Eye Eye Captain!
So, you’ve had some late nights. You could not possibly drink enough water to compensate for the international flight from which you just escaped. You got a little too much sun. The dry winter has extracted the last bit of moisture from your face. And, of course, there’s the inevitable march of time. But, there is no need for you to look tired, for your face to reflect a road map of your exploits or for it to be representative of your chronological age.
This post will focus on the various products available to improve the appearance of your eyes, which can make you look tired and is one of the first areas to show age for both men and women. Use of these products may be to brighten dark circles under your eyes, to reduce puffiness and to smooth out and blend them in with the areas surrounding your eyes.
The skin around the eyes is delicate and thinner than the skin elsewhere on the face. This is why products have been specially formulated to treat these areas. In all cases, products are applied under and around your eyes and then worked in by kind of patting your under eye with a finger (preferably your own :). You don’t need much. Never apply on your eyelids. Wash your hands afterwards to reduce the possibility of getting the product in your eyes. I’ll also briefly cover a product designed to open eyes by temporarily controlling eyelids droop without surgery. It’s a magic trick.
Performance is paramount and most products work. Due to consistent use of an eye serum, for example, my dark circles are a thing of the past. Then there is price, packaging, active ingredients (amount and strength) and the unique stories and benefits of each.
There are several serums and creams not specifically designed for eyes but which are applied from the center of the face outward and upward (universal face creams and emulsions). If you’ve already decided an eye solution is not for you, then at least consider what I call a “generalist” product like C Serum by Malibu C, which is suitable for all skin type and corrects multiple skin issues. Malibu C is a vegan-based wellness brand and is actually located in Malibu. They also have an incredible manufacturing and training academy in Indianapolis. They are well known for their professional hair and skin care solutions. You may not have heard of them but your professional hair stylist has. C Serum comes in two parts and you add the “C” powder into the liquid, shake it and use it in the following few months. This ensures its freshness and ensures its strength. You can find it for as little as $37.
If you are still with me on the eye thing, let’s discuss the super high end stuff first. You may not be aware of it, but the Koreans have created some amazing skin care products. Some retailers even have specific sections in their outlets dedicated to Korean skin care. DraCell is an incredible Korean skin care brand. Aside from the most incredible packaging on the planet, (see the June Cell line in Figure 1), their claim to fame is that the doctor involved in creating some of the formulas has not only successfully cloned animals and is famous in Korea for doing so, but he owns a stem cell factory! Stem cells have amazing rejuvenating properties and are included in many of their products.
If you are the Sultan of Oman and wish to impress the visiting ambassador of Burkina Faso or impress you significant other(s), the full size version of June Cell (Figure 1 is the smaller gift size, the full size is astounding) is about $425. It contains the “Defined Cell Culture Media”, which is the stem cell technology. It’s the cost of the technology and to some extent the planet’s best packaging that drives the price. Price aside, I love everything about it; the scent, the product consistency, the results I see. The eye cream has the perfect applicator, so you need not contaminate the product by sticking your finger in the product’s container. Come to think of it, $425 ain’t that bad for what you get. And, if you fly First Class on Emirates, you may be lucky enough to receive a generous selection of June Cell in your in-flight kit!
The men’s version (figure 2) is more accessible, at around $125 for the travel bag and contents. It is also pretty amazing and includes skin essence, skin emulsion and skin recovery serum, all in glass bottles. You even get a great mask, sun block and a cleanser.
There is another DraCell eye product that is unique. It’s part of their Beaute de Cell line and is their Advanced Microsome’ Eye Patch. The directions are in Korean, but the package also contains illustrations and instructions in English are on line (or just keep reading). After washing and drying your face, you peel the patch off its plastic backing and place it under your eyes. OK, so there are lots of products like this, but this one asks that you press the patch against your under eyes for 10 seconds, as the patch contains very tiny needles-like things which open the pores enough to let the active ingredients to do their job. It feels a little weird but the idea makes a lot of sense. And the active ingredients are DraCell’s famous Defined Cell Culture Media (the stem cell stuff) so you will pay about $100 for eight pairs. You leave the patches on for 30 minutes, peel off the patch and gently work any residual into your under eyes.
Alright, what if you aren’t stocking your yacht for a cruise to Monaco. What’s out there for us mere mortals? All of the following are of good quality and perform. There is a lot to like about Pharamagel. They have Eye Firme (about $21 on-line for 1 ounce) to hydrate delicate eyes and reduce the appearance of aging. It has a very mild pleasant scent. They also produce Eye Prote (.5 ounces for around $24 – shop around) which is good for dark circles. It has no scent and is soothing. I like the packaging too. Hard to go wrong.
GlowBiotics MD is, as the name suggests, a medical strength product. Their A-Team product contains Retinol, pro-biotics and botanicals. They also produce an eye Hydrator AM/PM, that soothes and hydrates. Because of their ingredients and strength, they do cost a bit more, but the company is well respected. If you are trying to correct versus maintain, give them a shot.
RMD DNA Eye Balm and Regeneration Serum (they are supposed to be used together) contain plant based, non-bacterial growth factor. It’s about $145. It has clinical proof and is not supposed to break down in UV light. The Eye Balm is $80. The container has a retracting collar which prevents inadvertent leakage when travelling and was developed by a Beverly Hills Doctor. Anyway, as it’s $225 when purchased together, it depends on how often you plan to take advantage of it’s unique UV resistant and other properties.
So, do you want to look ten years younger in about three minutes? Do you have extra eye lid skin? Let’s discuss a temporary solution perfect for a night out, that important speaking engagement or conference, a hot date (or your dating profile photo). The product is called Contour Rx – Lids by Design. They come in various sizes (typically 5mm to 8mm). The concept sounds odd, but they work! These are basically made of that self-adhesive contact paper shelf liner stuff cut into eye shaped half moons. A bunch of them costs about $30. It takes a surprisingly large amount of practice to get these things placed properly on your upper eye lid. But, if you luck out, they will immediately change your looks for the better. If improperly placed, you will look like a mental patient (nothing against mental patients). If you consider the alternative, which is surgery, then they are worth a try. I love them!
So, that gives you some ideas on what’s out there at all price points, how to use them and my general opinions. I’m thinking my next post will be called Block and Tackle, about sun block and tackling skin problems. If you have a subject you’d like covered, please leave me a comment.