Eye creams are bang on trend, but why? Perhaps it’s because we’ve finally woken up to the reality that you can’t take a one-size fits all approach to your facial skincare, and that maybe, just maybe, our grandmothers knew a thing or two when they focused on their eye area morning and night.

Your eyes are the focus of much of the ageing process on your face. They also have thinner skin which does a fabulous job of showing up when you’re run down or haven’t had enough sleep. As the area most likely to get puffy, dry and be most sensitive, it follows that this area needs a little extra TLC. 

Why should you use eye cream? 

Eye cream is not just your average moisturiser. It has been specifically formulated to combat the issues which are concentrated around the eyes. The goal is to lock in some super-targeted hydration whilst also delivering ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, to the spot where it’s most needed.

Eye creams are designed for fragile skin around the eyes. That’s their job. And if you choose the right one, you will be able to give this area of your face the love and devotion it actually needs.

Do I need to use an eye cream?

At the end of the day, your skincare regime should be as unique as you are. You may be one of the fortunate few who can pick a generic moisturiser and run with it. However, most people find that although one moisturiser works well on the majority of their face, it may be a little too irritating around the eyes. Using one product for both your face and eye area doesn’t really address the unique needs of your skin. 

In short, if you want to treat puffiness, dark circles or fine lines around the eyes, then an eye cream should be your first line of defence. 

Benefits of eye cream

There are lots of benefits of using eye cream. These can be boosted according to the individual eye cream that you choose. Our best recommendation is to use an eye cream that includes hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic eye cream benefits are becoming more widely known, and can really make a difference to the skin around the eyes. We’ll include these benefits below:

1. Minimise dark circles

Dark circles are caused by different reasons, but if yours are due to the generally thinner skin under the eye area, then eye cream will help to boost the skin’s depth.

2. Reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

Laughter and smiling are excellent for the soul, but they really tug on the skin by the eyes. As such, fine lines around the eyes are often the first sign of ageing. Eye cream helps to lessen the appearance of them through hydration. There’s no magic cream out there which will completely eradicate fine lines – and we don’t believe they should be eradicated, as they bring character and are a natural part of getting older. But good hydration will bring a fresher and brighter appearance.

3. Protect from the elements

Your skin acts as a protective barrier between you and various external elements, from pollution to makeup. Eye cream helps ensure that your skin can do its job.

4. Targeted hydration

The area around the eyes can be drier than the rest of the face. Therefore, even if you have an oily forehead or chin, your eye skin may need much greater targeted hydration.

5. Healing and wellness

One of the main benefits of hyaluronic acid in eye cream is that it is a powerful antioxidant with healing properties, ensuring any micro-tears from exfoliation or daily living can heal quickly. 

Beyond these primary benefits of eye cream itself, we recommend that you choose your eye cream based on its specific composition. 

At UpCircle, our Eye Cream with Maple and Coffee brings you some unique benefits. It is made using repurposed maple bark extract and coffee oil from repurposed grounds. It also contains hyaluronic acid.

We chose to use maple bark extract for its protective and anti-inflammatory properties, perfect for reducing puffiness around the eyes. Through high levels of ellagic acid, it boosts collagen production and strengthens the sensitive skin in this area. We’ve also incorporated cucumber extract, rich in Vitamin C to  hydrate the skin and aid tired and puffy eyes. Lastly, we use repurposed coffee grounds to brighten the skin, reducing the appearance of dark circles.

Don’t just take our word for it – here’s a review from one of our lovely customers:

“I have tried a LOT of eye creams, including medical grade costing over £100, but none have worked like this one!! I have hollowness and dark circles under my eyes and it worked wonders...my skin is much tighter, my circles faded, not so dark anymore and I am only on day 4 of using it! Absolutely in love with this product!”

Here are all the wonderful natural ingredients being mixed together in the manufacturing process:

As with all UpCircle skincare, our eye cream is natural, vegan, cruelty-free and made in the UK. It’s suitable for all skin types.

When should you use eye cream in your skincare routine?

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when introducing eye cream to their skincare routine is adding it at the wrong point! It’s an easy mistake to make and can depend on the individual eye cream and the other elements of your skincare routine.

We recommend using the UpCircle Eye Cream with Maple and Coffee before your face moisturiser or night cream. If you’re confused about when to apply your eye cream, we recommend following this rule of thumb: apply moisturising products based on thickness starting with thinnest first. Alternatively, you can refer to the image below:

Common mistakes when using eye cream

Whilst not a newcomer on the skincare scene, eye cream is definitely growing in popularity. As such, there is quite a bit of conflicting information and mistakes are quite common. Let’s clear them up.

Firstly, it’s very tempting and very easy to use too much eye cream. Realistically, the eye area is very small. A good quality eye cream won’t need much. 

Next, we recommend that you put your eye cream onto your face after cleansing, when your skin has just been lightly towel dried. You’ll get better results this way compared to applying it straight onto dry skin.

You want to dab eye cream below the eye along the top of the cheekbone. Then very gently blend it using a tapping motion, without getting too close to the eye itself. We find using our metal eye roller is the best way to use our eye cream for deeper absorption. Plus the cooling and soothing effect the eye roller gives will also help with boosting circulation and improving skin tone, texture and facial tension! Alternatively, you can use your ring finger. 

Lastly, in our experience, lots of people think eye cream is only for use at night. But coffee and hyaluronic acid are excellent ingredients to reduce morning puffiness and dark circles.

What’s wonderful is that once you’ve started using eye cream, you’ll know exactly why it has become so popular!