Are You Thick Skinned About Eye Cream?
Calling someone thick skinned isn't exactly a compliment, but from a wrinkle-fighting standpoint, being thick skinned is actually an advantage.
The more 'plumped up' skin is, the firmer it is and smoother it appears.
Eye Cream? I Beg to Differ
I couldn't help overhearing a comment in a beauty department recently. Two customers were looking at skin care products when one commented "I don't believe all that stuff about needing a special cream for the eye area – they just say that so they can sell you more products."Was she right?
Only partly.
She was dead right about the 'so they can sell you more products' part. Of course cosmetics companies want to sell you more products – they exist to sell you more products.
As for whether special creams are needed for the eye area – I beg to differ.
If I were more of a meddler, I might have entered the conversation and told her to try treating the skin around her eyes the same as her hands or feet for a spell. I'm sure she wouldn't be too pleased with the results.
The eye area is the first place to show signs of age and wrinkling with 'crows feet' and fine lines.
So, although it isn't health hazardous to disregard the eye area, this particularly delicate skin does benefit visibly with special care.
The Skinny on Skin
Without getting into too much nerdy stuff (there are links to that part below), let's take a quick look at our body's largest organ.
Human skin is made up of many layers. The illustration above should give you an idea of how complex it is.
If the skin were removed (from the body of an average-sized adult) and laid out flat, it would cover between 1,5 to 2 square meters (16 to 21 square feet).
The skin varies in thickness throughout the body.
The epidermis measures in at approximately 3 mm (0.11 inch) on the soles and palms.
The thinnest skin is behind our ears – measuring approximately 0.05 mm (0.0019 inch) in thickness. The skin around the eye area isn't much thicker.
The Eyes Have it
When formulating a product for the skin around the eyes, it should be a given that the product is easy to apply (without rubbing or pulling the skin) and quickly absorbed.In my world, a good eye cream is not only feathery light and melts in quickly, but is also completely free of perfume.
It was because of these requirements that I got serious about developing emulsions way back when (translation: about a million years ago).
Developing many products for the face, neck, and eye area has taught me that eye cream will also function beautifully for the face and neck. If I had to choose between eye cream and face cream, the eyes would have it – hands down.
Do Tell
Do you use a separate product for your eye area? What are your eye area product requirements?More About Skin Thickness
Skin anatomyDetermining skin thickness with pulsed ultra sound
Smoking can affect skin thickness
Skin and Absorption rates
The impermeable facts of skins penetration and absorption
Epidermal thickness at different body sites
Comments
I like an eyecare product to be light and non greasy. A gel can be nice in summer, something soothing and cooling is great in summer.
For daytime I like a cream with a bit of "highlighting" effect to make me look like I am awake and have gotten plenty of sleep :-)
Tina
I don't know why but people don't appreciate this diy gifts unscented (LOL).
Hi María - you are also a fan of the light emulsion! It's so easy to apply. As for lecithin, have you thought about using e-vitamin instead? I agree, lecithin isn't the best-smelling substance on the planet! :)
I LOVE vanilla so I really like the idea of masking the lecithin smell with vanilla :-)
Does vanilla bring good stuff to skincare? I have used dried, ground vanilla beans in scrubs and masks because I am such a fan of vanilla, but does it have any benefits other than the wonderful smell?
I use lecithin as emulsifier, it gives lovely light and smooth texture, I add the E vitamin more like an ingredient for the skin.
In order to mask the smell of lecithin the vanilla infused oil is not enough, you need more fragrance, but the good thing about the infused oil is that it gives that gorgeous smell without using an added fragrance. For example to be used in emulsions and balms for babies, extra sensitive skin, etc. Like that you don't have the risk of a fragrance, that may give allergies.
One of my most successful lip balms I make is unscented. I only use equal parts of vanilla infused oil, organic cocoa butter (gorgeous), organic coconut oil and organic unrefined beeswax with its honey smell. The result is wonderful and it's naturally scented with the ingredients, no need to add fragrance or flavour ;)