Do Eye Creams Actually Do Anything?

Eye creams are lightweight moisturizers that aim to hydrate the thin skin around the eyes and improve the appearance of common concerns such as dark circles, puffiness, and lines.

Some tout eye creams as a must-have in a skincare routine, while others swear they are just overpriced face creams packaged in a special tube with a formula that doesn't necessarily differ from your regular moisturizer.

Whether you belong to the former or the latter group of skincare enthusiasts, most of us can agree that we’ve been tempted to purchase an eye cream at some point in our lives, even if we never fully understood what it does or believed its claims.

So, if a particularly attractive eye cream has caught your attention or you’ve noticed something you think shouldn't be there, hopefully this article will clear up some of your doubts on this popular yet quite divisive product.

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The Science Behind Eye Creams

Due to the lack of oil glands that produce skin-lubricating and protective sebum in the area around the eyes, the skin here is thinner and more delicate. This makes it more prone to showing signs of damage, such as dehydration caused by insufficient moisture across the dermal layers, puffiness caused by a buildup of lymph, dark circles caused by blood vessels near the surface of the skin, and, of course, everyone's shared enemy, wrinkles – often the first sign of aging that notoriously become prominent in areas where the skin is thinner.