10 Best Eye Creams You Can Buy in the Philippines

Cleansers and toners, some serums, and sunblock. Good moisturizers and face masks, but wait. Do I need to add eye cream to my already extensive routine?

Truly, the answer is no. The only things you truly have to have in your skincare routine is a good face wash, a moisturizer, and a reliable sunblock. This is not to say, however, that everything else you put on your face is not worth putting on.

There was a rumor a few years ago that Beyoncé used eye cream as her facial moisturizer, and I’m sure if we all had Queen B’s bank account, we would follow her lead. But what’s so special about eye cream that there’s a specific formula skincare brands want you to slather around your peepers?

The skin around your eye area is much thinner than the skin on your body, or even your face. This speeds up signs of aging in that area, which means wrinkles, darkness, and dryness are most evident around your beautiful windows to the soul. In fact, the thinness of the skin there makes it more prone to allergic reactions. Also, the skin surrounding your eyes get quite a workout, what with squinting, tugging, rubbing, and all the facial expressions you make throughout the day, so making sure it maintains as much elasticity as it can for as long as possible is ideal. Smoking and exposure to the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays can also contribute to wrinkle formation.

Eye creams are formulated to address those concerns so incorporating an eye cream into your skincare routine is never going to be a bad thing, add to that that a good eye cream can transcend skin ages. If you find the right one for you here, you shouldn’t need to switch out your favorite brand too often, if at all. However, you should be keeping track of the needs of your skin as you age, because skin needs do change as we mature. Which begs the question: When do we start using eye creams?

You can start using them before you think you need them! If that’s too vague, your early 20’s is a good age to start. It’s easier to prevent wrinkles than to cure them… unless you opt for injections or surgery, totally getting rid of those pesky fine lines is close to impossible.

So now that we’ve established that eye cream is an excellent addition to your skincare routine, you might be wondering where it fits into your skincare routine. You should be applying your chosen eye cream after your facial moisturizer and before your sunscreen. Lightly pat it just below your eye and eyelid, but never too close to the upper or lower lashlines! Although eye creams are meant to be used around the eye area, it will still cause irritation if it gets into your eye.

What are the magic ingredients to look for? Hyaluronic acid is best for hydration, and Vitamin E helps reduce UV damage and is a powerful antioxidant. If you are lucky enough not to have any major skin issues, a simple formula that will hydrate is a safe option. For any major skin issues, it’s always best to seek professional advice.

Now we’ve got all of that out of the way. Where in the world of eye creams do we begin?

Skin Lab Hydrate and Replenish Eye Cream

Let’s start with a basic formula, shall we? Focused on keeping your under eyes hydrated with hyaluronic acid, and Pro-Vitamin B5, Skin Lab’s Hydrate and Replenish Eye Cream will help keep your under eyes plump. The algae and seaweed extracts packed into this gel formula are rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins that can help soothe any kind of irritation your skin may be exhibiting. The gel formula is easily absorbed without feeling heavy. This formula can be used in the day and at night.

Burt’s Bees Sensitive Eye Cream

This well-known brand can be relied on to cater to your skincare needs, from your battered hands to your lovely lips, they have moisturizers available--and now they’ll make sure your under eyes are cared for, too. Burt’s Bees Sensitive Eye Cream is exactly that! A great eye cream formula for those whose skin reacts to everything. The formula is 98.9% natural, and the cotton extracts they have incorporated softens and helps shield the skin from irritants. This eye cream has been ophthalmologist and dermatologist tested, so it’s safe for your skin and your eyes.

Burt’s Bees Brightening Eye Treatment

Another Burt’s Bees product makes it on the list. This formula will help even out your skin tone and get rid of dark spots and discoloration. The daisy extract is complexion-brightening and infuses skin with nutrients to bring out natural radiance. It comes in a convenient tube which ensures that the product stays clean and allows for an easy application. Burt’s Bees Brightening Eye Treatment is the way to go if you’ve been having a few too many late nights.

