Eye Care | $215
• Lonvitalite Ice Roller Advanced Replaceable Head | $39.95