There are those sensitive spots around the dinner table: Sex, money, politics.
And then there are those sensitive spots on your face, complete with the terrible triad of their own: Dryness, discolorations, sagging. Too often, these nagging spots are all found right under your eyes.
Thankfully, there are some incredible products for around the eyes. Here, I’ll outline five of my all-time favorites:
Best for Eyelash Growth and Conditioning: Wink Natural Cosmetics Eyelash and Eyebrow Enhancer ($39, FutureDerm.com/Shop)
I’ve used just about every eyelash conditioning product there is, and I’m happy to offer Wink Natural Cosmetics Eyelash and Eyebrow Enhancer ($39, FutureDerm.com/Shop) as the best.
This conditioner is different because it features a full array of essentially fatty acids, which have been shown to naturally stimulate eyelash growth by 15-20% within just four weeks!
With a technology developed by an MIT graduate, Wink Natural Cosmetics Eyelash and Eyebrow Enhancer‘s combination of essential fatty acids (EFAs) are proven to stimulate the hair follicle to move from the “resting” phase (telogen) and to enter the “active” phase (anagen).
How this works, interestingly enough, may be related to Latisse. Bear with me: Latisse is a prostaglanoid called bimatoprost. Latisse also works in part by moving hair follicles from resting to active phase.
Wink Natural Cosmetics Eyelash and Eyebrow Enhancer also contains other moisturizing ingredients, including emu oil, kukui nut oil, and argan oil. Emu oil is relatively hard to find in skin care and eyelash products, but it has notable skin-penetrating abilities. In fact, emu oil has been found to have better skin-penetrating abilities than mineral oil (Australasian Journal of Dermatology, 2007).
Kukui oil can also be useful for fungal skin and mucous infections (such as oral thrush, tinea and seborrheic dermatitis). In one study, an ointment was created from the extract of the kukui tree bark, and it was found to improve the healing of wounds and burn injuries in rats. There as an increased rate of wound contraction and a shorter healing time. The ointment also appeared to increase collagen production.In the case of argan oil, the entire oil is rich in fatty acids that are able to maintain skin elasticity, smoothness, and radiance. These fatty acids include linoleic acid and oleic acid. In studies, linoleic acid has been proven capable of reducing inflammation and acne and increasing skin’s moisturization levels.
On the other hand, oleic acid is a omega-9 monounsaturated (i.e., contains only one double bond) nonessential fatty acid that makes up 55-60% of olive oil and 56% of açai berry. Scientific research confirms this.
A little bit of jojoba oil goes a long way, which is one reason I’m glad it’s far down on the ingredients list of Wink Natural Cosmetics Eyelash and Eyebrow Enhancer. Definitely a must-have for beautiful eyes!
Best for Dark Circles: Your Best Face CORRECT Eye Cream ($150, FutureDerm.com/Shop)
Your Best Face CORRECT Eye Cream is one of my all-time favorite products. It brightens and firms the undereye skin, and reduces undereye puffiness.
Yet my top reason for loving Your Best Face CORRECT Eye Cream is the way in which in treats dark circles.
You can get dark circles in three ways: First, you can have an overproduction of melanin, or skin pigment, in this region. Agents like licorice extract, hydroquinone, vitamin C, kojic acid, and certain peptides have been shown to help reverse and prevent this darkening.
Second, you can have swelling from allergies or inflammation, which produces additional blood flow (and hence darkness) in the area. Agents like Haloxyl® are designed to bind to two materials naturally found in the blood, bilirubin and iron, and hence reduce the darkness in the area (Formulating, Packaging, and Marketing of Natural Cosmetic Products, 2009).
Third, you can have blood pooling. Again here, Haloxyl® will work.
But finding an eye cream that treats melanin overproduction and excess blood pooling is hard, if not impossible, to find.
That is, until Your Best Face CORRECT Eye Cream. It’s the best solution there is for dark circles, guaranteed. (And actually, I do offer a money-back guarantee on it through our Shop, so…)
Best for Skin Firming: AQ Skin Solutions Eye Serum ($99.00, FutureDerm.com/Shop)
Just as Your Best Face CORRECT Eye Cream contains (almost) everything you could ever want for dark circles, AQ Skin Solutions Eye Serum throws in everything you could want for loose, sagging skin.
First off, you have growth factors. Like retinoids, alpha hydroxy acids, and amino acids, topically-applied growth factors have been shown to stimulate the production of collagen within the skin (Journal of Drugs in Dermatology). Most skin care products use skin cell stimulating growth factors. These have been shown in peer-reviewed, independent studies to enhance wound healing following dermatological treatments with lasers or dermatologic surgery, reduce wrinkling, and increase skin smoothness.
In a 2007 study in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, subjects used a human growth factor-containing cream on half of their face for sixty days. After the 60-day period, 83% of the subjects showed an improved average wrinkle score in the eye area, while 50% showed an improved average wrinkle score in the mouth area.
However, AQ Skin Solutions Eye Serum also contains firming peptides acetyl hexapeptide-8, dipeptide-2, and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7.
Also known as Argireline, acetyl hexapeptide-8 is a firming “freeze” peptide. Argireline works on the same muscle-to-nerve connections as BotoxTM, which makes sense, given that it is actually a shortened peptide sequence of BotoxTM. Argireline raised eyebrows literally and figurately after a 2002 study found wrinkles were reduced in depth by 30% when it was injected into the skin.
Best for Rough, Dry Undereye Skin: AminoGenesis Counter-Clockwise Eye Treatment ($40.00, AminoGenesis.com)
Every time I get irritation around my eyes, I turn to AminoGenesis Counter-Clockwise Eye Treatment to quickly return my skin back to health. I imagine that is due to the mix of beneficial amino acids and skin-plumping triglyceride and glycerin embedded in quick-penetrating witch hazel and butylene glycol.
Long-term, the amino acids in AminoGenesis Counter-Clockwise Eye Treatment have been shown to help prevent UV damage, nourish and repair the skin, and to hydrate in the aforementioned studies. I like the treatment a lot for hydration and keeping the skin firm and supple under the eyes. Definitely a must-have!
Best for Anti-Aging Prevention: FutureDerm Vitamin CE Eye Cream 10.0
The reason vitamins C and E are you friends for daytime is that they tighten and brighten skin while also boosting sunscreen protection, which helps to fix under-eye wrinkles and crow’s feet while also helping to prevent further damage. Vitamin C was shown to upregulate collagen production, helping to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles in skin in this 1981 study by Murad et. al. And several other research studies, like this one by Geesin et. al have found similar results. And vitamin C gets a boost from vitamin E. When antioxidants stabilize free radicals in the skin, they lose and electron. Synergistic antioxidants like vitamin C and E can “borrow” electrons from each other, allowing them to work for longer when they’re paired together.
Bottom Line
They say the eyes are the window to the soul. Make yours more of a beautiful scene than a danger zone by trying products like these!
What are your thoughts on this post? Let me know in Comments!