Almost every cosmetics company you can think of sells at least one eye cream and many sell more than a dozen, yet no one needs a product specifically labeled as an eye cream! The cosmetics industry has done an outstanding job convincing women eye creams are essential to eliminate everything from wrinkles to sagging skin, dark circles, and puffiness around the eye.  We’re here to tell you to call off the search, it is wasting your time and money! Surprised? Read on!

Here are the facts:

• There is no research proving that the skin around the eye area needs something different from skin elsewhere on the face.

• There are no cosmetic ingredients that change dark circles under the eye or get rid of sagging, puffy eyes, or crow’s feet (these lines show up on the face and the eye area, which makes all the theories about eye creams even more foolish).

• What you get when you buy an eye cream is a small amount of product (often half the size of a face product) that, ounce for ounce, is twice as expensive.

• Eye creams are often sold as being gentle and fragrance-free, so they’re “safe for the delicate eye area.” So, in essence, you are being told the eye area gets the good ingredients and the face gets the bad ones. The entire face needs to be treated gently and not exposed to irritating ingredients. More to the point, most eye creams DO contain fragrance AND coloring agents!

• Most eye creams are packaged in jars and that is a problem because as soon as you open the jar, the beneficial ingredients (assuming there are some in the formula) begin to deteriorate due to light and air exposure. It’s also unsanitary to dip your fingers into a jar every day!

• No one in the cosmetics industry (ingredient manufacturers, salespeople, or cosmetic chemists) has ever explained exactly what ingredients the eye area needs that the face doesn’t when it comes to dry skin, wrinkles, puffy eyes, or sagging skin—and we’ve asked hundreds of people over the years!

• If a “face” product is well formulated for dry skin and fighting wrinkles, you can use it anywhere on the face and beyond.

There are many myths about why you need eye creams, but that is just what they are, myths. Day after day, week after week, year after year we are constantly told “I’ve tried everything to get rid of [insert eye-area concern here],” and yet the problem persists. Of course it persists; these products cannot work as claimed, and you’re being mislead and wasting your money, time and time again.

We’re not saying you don’t need a brilliantly formulated moisturizer for around the eye area; it just doesn’t need to be labeled an eye cream with a higher price tag than the accompanying face product. Here are some brilliant examples of products that can and should be used around your eyes:

• BeautiControl Cell Block-C New Cell Protection SPF 20 ($31)
• CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM ($13.99)
• Clinique Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturizer ($42.50; available  in three versions for different skin types).
• *Olay Pro-X  Deep Wrinkle Treatment ($47) or Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Moisturizer Mature Skin Therapy ($18.99)
• Paula’s Choice Moisture Boost Hydrating Treatment Cream ($18.95)
• Paula’s Choice RESIST Barrier Repair Moisturizer ($22.95)
• Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum ($24.95)
• SkinMedica Rejuvenative Moisturizer ($50)
• Vichy Reti-C Intensive Corrective Care ($30)
• Yes to Carrots Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15 ($14.99)

*The Pro-X product has a creamy texture (more like an eye cream) while the Total Effects product has a thinner, lotion texture.

For an extensive list of the best antiaging products, including moisturizers that do double-duty as eye creams, visit CosmeticsCop.com and click on the link to our product reviews on Beautypedia. During the entire month of January, everyone can enjoy FREE access to Paula Begoun and The Cosmetics Cop Team’s extensive database of product review!

Tips for dealing with dark circles:

• First, stop searching for an eye cream claiming to eliminate dark circles; none of them work as claimed.
• Use sunscreen daily to keep circles from becoming darker.
• Apply a good concealer to lighten and brighten the undereye area.

For more tips on dealing with dark circles, click here.

Tips for dealing with puffy eyes:

• Many cases of puffy eyes are due to allergies; taking an over-the-counter antihistamine can help a lot (be sure you check with your physician before adding a new medication to your routine).
• Try sleeping with your head slightly elevated to minimize undereye swelling
• Keep cool compresses (such as a gel eye mask) ready to reduce morning puffiness

For more tips on dealing with puffy eyes, click here.