Eye creams are an important part of your beauty regime, but why do we bother using them?

Perhaps it’s because we have finally woken up to the reality that we can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to our facial skin care.

It’s really important to find what product suits our skin type and tone. This is especially the case around your eye area because your eyes are the focus of much of the aging process on your face.

The daily face moisturiser you use is not an eye cream. Because your skin is thinner around your eyes, you need to properly care for this area – your eyes really can do a fabulous job of showing you up if they are not cared for properly!

There is nothing worse than puffy, dry and sensitive skin around the eyes and as we get older, the skin can be very aging if not given enough TLC.

When you do start to use an eye cream, I can guarantee that your peepers will look much more bright-eyed and youthful.

Combating dry eyes

But first things first. Now that we are seemingly spending more time looking at screens, one of the most common problems people can have is dry-eye syndrome.

This is when the eyes don’t get enough lubrication. Eyes can become red, sore and inflamed and some women going through the menopause can get itchy, burning eyes, so a soothing eye drop or spray can really help with either of these problems.

Less is more when it comes to applying eye creams

If you take a daily dose of vitamin C this will help dryness and Purifeyes professional spray (£11.95 from www.purifeyes.co.uk) works wonders at cleansing the eyes and the delicate surrounding area and will protect the eyes from bacteria, gently removing the teeny particles of dust, etc, on lashes and eyelids that are responsible for dry eyes.

If you suffer with bloodshot, irritated eyes, then a favourite eyedrop of mine is Optrex night restore gel drops (from stockists including www.dpharmacy.ie at €10.85). These highly viscous gel drops stay in your eyes longer and will restore and repair your eyes while you sleep. You will wake up with clearer eyes for the day ahead.

Recommended creams

The creams I’m recommending here are for anyone over 20 years old. The rule of thumb when it comes to using eye creams is the earlier you start using them, the better.

Once you start to notice the first subtle creases on the outer corner of your eyes, then I suggest you crack on and treat yourself to an eye cream, as the best results come from prevention.

After I take off my makeup with my cleanser, I apply my moisturiser (don’t forget to apply your moisturiser to your neck and back of hands) and finally gently “dab-dab-dab” the eye cream on and around the eye socket area.

Less is more when it comes to applying eye creams and always be gentle, never pulling the skin. Applying too much eye cream can cause your eyes to look puffy in the morning.

Eye cream should be used by the lads and lasses! I also apply a tiny blob of my eye cream nightly just above my upper lip area to help lessen the fine lines.

Elizabeth Arden has created the most plumping and refreshing retinol ceramide line erasing eye cream, available from stockists including McCauley’s at €60.

Also please don’t forget to keep drinking plenty of water daily and to wear sunglasses

This is great for helping under-eye bags and reducing dark circles. The cream has a light scent and is a multi-tasking product. The moisture-boosting ceramides help hydrate and plump the under-eye area and brighten the skin, leaving it firmer and smoother.

BareMinerals ageless phyto retinol eye cream from stockists including Boots at €46 is very good at helping to lessen crepey skin around the eye area without puffiness and it brilliantly blurs away the wrinkles after only a few short weeks of use.

This plant-based eye cream softens and lifts the eye area.

Also from Boots, No 7 pure retinol eye cream €29.95 for 15ml is a rich eye cream infused with pure retinol, working to make your eyes look well rested and like you’ve had a good night’s sleep.

The retinol greatly helps to reduce dark circles and crow’s feet. I was amazed at how smoothly this cream glides onto the eyes and how quickly it is absorbed into the skin.

Also please don’t forget to keep drinking plenty of water daily and to wear sunglasses if it’s a sunny day to protect your eyes and stop you squinting, which in turn will stave off wrinkles around the eyes.

Next month, I’m going to talk about a problem that can affect all of us: how to help combat oily, shiny skin, help clear blemished, rosacea cheeks and get rid of large open pores.