Do You Need An Eye Cream? Dr. Cynthia Bailey Weighs In

Do you need to use an eye cream? Is this an “absolutely necessary” skin care product, or is it marketing hype? I asked a dermatologist for her real opinion about eye creams, and she spilled her secrets!

Dr. Cynthia Bailey is a dermatologist in Sebastopol, California. She was trained at UCSD (yes, this is very good) and was an attending there for a while before relocating to Sebastopol.

I love that rather than hiding indoors or under a large amount of protective clothing at all times, Dr. Bailey has a “normal” outdoor life and is always on the go. She loves to be outdoors and simply adjusts her skin care routine as needed. Dr. Bailey has a very informative dermatology blog that even us mortals can understand, and even has her own on-line skin care store where she recommends products.

Here is what she had to say about the importance of eye cream:

Eyelid skin is a unique convergence of opportunity and need so I think eye creams are important. The eye area is one of the first places on the face to show the signs of aging. Plus, eye area skin is very thin and so will absorb more of the active ingredients in skin care products. It’s a great place to invest in the best product you can, but you need to know what to look for. In addition, the fine texture of the eyelids allows skin surface modifying ingredients to make a real change in how the skin looks right away.

Eye cream ingredients I look for are:
1. sodium hyaluronate and glycerin for hydration because they plump out crinkled, dry skin
2. antioxidants like green tea for anti aging (oxidation) protection
3. caffeine, vitamin K and arnica to help puffy redness,
4. dimethicone and acrylates to smooth out the surface appearance of the eyelid skin

Of course you always need sun protection on top (mineral sunscreens get my vote for full UV protection)or this area will really wrinkle as time goes.

Dr. Cynthia Bailey