Murad Essential-C Eye Cream SPF 15|PA+++

Our first daytime specific eye cream. The Murad Essential-C Eye Cream with SPF 15|PA+++ is packed with shorea stenoptera butter and avocado oil that conditions and hydrates for smoother skin. Caffeine and retinol help reduce the early morning puffiness that occurs and encourages skin renewal. Generally, retinol is not a suggested ingredient for use when you’re going to be exposed to sunlight, but when it’s meant for daytime use, it causes no trouble at all.

Wild Ferns Lanolin Eye Crème with Collagen & Vitamin C & E

Another formula boosted with Vitamins C & E. While Vitamin E is reducing UV damage in the skin, Vitamin C helps reduce dark spots and maintains the precious collagen you have in your skin, and protects the valuable protein from damage. Collagen gives our skin texture, structure, the ability to stretch. The gentle creme with a nutrient-rich formula packs a punch in its tiny package. It helps to smooth your skin and eliminate the appearance of fine lines around the delicate area around the eye.

Retinol by Robanda Active Renewal Eye Gel

A retinol formula is on the list! Yes, we had it a bit earlier with Murad’s Essential-C Eye Cream SPF 15|PA+++, but that wasn’t the major active ingredient, while it is with this formula. Retinol by Robanda’s Active Renewal Eye Gel encourages you to have no fear when applying this retinol-based eye gel around your eye. While there are fears and concerns about retinol being a very harsh ingredient, this product proves there is nothing to fear when Retinol is done right. While retinol users and aficionados do agree that you have to build up your retinol tolerance, when incorporated into a gel, it’s usually pretty fool-proof. Retinol by Robana’s Active Renewal Eye Gel allows you the benefits of retinol without the fuss of and worry of slowly ramping up your retinol use.

The Inkey List Brighten-i Eye Cream

The Inkey List is well known for its amazing line of skincare products that break down products to the simplest active ingredients so you can customize your skincare routine according to your needs. No surprise that they’d come out with an eye cream that targets a specific skincare concern instead of promising the world. By streamlining and focusing the desired effects of The Inkey List Brighten-i Eye Cream, it ensures that the efforts of your product are focused on your major concern. It is four times more potent than Vitamin C, reducing the appearance of dark circles, and helping to illuminate and prime the under-eye area for an instant boost or an ideal make-up base. It’s cooling metal tip applicator helps calm and tighten the undereye for a wide-awake appearance.

Murad Renewing Eye Cream

The Murad Renewing Eye Cream offers rejuvenation. Not the key to reversing aging, but definitely a way to slow it down. The extremely nourishing eye cream formula firms, brightens and targets signs of aging. Advanced peptides and retinol visibly minimize fine lines and wrinkles. The anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties of mango butter increases elasticity. It’s non-comedogenic properties make it good for acne prone and oily skinned beauties too. It’s even an effective soothing agent for skin afflicted by dryness, eczema, and dermatitis.

Wild Ferns Manuka Honey Intensive Refining Eye Creme

It’s long been known that honey is a great antioxidant and they add it to this scrumptious concoction… for your under eyes. Please do not eat this. The Wild Ferns Manuka Honey Intensive Refining Eye Creme is specially formulated to be used around the eye area to hydrate, brighten and soothe the skin. Soothing and softening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles are the Rosehip, Borage, Wheatgerm and Hazelnut oils they have incorporated. The vitamins A, C, and E provide high antioxidants which will help to stimulate collagen production.

Retinol X Anti-Aging Eye Lift

This potent under eye product combines dermatologist recommended Retinol with Instalift™ Goji (Goji Berry peptides) to smooth skin around the eye area. The Retinol X Anti-Aging Eye Lift helps minimize dark undereye circles and lifts the eye area. The nourishing formula hydrates and restores tone and elasticity to make eyes look brighter and revitalized. It easily boosts skin radiance, too! The X-tra Advatage De-Puff Massage applicator is specially contoured, and equipped with a smooth-as-silk tip, won’t drag or pull delicate eye-area tissue as it massages away under-eye puffiness.

These are just ten great eye creams that are readily available in the Philippines! These are great for people of any age, and are a good introduction to eye creams. They’re even suitable for veterans of the eye cream game. Go with the texture you like, and make sure you find the combination of ingredients that work for your skin. It might take a bit of trial and error to find the perfect eye cream for you, but when you do find the right one, you’ll be an unbeatable duo.