Do I need an eye cream with oily skin?

One of the first things I was taught in Beauty School (where I went in my early 30s in 1997) was that at that time, just in the United States alone, the skincare industry boasted $3.2 Billion in sales annually.  The reason stated?  "It’s incredibly easy to sell moisturizer."  I’m not kidding, that’s really what they said.  Frankly, I think it’s extremely impressive.  Everyone needs moisturizer.  There’s a reason there are so many out there to choose from.  Like I always say, “Everything works for somebody, nothing works for everybody.” 

My job in specializing in Adult Acne is to make sure my clients are getting adequate healing and hydration in their lotions while avoiding pore clogging and irritation.  In addition, my job especially is to make sure they’re getting anti-aging concerns taken care of without clogging pores and causing breakouts unnecessarily.  Prevention is a big part of anti-aging consciousness these days, and it comes up a lot in my practice.

So what about eye cream for prevention?  

Gimmick, or necessity?

Skincare Q&A: Eye Creams

As an online esthetician, I spend a great deal of my time answering questions about adult acne, ingrown hair problems, rosacea, or general skin sensitivities. So! I thought that I would feature a skincare Q&A on my blog to address some of these issues.

There are some questions that are sent to me via email or through the now defunct ChickRx, a site where anyone could ask questions relating to various lifestyle topics, and experts (like myself) could offer valuable advice or suggestions. If you have any questions that you would like to ask (or have featured on the blog), please don't hesitate to speak out in the comments below! If you would rather have a question be answered privately, I am always available by email.

This week's Skincare Q&A features concerns about getting a head start on anti-aging products, including what role eye cream plays in your skincare routine.

***

"I'm 28 years old, and I don't have any wrinkles yet. 

When should I start using anti-aging eye cream?"

I'll tell you a secret about eye cream... If you don't already have fine lines or dryness around your eye area, eye creams are a complete gimmick when it comes to prevention.

What To Look For In Anti-Aging Products

An often-asked question amongst my late-20s, 30s, and 40-year old clients is, "What's the deal with anti-aging products, and when should I start using them?"

Well, I'm here to tell you the Big Dirty Secret about anti-aging... 

Of all the anti-aging ingredients, there are only two that are preventative and corrective at the same time: broad-spectrum sunscreen and topical antioxidant serums. 

("Broad-spectrum" means that the sunscreen filters out both UVA and UVB rays -- and must say so on the product label.)

All other anti-aging products are corrective and not preventative, which means that if you don't have any fine lines or wrinkles yet, no corrective product will prevent them. The only thing that will prevent wrinkles, besides a broad-spectrum sunscreen, is something with multiple forms of antioxidants.  Having only one form of antioxidant in a product usually doesn't do the trick because different types of antioxidants interrupt the cascade of skin damage at different points. 

Some of the best antioxidants to look for are: