Ingredients are the key to making an eye cream, “the best”. World-class chocolate-chip cookies cannot be made without world-class chocolate-chips. The same holds true with eye creams.
First off, to attain the best eye cream, you have to know what you want to cure. Eyelids are very delicate and thin, and therefore very susceptible to fluctuations in appearance. The tiny blood vessels in the eyelids can easily break and bruise. The thin skin lets these discolorations appear more drastically. This tender skin also wrinkles and swells easily. Ingredients in eye creams need to be able to meet these needs.
Natural Cures
If you are searching for a cure, natural ingredients are a good place to start. They are usually affordable and effective, and options are plentiful.
Spas and salons commonly use these natural ingredients:
Seaweed contains many natural active compounds and minerals; as well as proteins and amino acids that have anti-inflammatory properties. Seaweed helps hydrate the skin and can be used to sooth irritated skin due to shaving. The nutrients in seaweed can help skin heal.
Dead-Sea Minerals are time proven minerals still used by spas today. They are excellent exfoliants and allow the skin to be cleansed and rejuvenated.
Jojoba Oil replaced sperm whale oil because of its similarities with human sebum (natural skin oils). Because of this, it can be used as a base for other ingredients or as a natural softener itself.
Cosmeceutical Cures
Cosmeceutical ingredients (formed from the combination of “cosmology” and “pharmaceutical”) are much more potent and refined than their natural counterparts. They are usually made in the lab and offer more specific and consistent results. Because of increasing ecological restraints placed on companies, cosmeceutical ingredients can be just as safe for the environment. Three of the main ingredients from top-tested eye products are:
Argireline: the patented name for Acetyl Hexapeptide-3. It relaxes muscles around the eyes to prevent muscle contractions that cause wrinkles. Argireline is non-toxic. A lot of research has and is being done on this ingredient to find out more information about it.
Haloxyl: the best treatment for dark circles. Haloxyl lessens dead blood cells that have leaked from capillaries in the eyelids. This ingredient has been clinically proven to produce a 20%-45% improvement in eyelid coloration
Eyeliss: similar to Haloxyl in chemical makeup. Eyeliss works to strengthen the capillaries in the eyelids and thus keep the dark circles from appearing. It can also reduce inflammation and enhance the firmness of the skin.
Things to look out for
Not every eye treatment system is worth what you pay for it. Some well-intending enthusiasts–as well as ill-intending scammers–will market products that just don’t help the eyes, or are downright harmful. Common things to look out for are:
Zinc: often found in cheaper products. Zinc is toxic and not approved by the FDA
Exfoliants: while good for your skin, exfoliants irritate the tender tissues of the eyelids. Stay away from eye creams that include these.
Anti-acne chemicals: same problem as exfoliants. Things like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide are good for your skin, just not the eye-areas.
In short, these are but a few of the things to keep in mind while you are looking for a way to treat puffy, baggy, wrinkly, dark eyes.
