By Holly Richmond

If you think dark circles, fine lines, and subtle sags are strictly the obsession of the perfection-oriented “Me Generations” consider the annals of beauty lore. Apparently even Queen Nefertiti, regarded as one of the most beautiful women to ever live, worried about the ravages of time marring her captivating eyes. “Ancient civilizations relied on essential oils, which are still a hallmark of natural eye creams today,” notes Edward Group III, a holistic dermatologist and director of the Global Healing Center in Houston, Texas. “However, with the benefit of hundreds of years of research behind us, the latest evolution of eye creams goes above and beyond the anti-aging abilities of what was once possible.” By featuring time-honored, holistic, plant-based ingredients combined with revolutionary, age-defying technology, today’s eye creams offer benefits that even ancient royals would scream for.

Because the delicate eye area ages more quickly than the rest of the face, we need to pay it special attention if we want to look our best. “Skin around the eyes is thin and has very few sebaceous fat glands, which produce the skin’s protective oils, so lubrication and hydration are key to looking vibrant,” says Group. Furthermore, because a multitude of muscles surrounds the eyes, the skin moves frequently, making it more prone to fine lines and wrinkles. While using a high-quality, toxin-free moisturizer demonstrates good sense, Group’s number one age-defying tactic is decidedly simple: Drink plenty of water. “Hydrating the body is directly responsible for staving off wrinkles,” he says.

When it comes to purchasing often pricey eye creams, the million dollar question is whether an additional eye-care routine is necessary. Why not simply use your facial moisturizer—to save time and money—if it contains the ingredients contained in eye cream? The answer, it seems, depends partly on age. “I believe eye cream offers additional anti-aging benefits, especially for my mature clientele,” says Rachel Rowen, founder and director of the Rachel Rowen Center for Beauty and Advanced Esthetics in Ventura, California.

However, she concedes that an extra eye cream isn’t an absolute must. Especially if you use a facial moisturizer with anti-aging ingredients, as well as sunscreen, and treat your eye area delicately (no tugging at the skin when removing makeup!). “If you’re like most women, you’ll know when it’s time to start using an eye cream in addition to your facial moisturizer,” she remarks.
The biggest telltale sign? A tight feeling around the eyes which signals excessive dryness. Fine lines and deeper wrinkles often follow.

Start addressing the problem by applying an eye cream at bedtime. If dryness isn’t an issue, but you still wake to find puffy or “raccoon” eyes staring back at you, it’s time to apply an eye cream that addresses these problems—once in the morning and again at bedtime. “Sometimes results are fairly immediate, though i...

Author: Holly Richmond

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