Do you really need an eye cream?

It’s one of the most hotly debated points in skincare.

Many people will say that you really don’t need to use a separate product around your eyes. Skin is skin, they’ll say. Use whatever you like; apply it all the way from your hairline to your breastbone – as long as you put sunscreen on top.

And I used to be one of these people. Let’s be honest, the more products you start to use, the more of a faff skincare starts to seem.

Why I’ve changed my mind

But over the past few years, I have changed my tune. The more skin specialists I talk to, the more I have come to think that I should give my eyes more specific help. The skin around the eyes is so thin that delivering appropriate ingredients to hydrate, nourish and stimulate it – without weighing it down or overloading – is a challenge.

If the skin around your eyes is sensitive, reacts badly to fragrance in products, or puffs up if dosed with anything to creamy or oily, you may have reached this conclusion a lot sooner than me.

So now, yes, you will find a specific eye product in my skincare routine.

Do YOU need a separate eye cream?

As to whether YOU need to use an eye cream – it’s totally up to you. But if you have eyes that go baggy or puffy when you put facial moisturisers around them, it’s well worth trying a specific eye cream or gel (they’re lighter in texture) – and often include ingredients to brighten the look of the eye area, which is helpful if you have shadows under your eyes.