How to Apply Eye Cream to Prevent Dark Circles & Puffiness?

Updated Date: by Reet Patel

The skin around your eyes is thin and delicate, which is why it needs a particular skincare product.  Plus, it is the most vulnerable to dark circles, puffiness, crow’s feet, fine lines, and wrinkles. So, to avoid the premature signs of aging, you need an eye cream.  Hoping that you have added one to your skincare routine, and if not, you will find the suitable one for your skin type.

On the other hand, if you are a guy that has the magic elixir handy and just wants to know how to apply eye cream, you are at the right place.  Within the next few minutes, you will master the art of applying eye cream. But, before that, we want you to click selfies and track the progress.

So let’s know how to put on eye cream?  But before that, you must know the skin concerns to address:

Choose Eye Cream For Specific Under Eye Concern

While many people think that all eye creams are the same, there is a difference in their purpose.  Eye creams cater to different under-eye concerns like dark circles, puffiness, crow’s feet, and wrinkles.

Crow’s Feet

where to apply eye cream

The cause of crow’s feet is skin losing its elasticity due to laughing or squinting.  As you age, the skin forms wrinkles around your eyes. To prevent it, you need a peptide-infused eye cream.  The ingredients boost collagen production that will help remove the visible skin aging signs.

Dark Circles

how to put on eye cream

Several reasons for circles under the eyes include vitamin deficiency, stress, and sleep deprivation.  Besides, it may also ruin your appearance.  To lighten dark spots under your eyes, use vitamin C or niacinamide-packed eye cream.  The ingredients fight off free radicals causing harm and brightens your under-eye area.

Puffiness

do eye creams work

Puffiness or under-eye bags are caused when the delicate skin under your eyes collects fluid or sags as you age.  The under-eye area looks puffy or swollen, which may even prematurely make you look older.   To stay young and reduce puffiness, you are required to use eye care creams that contain caffeine or green tea extracts.  Caffeine is known for constricting blood vessels, keeping your delicate skin firm under your, and green tea extracts reduce swelling.

Fine Lines and Wrinkles

UV radiation, frequent eye movements, and environmental factors are the primary causes of fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes.  These are primary signs of aging, making you look older before you turn 60 or 70.  To prevent fine lines & wrinkles, you need an anti-aging cream that contains hyaluronic acid to provide hydration to your skin.

Apart from the specific ingredients mentioned above, there are other ingredients.  Below is the list of ingredients you must consider when buying an eye cream.

What Ingredients to Look for in Eye Cream?

eye cream before and after

When looking for an eye cream, you will see that they are packed with various ingredients.  However, not all of them are beneficial for the skin around your eyes.  In fact, some can even make puffiness and dark circles worse.  So, what anti-aging ingredients should you look for in an eye cream?

  • Vitamin C: Protects your sensitive skin under your eyes from sun damage and brightens them too
  • Vitamin E: Acts as an under-eye moisturizer
  • Vitamin K: Reduces swelling, boosts blood circulation, and banishes dark circles
  • Retinoids: Lightens the appearance of the wrinkles
  • Ferulic Acid: Prevents environmental damage that causes fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots
  • SPF: Blocks the sun’s harmful rays
  • Chamomile: Reduces inflammation or swelling
  • Alpha Hydroxy Acids: Treats hyperpigmentation
  • Ceramides: Strengthens skin’s natural barrier
  • Hyaluronic Acid: Deeply moisturizes your skin and improves skin elasticity
  • Coenzyme: Reduces wrinkles and protects your skin from sun rays

Now that you know what you should seek in your eye cream, you must also know which one suits your skin type.

Select Eye Cream Matching Your Skin Type

There are countless eye creams on the market, but not all of them will be a good match for your skin type.  You must know which eye cream is compatible with your skin type and then add it to your skincare regimen.

Dry Skin

The eye creams should be thicker and must contain hydrating properties.  The hydrating properties come from hyaluronic acid, glycerin, humectant, vitamin E, and ceramides.

Oily Skin

Oily skin men are also prone to acne, so this eye cream is beneficial to acne-prone guys as well.  Just make sure that you apply an eye cream that is oil-free and non-comedogenic.  It means that eye creams should not clog your skin pores, nor should they contribute to making skin greasy or sticky.  Therefore, you must check for the ingredients, such as witch hazel, retinoids, alpha-hydroxy acids, and chamomile when buying eye cream.

Acne-Prone Skin

This skin type closely resembles oily skin, so the ingredients are almost the same.  Apart from this, you must see that the eye cream is fragrance-free.

Even if you know what issues you want to address or which eye cream works to suit your skin type, you might still commit mistakes.  These mistakes can deter skincare products’ performance.  Therefore, you must know the list of things to take care of to gain optimum results.

8 Mistakes You Must Not Commit When Applying Eye Cream

when to apply eye cream

Since eye creams minimize or reduce swelling, eye wrinkles, and dark spots, it has to be applied correctly.  Even a minor mistake could fail to deliver desired results.

Now you might be thinking, what could be those mistakes?

There are not one, two, or three, but there is a list of mistakes most men commit or neglect when applying eye cream.  So let’s take a look at it.

Applying Once or Not Applying At All

Most men don’t know when to apply eye cream, and some think eye cream is made for before bedtime skin care regimen.  However, it is one of the biggest myths, and a mistake men commit.  With this practice, even if you empty thousands of bottles or squeeze tubes of eye creams, you would not get rid of under-eye concerns.

Just as the way you apply moisturizer twice a day for keeping your skin smooth and hydrated, it is advisable to follow the same practice with the eye cream for men as well.  Applying in the morning will keep the environmental pollutant at bay, and evening would reduce repair skin.

