As I get older I am learning the value of a good eye cream, so I thought I’d take a look at some of the many brands available on the market across a broad price range and a variety of pharmacy, department store, and beauty spa brands.
Why should I use an eye cream anyway?
The skin around our eyes is so delicate, so a specialised cream is recommended. Many people use Retinols (Vitamin A, the age-fighter) for fine lines on their face but find them to be irritating around the eye area. Some people prefer to use their regular face cream on their eye area as well. If you’re not irritated by it then using your face cream on your eyes is better than no cream at all. If, however, you find your eye area gets irritated, or becomes dry and crepey when you use face cream on it, you should look at trying a specialised eye cream.
How is eye cream different to face cream?
The texture is lighter and it has less potentially irritating ingredients than in face creams as the delicate eye area won’t handle them. Ingredients to look for are Retinols, Vitamin C, Ceramides, Peptides, and Hyaluronic Acid.
Why are eye creams more expensive than face creams?
They tend to be thicker and have targeted ingredients and more oil content than facial lotions. Often they contain caffeine to brighten the eye. They get a fast result for fine lines appearing smoother by using the skin-smoother silicone, however natural skincare brands don’t contain silicones.
What can’t eye cream fix?
No amount of eye cream will fix bags under your eyes, instead, you should look at addressing environmental factors such as stress, extreme tiredness, allergies in your diet, and perhaps even thyroid issues.
Eye Creams – what they do, where to get them, and what they cost
Here are three natural options from New Zealand brand Trilogy – which is famous for its botanical ingredients – in particular rose-hip oil. Pictured above are CoQ10 Eye Recovery Concentrate, Eye Contour Cream with Rosapene, Aloe Vera & Acai, and Very Gentle Eye Cream.
Trilogy CoQ10 Eye Recovery Concentrate
What’s special about it: This has just been reformulated and now includes jojoba derived super-ingredient L22® which mimics the lipid profile of your skin at 22. It also now has a cooling metal applicator. Trilogy skincare uses potent botanicals, and in this eye cream they use Glycablend, which is clinically proven to reduce collagen breakdown. Key ingredients are L22®, hyaluronic acid, and caffeine.
Where can I buy it: At Trilogy and Farmers, department stores, and pharmacies.
What does it cost: $39.99 for 7.5ml
Trilogy Very Gentle Eye Cream
What’s special about it: This pot, sized at 25mls, is quite large in the realm of eye cream. It is aimed at those with very sensitive skin who react to much skincare on the market. Key ingredients: maqui berry, Syricalm, and aloe vera are cooling and hydrating.
Where can I buy it: At Trilogy and Farmers, department stores, and pharmacies.
What does it cost: $44.99 for 25ml
Trilogy Eye Contour Cream
What’s special about it: This is a white, lightweight gel-cream in a fine nozzle tube aimed at smoothing fine lines and reducing puffiness with Trilogy hero ingredient, Rosapene, as well as cooling aloe vera, and acai.
Where can I buy it: At Trilogy and Farmers, department stores, and pharmacies.
What does it cost: $51.99 for 20ml
Ultraceuticals Ultra A Perfecting Eye Cream
What’s special about it: I have personally gone through 3 tubes of this product, I love it. Feels rich and luxurious on, really hydrating. Key ingredients in this include Ultra-Reti long-life pure retinol microparticles combined with a retexturising peptide.
Where can I buy it: At selected beauty spas and clinics and online at Ultraceuticals.
What does it cost: $120
Dermaviduals Eye Cream
What’s special about it: I’ve being using this bottle for 2 weeks now and loving it. I can apply makeup over it and it absorbs quickly and easily. This German-made light white cream-gel tightens and smooths skin on eyes and can also be used on the decollete. Key ingredients include DMS cream with coenzyme Q10, kigelia extract, hyaluronic acid, ceramide, phytosterols and skin-caring lipids cuckoo flower oil (lady’s smock oil), olive oil and shea butter.
Where can I buy it: At beauty spas including thefacialist.
What does it cost: $95 for 15ml.
Prevage Anti-aging Eye Serum
What’s special about it: I’ve been a fan of Prevage for years personally and their advanced Idebenone technology that’s nicknamed ‘Botox in a tube’. This eye serum combines Idebenone with a complex of ingredients to restore and transform delicate eye skin especially the appearance of fine lines, crow’s feet and uneven skin tone. The applicator feels very cooling and invigorates the eye area.
Where can I buy it: At Farmers and department stores.
What does it cost: $203
Swisse Hyaluronic Acid Firming Eye Serum
What’s special about it: This well-priced serum aims at hydration as an end goal, boosting the skin’s moisture retention capabilities using hyaluronic acid, peptides and red algae extract.
Hyaluronic Acid helps skin store and retain moisture, creating a plumping and firming effect around the delicate eye area; Peptides improve and brighten skin texture and smooth the appearance of lines and wrinkles; Red Algae Extract smoothes and softens the appearance of the skin; Quinoa Seed Extract lifts and firms the appearance of the delicate eye area, whilst protecting the skin against environmental stressors and pollution, and Jojoba is deeply hydrating to complement the skin’s natural oils.
Where can I buy it: At pharmacies and online retailers such as Pharmacy Direct
What does it cost: around $32
Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift
What’s special about it: This amazing product took out Best Eye Cream as voted by 250,000 New Zealanders in the 2018 NZ Best In Beauty Awards recently. It is an active cream-gel masque with a cooling effect and lifts the eye area to reduce signs of tiredness and stress. You apply it, leave on for 3-5 minutes, and massage into surrounding skin or tissue off. You can use it as a quick boost or as a daily masque.
Where can I buy it: At Dermalogica counters in department stores and selected spas and online at www.dermalogica.co.nz
What does it cost: $115
MitoQ Eye Renew AM PM
What’s special about it: I have completely finished my eye renew from MitoQ now. I particularly liked the fantastic dispenser with a cooling metal pad and a touch lever that dispensed the right amount of product with an easy finger press motion. The light yellow serum lotion can be used morning and night and may be worn under makeup easily. As well as the cellular energizing MitoQ, Active Vitamin C and Hyaluronic acid, MitoQ Eye Renew contains Beautifeye. I am a big fan of the MitoQ anti-ageing technology developed by scientists in Otago New Zealand and now patented, and have their capsules as well.
Where can I buy it: www.mitoq.com
What does it cost: $140
ATZEN Eye Lift Serum
What’s special about it: Eye Lift Serum refreshes, soothes, & energizes instantly; reduces dark circles, puffiness, & wrinkles, Eyeliss facilitates cell communication, Syn-ake peptides reduce lines, counteract side effects of hormone imbalances; boost performance of active ingredients.
Where can I buy it: At atzen.nz online
What does it cost: $143 
This article is not sponsored. Items were gifted for photography and review. All opinions are my own.
Photos Megan Robinson
12th July 2018