Eye Creams Help Some Problems But Not Others

Many people use special creams around their eyes to look better. These eye creams promise to fix puffy eyes, dark circles, and wrinkles. But do they really work? A skin doctor named Anne Chapas says these creams can help with some problems but not others.

Eye creams work within limits that our bodies set. They can make skin softer and add moisture to dry areas. Some creams can also reduce darkness and puffiness around the eyes. However, they cannot fix every problem people want to solve.

Puffy eyes happen for different reasons. Everyone has small fat pads under their eyes that can look like bags. Your genes, weight changes, and other things affect how big these bags look. Eye creams cannot move or shrink these fat pads.

Dark circles under eyes come in different types. If your circles look blue, purple, or red, they might be caused by blood vessels showing through thin skin. Eye creams with retinoids might help a little by making skin thicker over time. But the change will be very small and hard to notice.

Wrinkles around the eyes are called crow's feet. They form mainly from smiling and making other facial expressions. Eye creams can make these wrinkles softer and less noticeable. The best ingredients for fighting wrinkles are called retinoids.