Anti-Aging Eye Treatments
Crow's feet are no stranger to most women. Then again, neither are anti-wrinkle eye creams.  Because there is such a demand for eye creams the market is flooded with hundreds of products ranging in price from as little as $6 (Neutrogena Eye Brightening Cream ) to as much as $600 (see Kanebo Sensai Premier The Eye Cream ). How do you choose when there is such a wide variety of products to choose from?
To Treat or Not to Treat
The truth is that eye treatments are unnecessary -- for the most part. The reason why is that eye treatments essentially have the same wrinkle-fighting ingredients in them as normal anti-aging creams. In a few cases there are valid reasons why you should buy a separate eye cream. - If you have combination skin. Many people with combination skin will benefit from having two separate creams, one for the eyes and one for the face. If your skin is normal though, then you can save money on investing in only one anti-wrinkle cream that multitasks.
- If you only have wrinkles around your eyes. Look for the most intense cream you can find that will plump up the skin, fill wrinkles, boost collagen production through antioxidants, etc.
- If the product performs a special function. Most regular wrinkle creams do not contain ingredients to combat dark under-eye circles, so if this is something you want from an eye cream, you should find one for that specific purpose.
- If your anti-aging cream contains an AHA/BHA. Take note of what percentage AHA/BHA your facial cream has in it before using it on the eye area, as it can cause irritation since hydroxy acids are exfoliators. If you are comparing two eye treatment products with hydroxy acids (at much lower levels than you would see in a facial cream) the concentration of the main ingredient is what counts. If you can't afford $100 but can afford $20 and you see that the percentage of hydroxy acids is similar, go for what best fits your budget.
Treatment Types
Eye treatments can do different things based on your eye issues. Figure out what you need done most and go from there. If you can find a product that multi-tasks for you, all the better.
- Wrinkles: To fix wrinkles, add as much moisture as possible to help temporarily nix fine lines. An ultra-rich eye cream that promotes collagen renewal and that contains antioxidants is a good bet. Retinols, alpha hydroxy acids, copper peptides and vitamin C are some ingredients to look for.
- Puffiness: Cooling eye gels and those those replenish lost moisture from the skin are best. Cucumber, caffeine and yeast are known for helping deflate the skin. In addition to a topical cream, avoid alcohol and salt in your diet, one potential cause of puffy eyes.
- Dark Circles: For dark circles, eye serums with light diffusers and skin brighteners are ideal for a temporary fix. Moisture-rich creams that promote collagen renewal will help build up fragile under eye skin over time. As for reducing the color of the area itself, 1% to 2% hydroquinone is your best bet (read this FAQ from drug.com for more important information on this drug). Vitamin K may potentially help reduce dark circles but there is little supporting evidence to say for sure whether these are actually effective.
Budgeting
If there is any beauty product to spend big bucks on it is an anti-aging product. It is infused with high-quality ingredients that aren't found in regular moisturizers and the ingredients are highly concentrated to give your skin more bang for the buck. Nonetheless, be a responsible consumer and learn about basic ingredients in beauty products to make a more informed purchase.
Remember
Remember that eye creams are not miracle serums! This is your best defense when shopping. You may think that spending $300 on a .5 ounce tube of serum will erase your wrinkles, but that is simply myth. Most creams give quick temporary results and may provide some benefit when used over the long run. None are capable of erasing imperfections completely so take that into account when you pull out your credit card.
Top Picks
Here are some products that you might want to try as they have been well rated by users and have had lots of mentions in popular beauty and fashion magazines. Of course, stay within your budget (most products below are $20 and up but less than $100) and remember that not everything works on everyone. For full reviews of any of the products shown below, check out some of these Web sites: Makeup Talk, Essential Day Spa, Smart Skin Care, Makeup Alley, Skin Care Rx and Lip Stick Page Forums.
Related Buying Guides
External Links- Free-beauty-tips.com: How to use potato to lighten dark under-eye circles.
- CosmeticsCop.com: Vitamin K and whether or not it is actually useful. Paula Begoun says that it's unlikely.
- LHJ.com: Ladie's Home Journal talks about ingredients to look for in an eye cream.
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