# OK, chicks, recommend me some eye cream **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 2, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405 "2010-09-02T17:45:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/1 "2010-09-02T17:45:19Z")
I’m getting old. Either that, or the lights in the bathroom are too bright. Either way, I’m noticing bags under my eyes WAY more than I used to. I’m not much of a girlie girl, I don’t wear makeup, I don’t use cleanser (other than soap), and I’m overall mostly clueless about such things. But I do know there’s this stuff called “eye cream” that supposedly helps with bags under your eyes when your 40 and the lights in the bathroom are too bright. So, given that: 1 - does it work, or is it just a rip-off? 2 - is it expensive? I’ll live with the bags if I have to pay $100 for a week’s supply. 3 - is it easy/quick to use? No matter how good it is, I’m not going to use it if it must be applied under the full moon, left on for 3 minutes and 22 seconds before washing it off with water blessed by Cthulhu and drying with a sloth-skin towel. 4 - what’s a good brand? Bonus points if it’s available by the vat at Target for $4.89. ---
**Author:** ![Mint\_Julep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@Mint\_Julep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mint_Julep)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/2 "2010-09-02T19:55:50Z")
I would also like to have a magic cream to remove the circles and crepey-ness from sun damage. So far, I have not found any cream that helps at all. I think I should save my $$$ for a plastic surgeon. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/3 "2010-09-02T20:01:24Z")
I don’t think this thread will be nearly as hilarious as the douching one. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/4 "2010-09-02T20:26:27Z")
> [@Mint\_Julep](#): > > I would also like to have a magic cream to remove the circles and crepey-ness from sun damage. So far, I have not found any cream that helps at all. > > I think I should save my $$$ for a plastic surgeon. Yeah, that’s my thought as well - the whole idea is too good to be true. But given my amount of knowledge about beauty-like products I thought I’d at least ask before just assuming it’s all snake oil. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/5 "2010-09-02T22:15:40Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > I don’t think this thread will be nearly as hilarious as the douching one. ☹ Nothing which comes out of your vag should be used as an eye cream, no matter what the boys say. OT, I believe no eye cream works for bags - they are a factor of genetics, aging, tiredness, water retention, excess fat etc. There are a few with caffeine as an ingredient which claim to reduce swelling - Garnier is one that comes to mind - but AFAIK the effect is short lived and not significant. Sleep more, drink lots of water, watch what you eat, use a good concealer and learn to live with what you have. (Sadly, I’m getting my mother’s…) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/6 "2010-09-02T22:44:32Z")
It’s bull, almost always just a nice way to repackage regular face creams in smaller jars, for more money. Do the spoon-in-the-freezer bit (to reduce swelling) and try YSL’s [Touche Éclat](http://www.yslbeautyus.com/make-up-complexion-concealer/c38_40_45/p141/touche-eclat-radiant-touch/product_info.html)in the shade closest to your skin tone (models and newscasters swear by it). ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/7 "2010-09-02T23:00:05Z")
Yeah… what I understand is that if you start religiously applying eye cream before you get wrinkles around your eyes, it will delay the onset of wrinkles. Once they’ve started, you’re SOL. Cucumber slices over your eyes in the morning, maybe? IIRC they reduce swelling. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/8 "2010-09-02T23:02:36Z")
Allergies also make dark eye bags worse. HEPA filter running all day in the bedroom and turned off at night does wonders. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/9 "2010-09-02T23:26:09Z")
Let me quote from [Paula Begoun](http://www.cosmeticscop.com/)’s recent article on eye cream: > [@](#): > > My team and I get many letters similar to yours. Lots of women are looking for an eye cream to correct pronounced signs of aging around their eyes, and the cosmetics industry at large is all too eager to provide products that promise results. The fact is, none of them work as claimed. We go out and buy the latest and greatest eye cream, hoping it will fix our drooping eyelids, reduce puffiness, banish dark circles, and ease expression lines that lead to deep wrinkles—yet none of that happens. That’s because an eye cream (which is really just a facial moisturizer in smaller packaging) cannot handle the range of factors that cause skin around the eyes to sag, become puffy, and lose its youthful firmness. > […] > Holly, for what you’re trying to correct, the only solutions lie with what a brilliant cosmetic dermatologist and/or cosmetic surgeon can do. For example, a cosmetic dermatologist skilled in the art of Botox injections can create a lifted effect around your eyes; a cosmetic surgeon can perform a procedure known as blepharoplasty to truly re-contour the skin around your eyes and eliminate the puffiness that results from the fat pads beneath the eye and brow area slipping with age. > > Bottom line: PLEASE call off the search for an eye cream for your eye-area concerns. Lots of cosmetic companies promise their eye cream will do everything you want and more, but really, if any of these worked, who would be struggling with drooping skin, dark circles, and puffiness around the eyes? Instead of wasting time and money looking for the elusive Holy Grail eye cream, put aside what you’d spend on eye creams and soon you’ll have enough to afford the procedures that really work to make your eye area look younger. And if your eye area needs special attention, you can provide it with a well formulated facial moisturizer—the same one you use on the rest of your face (or if skin around your eyes is drier, you may need a separate product; it just doesn’t have to be labeled “eye cream”). That said, I use Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle cream all over my face, including the eye area – it’s supposed to be one of the better drugstore retinol creams available, per Paula Begoun (I really like her, can you tell?) I like the cream, too – the barest amount covers a large area, so you can make the tube last a long time. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/10 "2010-09-07T20:04:43Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > try YSL’s [Touche Éclat](http://www.yslbeautyus.com/make-up-complexion-concealer/c38_40_45/p141/touche-eclat-radiant-touch/product_info.html)in the shade closest to your skin tone (models and newscasters swear by it). $40 :eek: Am I a total cheapskate, or is that ridiculously expensive for concealer? ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/11 "2010-09-08T14:38:49Z")
