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Do You Need An Eye Cream? Dr. Cynthia Bailey Weighs In

Who needs to use eye cream?

Do you need to use an eye cream? Is this an “absolutely necessary” skin care product, or is it marketing hype? I asked a dermatologist for her real opinion about eye creams, and she spilled her secrets!

Dr. Cynthia Bailey, DermatologistDr. Cynthia Bailey is a dermatologist in Sebastopol, California. She was trained at UCSD (yes, this is very good) and was an attending there for a while before relocating to Sebastopol.

I love that rather than hiding indoors or under a large amount of protective clothing at all times, Dr. Bailey has a “normal” outdoor life and is always on the go. She loves to be outdoors and simply adjusts her skin care routine as needed. Dr. Bailey has a very informative dermatology blog that even us mortals can understand, and even has her own on-line skin care store where she recommends products.

Here is what she had to say about the importance of eye cream:

Eyelid skin is a unique convergence of opportunity and need so I think eye creams are important. The eye area is one of the first places on the face to show the signs of aging. Plus, eye area skin is very thin and so will absorb more of the active ingredients in skin care products. It’s a great place to invest in the best product you can, but you need to know what to look for. In addition, the fine texture of the eyelids allows skin surface modifying ingredients to make a real change in how the skin looks right away.

Eye cream ingredients I look for are:
1. sodium hyaluronate and glycerin for hydration because they plump out crinkled, dry skin
2. antioxidants like green tea for anti aging (oxidation) protection
3. caffeine, vitamin K and arnica to help puffy redness,
4. dimethicone and acrylates to smooth out the surface appearance of the eyelid skin

Of course you always need sun protection on top (mineral sunscreens get my vote for full UV protection)or this area will really wrinkle as time goes.

Dr. Cynthia Bailey

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About Me

I’m a doctor, a mommy and a bit of a beauty addict. If you let me, I can take 2 hours to get ready in the morning. Really. I'm on a quest for faster beauty that works!

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6 Comments

  1. 12.31.10
    Pammy said:

    What great info! I just took notes!

  2. 12.31.10

    I was just contemplating the usefulness of eye cream this morning…and decided to forgo my usual application. I am so glad to read this, as I will not skip this step anymore!!!

  3. 1.1.11

    I wish I started using eye cream a long time ago, not after I already started showing the signs of aging there. However, I have to say, it's pretty much impossible not to irritate my eye if it contains sunscreen.

  4. 1.1.11

    I just read the comment from Beauty Girl and would recommend that sunscreen sensitive people try eye creams without sunscreen. My advice is to push for the best ingredients for your eye area issues. Add your sunscreen on top of your eye cream and look for mineral sunscreens because they are more inert than the chemical sunscreens, meaning that they are less irritating. Look for sunscreen products made entirely (or mostly) or zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. In addition to being less irritating, these mineral sunscreen particles actually deflect light and so they help in hiding skin imperfections. Plus, they're a great base for makeup.

  5. 1.1.11
    Christine said:

    I definitely agree about looking for physical sunscreens if they irritate your skin or you have any other skin issues.

  6. 1.1.11

    Hi,
    I have recently brought clinque eye cream. I've heard all their eye creams are the best

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