Like a lot of people, my skin tends to get very dry once summer turns into fall. When winter rolls around, all bets are off. My skin starts to resemble a parched desert, and I start applying all the creams, serums, and moisturizers I have in my vanity cabinet. The dryness creeps onto my eyelids, too, and I think it causes my eyes to look tired and my dark circles to look even more pronounced. It’s not a pretty sight. The dryness can be so irritating, causing the skin on my eyelids to be even more sensitive than normal. What a great time, right?
Since I’ve been dealing with this problem for a couple of years, I have my dryness-fighting routine down. I use gentle cleansers, makeup removers, and exfoliants on my face so they won’t strip the skin of those precious natural oils. I use my thickest moisturizers and cooling serums that sink right into the skin in a flash. And I try to be extra minimal with makeup when my skin is going through an exceptionally dry patch. The fewer products I have on my face, the better.
While I have been able to get the rest of my face under control, I’m still figuring out how to deal with the dryness around my eyes. I’ve found some products that work but don’t have it down pat quite yet. So I went to an expert to get her tips on soothing that area.
Well, first, I learned that it’s important to pay attention to your eye area. “The skin around the eye, known as the periocular skin, is unique, fragile, and sensitive,” Robyn Gmyrek, a board-certified dermatologist at Park View Laser Dermatology, explains. “It is the thinnest skin on the face, and it has fewer oil glands, making it more prone to dryness. If we allow this delicate skin to get dried out, this will compromise the skin barrier, leading to an increased risk of inflammation or irritation and even infection. In addition, the periocular skin is usually the first area where we see signs of aging, starting in the third decade of life. If dryness, inflammation, and irritation occur, this will lead to even more extensive and premature skin aging.”
There are also a couple of things you can do to prevent dryness. Gmyrek says the best thing you can do is keep the skin surface (or skin barrier) healthy since moisture is lost to the environment, and the skin won’t be able to rehydrate or hold onto moisture when it’s damaged. You can do this by avoiding any drying or irritating cosmetics or skin products, as irritation can cause microscopic breaks in the skin surface and compromise the skin barrier.
When shopping for an eye cream, you want to choose a product that is clearly labeled as such. Gmyrek says you should treat the area as “sensitive skin,” and knowing that the product is targeted for that delicate area will help. “Though the FDA does not specifically regulate testing to be done in order to label a cream specific for the skin of the eye area, most companies do their own testing on this delicate skin to minimize any risk to the consumer of irritation,” she adds. “I recommend that you always use only a small amount of cream at first to be sure you are not allergic. If any irritation occurs, discontinue use immediately.”
And if you are looking for an eye cream for solely hydrating purposes and not anti-aging reasons, Gmyrek recommends avoiding retinol, which can be drying.
As for ingredients, you’ll want eye creams that include occlusives, humectants, emollients, and/or barrier ingredients. Gmyrek breaks down what those terms mean below. She notes that your eye cream doesn’t have to contain all of these ingredients, but you’ll probably find a combination of the ingredients from different categories in products.
Occlusives: These form a barrier over the skin surface to prevent the evaporation of water from the skin into the environment. They reduce transepidermal water loss. Examples include dimethicone, petroleum, shea butter, and colloidal oatmeal.
Humectants: These attract water and moisture. When humectants are present on the skin, water from the deeper level of the skin—the dermis—is absorbed into the upper skin, or the epidermis. Water is also attracted and absorbed by the environment, but this is minimal. Examples include glycerin, hyaluronic acid, glycerol, urea, lactic acid, shea butter (butyrospermum parkii), and colloidal oatmeal.
Emollients: They impart a softness and increased plasticity. They smooth and improve the feel of the skin by settling into the spaces between the dead skin cells on the surface of the skin, lubricating those areas. Examples include dimethicone, shea butter, colloidal oatmeal, and coconut oil.
Barrier Repair Ingredients: These help to keep the skin barrier healthy so that moisture is not lost and dryness does not occur. Examples include ceramides, lactic acid, niacinamide (vitamin B3), and cholesterol.
Once you find the eye cream that works for you, Gmyrek recommends using the product daily in order to prevent moisture evaporation from the skin. “In addition, this will help to keep the skin surface from cracking, which would lead to further loss of moisture,” she adds.
Ready to find some relief for your dry eyelids? I know I am. Here are some recommendations from both Gmyrek and our editors.
Next: The $20-and-Under Eye Creams That Will Make Your Skin Look Like a Million Bucks