What\*\* gallows fodder\*\* said. Also, if **Diosa** doesn’t show up soon, you should PM her **Athena**. Also, you shouldn’t be washing your face with soap at ALL. I got my mom to stop doing so a year ago and her skin looks ten times better. If you love the suds factor from the bar, try [Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar](http://www.cetaphil.com/Products/GentleCleansingBar.aspx). This is a facial wash in a bar form, not soap. Soap strips your skin of its oils, making it feel “tight”. If you have oily skin, try [Cetaphil Daily Facial cleanser](http://www.cetaphil.com/Products/DailyFacialCleanser.aspx) or [Purpose Gentle Cleansing wash](http://www.purposeskincare.com/productGuideWash.jsp). ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/12 "2010-09-08T15:13:20Z")
Yeah, soap + face = bad. I’m kinda old-school for my age, so I use Noxceema as a cleanser in the morning, and I like Oil of Olay as a moisturizer. In the evenings, I wipe my face with the blue (sensitive skin) Clean & Clean liquid, since I still get the occasional zit even though I’m also noticing the baby-beginnings of wrinkles. St. Ives. used to make a collagen-based face cream that I lovedlovedloved, but I haven’t been able to find it in a couple of years. Lately, their whole line (ever since they re-designed the label) has been geared towards scrubs. Blah. I tried a more expensive (than Oil of Olay, or occasionally, their store-brand knockoff, which is also perfectly fine) face moisturizer from Aveeno but didn’t like it - too heavy-feeling. So now … I use it as an eye cream! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/13 "2010-09-09T05:51:30Z")
What about tiny lines under the eyes? Directly under the lower lids, not crow’s feet. Do any of the products that claim to reduce the appearance of “fine lines” do anything? ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/14 "2010-09-09T06:14:50Z")
Retinoids have been proven to reduce the appearance of fine lines. It can be very irritating, esp at first, and isn’t supposed to be used around the eye area, but a lot of people do. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/15 "2010-09-09T06:26:14Z")
Anecdotal: I have dark circles under my eyes, and I have probably spent thousands on remedies. None of which worked. However, I have spent years applying these things. Let’s say…45 years. And there aren’t really a lot of wrinkles around my eyes. And I’ve squinted, a lot. So it’s possible that, while they did not, repeat, DO NOT remove or even mitigate the dark circles, they might (MIGHT) have had some effect on the wrinkles. I’ve used Avon, Lancome, Clinique, L’Oreal, Physician’s Formula, and about a hundred others, including one that turned my fingers orange (but not the area around my eye where I applied it). ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/16 "2010-09-09T06:27:23Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > > [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > > > try YSL’s [Touche Éclat](http://www.yslbeautyus.com/make-up-complexion-concealer/c38_40_45/p141/touche-eclat-radiant-touch/product_info.html)in the shade closest to your skin tone (models and newscasters swear by it). > > $40 :eek: Am I a total cheapskate, or is that ridiculously expensive for concealer? You can spend more. You can spend less. What, aren’t you worth it? ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/17 "2010-09-09T11:55:21Z")
I’ve used Touche Eclat and I love it. It lessens your dark circles without looking unnatural. I’ve used Bobbi Brown’s stuff and it’s much better at concealing but will also highlight any wrinkles or fine lines. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/18 "2010-09-09T12:26:09Z")
I started using Clinique All About Eyes a couple months ago, and like the results. I think it’s made with mature women in mind. It’s good for firming the skin. The dark discoloration just won’t go away no matter what you do, so if that’s a problem, the only solution I know is concealer. At the salon I’ve been recommended hydroquinone for making the dark go away, but I haven’t tried it. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/19 "2010-09-09T12:45:41Z")
I use L’Oreal Revitalift Eye as a moisturizer around my eyes, particularly in winter (I work outside sometimes in cold weather - on really cold days I’ll even use straight vaseline for protection against wind and sub-zero temps) and it _helps_ with the “fine wrinkles”… but it’s not magic. For dark circles under the eyes, take care of allergies and get enough sleep. Concealer can cover the rest. But for bags under the eyes? Not much helps that other than a plastic surgeon. Now, my mom saved up for several years to not only have xanthomas removed from under her eyes but also to get rid of the bags. And it really did make her look better and she was very happy with the result. It’s expensive, but if it really bothers you there’s nothing wrong with considering it. But nothing you buy over the counter is going to have a drastic effect. At best it will keep things from getting worse. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405/20 "2010-09-09T13:15:30Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > At the salon I’ve been recommended hydroquinone for making the dark go away, but I haven’t tried it. Anyone? I **think** that only works on brownish skin discolorations, and even then only if caused by certain things. Maybe check Paula Begoun’s site for something she’s written on the topic? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-chicks-recommend-me-some-eye-cream/552405.md?page=2)