Help, Hydrating eye cream needed-41yrsold

[shimmerjaye]

Hi. I have tried so many eye and serums over the past years and nothing worked well  (tried Drunk elephant, Thomas Roth, origins, OleHenrickson, confidence in a jar, belief eye bomb, to name a few) Under my eyes tend to be drier and when smiling the crepe skin/fine lines appear under they eyes ( not crow feet)  I have been told numerous times that a good moisturizer will help. Open to suggestions but i heard to give tatcha a try??  Thank u 

[WinglessOne]

Hi @shimmerjaye ! I'm 49 with very dry undereye skin. Here's how I combat dryness: 

1. Humectant layer - I use a hydrating serum on my whole face and bring it up onto my undereyes. My skin's favorite humectants are hyaluronic acid (especially sodium hyaluronate), PCA (especially sodium PCA), and polyglutamic acid. In the morning, I often use The Ordinary "Buffet" 1 oz/ 30 mL which contains the first 2 of those humectants. Each night, I use It's Skin Power 10 Li Effector which contains the 3rd humectant. Whichever serum I use, I apply it to damp skin and let it sit for 1-2 minutes to sink into my skin. 
2. Hydrate -  Tap a little more water on skin (or use a hydrating mist) immediately before applying any moisturizer. This gives moisturizer some hydration to seal into the skin. I do this to my entire face. 
3. First moisturizing layer - Apply my usual moisturizer to my whole face, including my undereyes. What's your current full face moisturizer—and does it work well for the rest of your face? 
4. Second moisturizing layer - If I need this step (sometimes I don't), I normally use a petrolatum-based balm: either Aquaphor Ointment or CeraVe Healing Ointment, applied as a thin layer to my undereyes. Plain ol' Vaseline or another brand of petroleum jelly would also work. Nothing prevents moisture loss better than petrolatum, and it won't clog pores. 
   
   Sometimes I use a facial oil instead of a petrolatum product, usually in hot weather (though petrolatum can certainly be used year round). Any 100% squalane oil works well as a moisturizing layer; you could try The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane 1 oz/ 30 mL , The INKEY List Squalane Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL , or the pricier Biossance 100% Sugarcane Squalane Oil . Marula oil is also a good choice. But my personal faves are oil blends: e.l.f. Nourishing Facial Oil (a wonderful blend that contains no perfuming essential oils) and Herbivore Emerald CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL (also helps my skin's inflammation issues) . Since Herbivore reformulated Herbivore Emerald Hemp Seed Deep Moisture Glow Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL , that's another option to consider. 
5. Sun protection (AM only) - Always apply sunscreen all the way up to my bottom lash line. You do currently use a sunscreen, right? Minimum SPF of 30? Applied each day your skin's exposed to sunlight whether outside, sitting indoors by a window, driving/riding in a car, etc.? Regardless of the weather or season? 🙂 

For fine lines, well... you'll always have some visible lines thanks to your facial expressions, and that's okay! But if you want to reduce them beyond what good moisturization (plumping up the skin a bit) can do, consider a low-strength retinol product for your undereyes. 

Spoiler

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Ferulic + Retinol Triple Correction Eye Serum 0.5 oz/ 15 mL is a good candidate: DDG won't disclose the % of retinol but, having used it before, I assume it's very low. I've used retinoids for about 2 years, so my skin's built up enough tolerance that I can use The INKEY List Retinol Fine Lines and Wrinkles Serum 1 oz / 30 ml under my eyes (I currently use a stronger retinoid—0.1% retinaldehyde—on the rest of my face). I've never tried The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream 0.5 oz/ 15 mL but that's another one to consider. 

If you decide to try any retinoid product under your eyes, don't bring it all the way up to your lower lash line. If you're new to retinoids, apply just 1 or 2 times a week at first to see how your skin tolerates it, and gradually increase frequency. You can even apply it after your first moisturizing layer to buffer side effects (any drying or irritation), though I had none of those issues with the DDG serum and always applied it under moisturizers. 

You can also try The Ordinary Buffet or The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10% Serum for Facial Wrinkles 1 oz/ 30 mL : they both contain acetyl hexapeptide-8, a peptide that can reduce facial muscle contractions a bit which helps reduce the appearance of lines. But neither this peptide nor retinoids work nearly as well as injectable solutions (like Botox or dermal fillers), and for that option you'll need to see a dermatologist. It'll be pricey and you'll need it redone every 4-6 months. But there's nothing wrong with going that route if it's what you wanna do. 

[kristeng35]

I don’t have super dry skin but I use First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration . I got one for my mom to use and she started using it on her hands. She has suffered from dry hands for years but was so happy to find this cream works really good for her hands too. I hope this helps understand how hydrating it is!