After a long, sleepless night, the mirror may greet you with a reflection of puffy eyes surrounded by dark circles. Treatment options include going back to bed --- a luxury most can't afford --- or smearing your eyes with cosmetics to disguise, but not fix, the problem. Thankfully, several skincare manufacturers have created anti-aging skincare treatments designed to firm and tighten away the puffy bags around your eyes. Not all skincare products are alike, and several products have been ranked as among the best by independent testers and beauty critics.
Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Eye Contour Cream
The editors of "Consumer Reports" magazine tested dozens of over-the-counter eye creams available in drugstores and department stores. Clarins' contour cream was ranked by the magazine as one of the best. It's designed to help reduce under-eye puffiness and bags with skin-tightening herbal extracts and skin-repairing antioxidants, such as ginkgo and vitamin E.
Clinique All About Eyes
In the 2010 beauty awards hosted by "Allure" magazine, the magazine's beauty editors highlight the anti-aging cream from Clinique as one of the best on the market. The manufacturer adds caffeine to help reduce inflammation and puffiness. The magazine specifically liked Clinique's inclusion of skin-reflecting pigments, which help to instantly hide skin problems like dark under-eye circles. Additional beneficial ingredients that can help soothe puffy skin include grape extract, which is naturally high in antioxidants, vitamin E and skin-soothing whey protein.
Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Eye Cream
Skincare tester Paula Begoun, author of "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me," says Boots' protecting skin cream comes formulated to help target dark circles and puffiness under your eyes. She notes that the manufacturer adds several skin-conditioning ingredients, such as wrinkle-reducing peptides, moisturizers and skin-repairing antioxidants.
Garnier Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Firming Cream
Garnier's cream is designed to lift and firm under-eye bags, puffiness and wrinkles. It was praised in the skincare trials conducted by "Consumer Reports," with the magazine's editors noting that it performed more effectively than many other anti-aging eye creams. Garnier adds vitamin A, rice protein and moisturizers, all which help to firm and lift the delicate skin in the eye zone. Unlike many skincare products, no fragrances are added so you don't have to worry about unnecessary skin irritation that could potentially make puffiness worse.
Olay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum
Begoun raved about Olay's eye-tightening anti-aging treatment, saying the manufacturer used "state of the art" skincare ingredients to create a product that she rated as being better than most. Olay adds anti-irritants to combat inflammation and puffy skin, plus wrinkle-reducing ingredients like antioxidants and niacinamide, a form of vitamin B. The entire treatment lacks skin-irritating fragrances.
References
- "Consumer Reports"; Do Eye Creams Make a Visible Difference?; Editors of Consumer Reports; October 2009
- "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me"; Paula Begoun; 2009
- Allure Magazine: 2010 Readers' Choice Awards
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