We reveal the inside info from the Harley Street experts when it comes to getting the best out of your eye cream application
Words: Becci Vallis
You’re probably well aware that the skin around your eyes is more delicate than the rest of your face – it’s why it’s so susceptible to laughter lines, dark circles, puffiness and even dehydration. Late nights, illness, ageing, stress – you name it, your eyes really are the giveaway to all your inner secrets. Plus, the thinness of the skin means it’s more obvious to detect these things - which is why taking care of your eye area is so important. As well as high-tech ingredients, the way you apply your eye cream really can have an impact on the results you’ll glean from your products.
“We’ve created a capsule collection of eye products with different needs in mind, ranging from a no-needle fix for puffiness and laxity to an intelligent eye cream that contains black diamond particles to drive the active ingredients deeper into the skin. A notoriously difficult area to treat, by fusing my plastic-surgery inspired formulas with an effective application, results can be seen in just two weeks, which is almost unheard of for this area of the face,” explains 111SKIN founder, Dr Yannis Alexandrides.
THE BEST WAY TO APPLY EYE CREAM
If you’ve been applying your other skincare products first, stop right now. That might be what we were taught once upon a time, but the aestheticians confirm that eye cream must take priority and your eye cream should be applied before your moisturiser or serum. “It should be the first product you apply in your routine,” says Chloe Battimelli, Head of Product at 111SKIN.
Don’t just keep it to under the eyes, pay the skin above your lids and under your brows some attention too.“It should be applied all around the eye sockets from inner corner to outer corner in a light patting motion. Use the ring finger as this avoids any tugging of the delicate skin. You don’t need a lot of product either, it’s a tiny surface area so just one pump of the eye gel will deliver exactly the right amount of actives to get results that rival more advanced aesthetics treatments,” continues Chloe.
If you apply an eye product morning and night, you’ll get a gold star from the aestheticians because it means you have actives working round the clock to keep the skin under your eyes hydrated, smooth and springy. As a general rule, the lighter formulas are more suited to the day as they sit under other products better and in the evening, you can choose a thicker, richer texture.
“For optimal results we would recommend using the Eye Lift Gel NAC Y²™ first thing and the Celestial Black Diamond Eye Cream at night to give your eyes 24 hour care. If you wanted to apply both you would apply the serum before the cream as the lightest texture should always be used first. Our eye masks can be used any time of day as long as they’re applied onto clean, dry skin,” recommends Chloe.
Once you’ve applied your eye cream or gel, you just need to wait a few moments for it to sink in before going in with your remaining skincare or any make-up. You don’t want to disrupt the precise product application and alter where those carefully tailored actives will end up.
THE BEST EYE PRODUCTS TO USE
Why have one formula when you can have six? 111SKIN have designed three specially targeted eye masks along with the Eye Lift Gel NAC Y²™, Celestial Black Diamond Eye Cream and Celestial Black Diamond Contour Gel to ensure your peepers stay perky, bright and line-free. Also hot off the production line is the Eye Lift Edit – the ultimate introduction into 111SKIN’s world of surgically-precise eye care products and all designed to keep the skin around your eyes healthy and youthful.
Rose Gold Illuminating Eye Mask
Parties, special occasions, days when your eyes are especially fatigued – the medical grade ingredients in these eye-brightening patches will help you save face. Containing Colloidal Gold to sooth inflammation and Pomegranate Seed to diminish darkness, the skin around your eyes will be left illuminated, smoother and naturally glowing.
Cryo De-puffing Eye Mask
Ideal for mornings when you’ve not totted up enough hours of sleep, pop these on and the seaweed reduces inflammation while vitamin E supports the cell function. Circulation is also boosted to help fade any dark circles.
Celestial Black Diamond Eye Mask
A quick fix designed to zip up, contour and tighten the skin around the eyes, these 20 minute eye masks are bursting with Hyaluronic Acid to rehydrate, a Peptide Complex to strengthen the skin and minimise the appearance of fine lines, Retinol to resurface and refresh and a clever Hexapeptide that tightens the skin for a Botox-like effect. “Hexapeptide weakens the skin’s ability to contract and speeds up its relaxation time, minimising the appearance of fine lines and giving a visible lifting effect,” says Chloe.
Eye Lift Gel NAC Y²™
Clinically proven to reduce wrinkles in just two weeks by 35%, this gel really is a needle-free fixer. With clinical data showing it lifts the eye area and minimises dark circles in four weeks, the blend of NAC Y²™, Argireline and Caffeine make this a deal breaker in topical products. “Dark circles can be genetic but for a large percentage of people these are due to dehydration and lack of sleep so we use caffeine – a natural compound that revitalises, energises and increases microcirculation to minimise dark circles and mild puffiness,” explains Chloe. It’s specially encapsulated delivery system also means it works continuously to keep the actives fired up in your skin, protecting from free radicals and aggressors that can cause fine lines and pigmentation.
Black Diamond Eye Cream
What do diamonds do? Shine, reflect and sparkle and that’s exactly what will happen to the skin around your eyes after using this as any fine lines will disappear, leaving a smoother surface for light to bounce off. The formula also contains black diamond particles that ensure a deeper delivery of actives, Centella Asiatica – a superior skin healing ingredient that supports collagen production and elasticity, Resurrection Plant for brightening and Everlasting flower extract to tone skin and improve firmness.
Celestial Black Diamond Contour Gel
While this isn’t solely for the orbital area, this contouring gel works wonders on erasing fine lines thanks to the legendary Hexapeptide ingredient. Also featuring Matrixyl 3000, Retinol and Rosehip, cell turnover is increased which helps to plump up the skin around the eyes and discolouration disappears over time.
Eye Lift Edit
Featuring two Cryo De-Puffing Eye Masks and two Rose Gold Eye Masks along with the Eye Lift Gel NAC Y²™, this is one hard-working line-up to inject some life back into your eye area. Use the masks for quick fixes, in 20 minutes you’ll see results so they’re just as handy for smoothing on in the morning as they are before a night out while the Eye Lift Gel NAC Y²™ is essentially a bouncer for your eyes. Shielding the skin from damage, giving 24-hour protection and smoothing things over when the skin gets a little bumpy or discoloured, it guarantees you’re in safe hands.
