Burt’s Bees Royal Jelly Eye Cream

This is the second installment in my quest for the perfect eye cream.  For my other eye cream review (and more to come), click here.

Why I’m on an Eye Cream Quest:  My eyes are extremely sensitive to changes in the weather, and if the delicate skin around my eyes is not properly moisturized, it gets scaly – literally scaly.  I’ve spoken to my doctor and several cosmetics consultants who all gave me the same answer: my skin is reacting as though I was not using any moisturizer whatsoever.  But I was!  But I do!  It turns out that the pores around your eyes are smaller than the rest of the pores on your face.  Eye creams are specially formulated to be finer than regular facial moisturizers in order to be properly absorbed by that fine eye skin.  However, not all eye creams are created equal!  Apparently my eye pores are very, very small, and some eye cream formulas are not quite fine enough for my skin to absorb.  Therefore, some eye creams sit atop my eye skin for hours, eventually evaporating into the air.  Unfortunately, I cannot determine at the time whether the cream has been absorbed or evaporated, and it takes at least a week of using a product to determine whether or not it is effective.  Consequently, I have tried many, many different types of eye cream and would love to share my experiences with you. 

About 7 months ago, I went on an all-natural cosmetics makeover.  Because I had not yet discovered the Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy by my house, I scoured the Bartell’s shelves for affordable natural products and ended up with an entire stash of Burt’s Bees facial care.  I have mixed reviews about the whole experience, which I’ll likely expose to you at a later date.  The Burt’s Bees Royal Jelly Eye Cream retails around $15 most places.

Things to love:  This stuff is 98.75% natural and contains a laundry list of good-for-you ingredients that you can find on the Burt’s Bees website.  Because it’s so natural, this product is great for people with chemical sensitivity, and I’ve read several rave reviews to the effect.

Less than perfect:  The texture of this product is like a cross between Vaseline and cream; therefore, giving it a very glossy finish that looks great alone but is impossible to apply just prior to eye makeup application.  It was so thick and moisturizing that I started using it only before bed.  Also, after about a month of use, my eyelid scales returned!  Oh no!  This means that the little moisturizing particles weren’t quite small enough for all of my tiny eyelid pores, and my eyelid was thirsty even under the layer of the cream.

Final analysis:  Most people don’t have my tiny eyelid pore problem, but the inability to apply it under eye makeup would have been a deal breaker for me in any case.  However, if you have very sensitive skin and don’t wear eye makeup because of it, this might help you get the moisture you need without irritating you.  It’s also cheaper than most natural eye creams.

Posted by: Lynnette

Aveeno Positively Ageless Lifting & Firming Eye Cream

Expect this to be the first in a long series of eye cream reviews.  My eyes are extremely sensitive to changes in the weather, and if the delicate skin around my eyes is not properly moisturized, it gets scaly – literally scaly.  I’ve spoken to my doctor and several cosmetics consultants who all gave me the same answer: my skin is reacting as though I was not using any moisturizer whatsoever.  But I was!  But I do!  It turns out that the pores around your eyes are smaller than the rest of the pores on your face.  Eye creams are specially formulated to be finer than regular facial moisturizers in order to be properly absorbed by that fine eye skin.  However, not all eye creams are created equal!  Apparently my eye pores are very, very small, and some eye cream formulas are not quite fine enough for my skin to absorb.  Therefore, some eye creams sit atop my eye skin for hours, eventually evaporating into the air.  Unfortunately, I cannot determine at the time whether the cream has been absorbed or evaporated, and it takes at least a week of using a product to determine whether or not it is effective.  Consequently, I have tried many, many different types of eye cream and would love to share my experiences with you. 

I tried the Aveeno Positively Ageless Lifting & Firming Eye Cream in my search for a natural product that wouldn’t break the bank.  I believe that it retails for around $20 for 0.5oz, which is pretty par for the course on decent drugstore eye creams.

Things to love:  Before I used this product, my eyes were in a scaly condition, and after a week the scales had completely subsided, revealing smooth eye skin that felt awesomely moisturized.  As the name suggests, it does life and firm the eye skin, creating a nice palette for eye shadow.  However, I’m in my mid-20’s and do not know how well it would work on middle-aged eyelids.  (If you know, let me know.)  The cream contains a faint hint of sparkle, which is great for those days when you want to wash & go.  Lastly, the pump container allows you to use just enough and not a drop more.

Less than perfect:  This cream contains Shiitake mushroom extract.  Directly on the packaging, there is a warning to avoid contact with the eye itself because of the extract.  Let me tell you: it stings!  It only took one slip of the finger in application for me to forever be much more careful with my precision.  I rinsed my eye out and the stinging was gone within a minute.  However, if you have sensitive eyeballs or wear contacts, this should definitely be a factor you consider.

Final analysis:  If you do not have sensitive eyes and don’t want to pay a fortune for high-end natural brands, I’d recommend you give this a shot.  Overall, it’s moisturizing performance is great.  As far as eye creams are concerned, it’s on the inexpensive end of the spectrum and won’t be a huge loss if you end up not liking it.

Posted by: Lynnette