Use on Completely Dry Skin

Applying eye cream on completely dry skin would not deliver promising results, which is a common phenomenon.  Many men think of using eye cream on dry skin is a daily practice, but you must not follow the bandwagon.

Always prefer slightly damp skin or put on cream immediately after taking shower.  The eye cream will take no time to absorb into the skin.  Also, it will keep the delicate skin around your eyes soft and smooth.

Overusing

Overusing eye cream can cause your skin to get more irritated and red.  In fact, you should only use a pea-sized amount twice daily for the best results. If you feel that any product is making your eyes look worse, stop using it immediately.

Exposing Eye Cream to Eyelids or Eyelashes

Eye creams are not made for eyelashes or eyelids, so it rules out the question of where to apply eye cream.  It is specifically designed to apply the under-eye area and around the eyes.  Besides, you must also take care that it doesn’t remain exposed for too long as it can cause side effects like allergies.  You must use a brush or Q-tip to apply for a better and proper application.

Applying Too Much Pressure

Another mistake men commit unknowingly is applying too much pressure when applying the eye cream.  Going rough could damage the blood vessels, resulting in skin aging. 

Remember, the skin under your eyes is one of the most sensitive and delicate parts of your body.  It requires you to gently massage or tap the cream with your ring finger around your eyes.

Applying Another Skin Care Product Immediately After Using Eye Cream

If you have several products in your morning routine and are running out of time, you might not wait and slather one after the other without letting the product absorb into the skin.  The first consequence would be too much oiliness or greasiness.  Secondly, the skin would be exposed to too many chemicals at one time, which may not offer favorable results.

Therefore, it is advisable to give every skincare product time to penetrate the skin and then apply the other.  This way, the skincare products would be worth your investment, and you get your expected results.

Not Following The Right Order

One of the most common mistakes people make when applying their eye cream is not following the right order.  It could also be one of the reasons for not gaining maximum benefits out of your product.  Another could be you might not know how to apply eye cream correctly. Or you may be thinking, does eye cream go before or after moisturizer?

If that’s the case, here is the solution.  Always prefer applying a thinner consistency product first, which means before applying anything else, apply this thinner consistency product and then other products.  For instance, if you want to apply your eye cream first, then make sure it has a thinner consistency.

Using Eye Cream Post Visible Signs of Aging

When to start using eye cream is a question where men often commit mistakes.  They believe it should be used or applied when the premature aging signs are visible.  Truth to be told, no matter if the aging signs are visible or not, you are required to apply them.

The ingredients present in the cream does the work of boosting collagen, protecting delicate skin from external impurities, preventing fine lines and swelling.  So even if you are younger with tight skin and no aging signs, you should still coat your under and around the eye area with it.

Now that you know what things to care for, it’s time to know how to apply eye cream.  These simple steps will prevent the worst things from happening and slowly make your skin free from already happened under-eye hassles.

How to Apply Eye Cream?

when to start using eye cream

Here are the steps to apply eye cream, which you must follow to gain desirable results:

Step 1: Choose Eye Cream Matching Your Skin Type & Under-eye Concern

As discussed above, you must select the right cream for your eyes that suits your skin type and address specific skin issues.  Even if you are not suffering from any skin aging signs, you are still advised to use the cream.

Step 2: Wash Your Hands

Washing hands is always advisable when it comes to applying skincare products.  Failing to wash your hands can transfer bacterias or germs to your face.   Plus, the dead skin cells, dirt, grime also hinder the vital skincare product from absorbing.  With a clean face, the active ingredients will be easier to penetrate the skin and offer essential vitamins to the skin cells.

Step 3: Put Small Dots Around Your Eyes

Post washing your hand, squirt a dime-sized amount and start putting small dots around your eyes.  Start from the innermost corner of the eye, moving outward, and then move up your brow bone to apply on that area.  Put dots of eye cream under and above your eyes.  Don’t get tempted to apply more cream.

Step 4: Gently Massage

Lastly, gently tap around the eye area to make the cream absorb.  Make sure you don’t aggressively rub or apply pressure.  Doing so can damage the blood vessels behind your eyes.

Step 5: Apply Twice a Day

Follow the steps once in the morning and evening to keep the aging signs far away from developing and stay young for more years.

FAQs:

1. What Does Eye Cream Do?

Eye cream helps to provide hydration reduce swelling and wrinkles. It works similarly to your regular skincare products, which you apply to the rest of your face. However, it is more gentle due to its sensitive nature around the eyes that help with dark circles and puffy under-eye bags.

2. Do Eye Creams Work?

There is a lot of debate surrounding the effectiveness of eye creams. Some people swear by them, while others think they are a waste of money. The truth is that different eye creams work better for different people. It all depends on your skin tone, type, and needs.

3. Are You Supposed To Moisturize Your Eyelids?

Yes, it is imperative to moisture your eyelids since it is covered with the skin. The only thing you need to take care of when applying eyelid moisturizer is that it shouldn’t be regular or contain harsh chemicals since it will be applied to the most sensitive area.

Conclusion

Eye cream is essential for anyone hoping to keep the delicate skin around their eyes looking young and healthy. By following these simple steps, you can ensure that your eye cream is being applied correctly and delivering all of the benefits it has to offer. So, what are you waiting for? Add an eye cream to the skincare routine today!

If you have some other steps on how to apply eye cream, mail us or share it in the comment section.  You can also share your eye cream before and after pictures to show its effectiveness of the cream.

Disclaimer

Published Date: Feb 1, 2022

Sign up for weekly updates from Tomfw.