I started to use eye cream on doctor’s order, when I developed eczema around my eye areas due to the dry, cold and windy weather here. I think as I age, the areas around my eyes just got more delicate, the skin became thinner, looser and drier. It started to get red and itchy, then swollen for days. Anyone who has fought with it knew how terrible it felt not to be able to fully open your eyes every day. Anyway, so I started the routine, more or less as a precaution to protect my skin.

I use the eye cream once in the morning and once in the evening. I estimate I use up one tube, which is usually 15 ml every three or four months or so. Just so you know how much to stock per year. It’s really not necessary to buy a lot of eye cream. It’s also best to use up one tube before you open another, just so it is fresher. Creams are like food for your skin, they have expiration date as well.

As I have sensitive skin, all the eye creams I chose here are fragrance-free. As you know, all eye cream brands like to say they do every magic you wish for: reduce wrinkles, eliminate the puffiness, lighten the dark circles. But ladies, think about that?! Do you really expect a small layer of cream to turn back the time like a time machine? Frankly, I think the best way is to avoid too much direct sun exposure (less wrinkles), refrain from drinking a lot of water before you go to bed (less puffiness) and don’t stay up too late or stare at computer, phone or TV for too long (less dark circles). We can’t expect a small tube of eye-cream to perform any magic over a few weeks while we continue all the bad habits. Only with good habits and some help from eye cream, we can do the best we could for our skin so at least it appears at its best.

Estelle&Thild BioCalm Soothing Eye Balm

Ingredients:

aqua, prunus armeniaca kernel oil*, cetearyl alcohol, glycerin, butyrospermum parkii butter*, simmondsia chinensis seed oil*, glyceryl stearate, glyceryl stearate citrate, prunus amygdalus dulcis oil*, oat beta glucan, gluconolactone, avena sativa kernel extract*, sambucus nigra flower extract*, levulinic acid, sodium levulinate, glyceryl caprylate, tocopherol, cetearyl olivate, sclerotium gum, xanthan gum, maltodextrin, sorbitan olivate, sodium gluconate, citric acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, sorbic acid.*Ingredient from Organic Farming.

VEGAN. NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS. NATURAL. ORGANIC.

Price according to the official site
Price per item ( 15 ml ) : 28.58 USD | 21.34 GBP | 35.84 AUD | 24.04 EUR | 229.00 SEK | 187.34 RMB
Price per 5 ml : 9.53 USD | 7.11 GBP | 11.95 AUD | 8.01 EUR | 76.33 SEK | 62.45 RMB
Use within 12 months after opening

Although it’s called a balm, it feels nothing like the lip balm. It has a texture of cream, quite thin and it’s easy to absorb. It feels soothing enough yet doesn’t give the skin any burden. I usually use one pump per eye, it’s easy to control how much you put on your eyes. I recommend this eye cream for someone who just needs a bit protection. You can buy it online or in any Swedish pharmacy.

Apoliva Anti-age Advanced Eye Cream with SPF 15

Ingredients:

Aqua, Sorbitan Stearate, Shea Butter Oleyl Esters, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, PEG-100 Stearate, Sorbitol, Phenoxyethanol, Sucrose Cocoate, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Xanthan Gum, Algae Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Potassium Sorbate

VEGAN. NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS. NATURAL.

Price according to apoteket
Price per item ( 15 ml ) : 21.09 USD | 15.75 GBP | 26.45 AUD | 17.72 EUR | 169.00 SEK | 138.25 RMB
Price per 5 ml : 7.03 USD | 5.25 GBP | 8.82 AUD | 5.91 EUR | 56.33 SEK | 46.08 RMB
Use within 12 months after opening

Another eye-cream easily available in Swedish pharmacies. Apoliva is slightly inexpensive, but perhaps the claims were a bit too much. It does help to prevent wrinkles by providing some SPF protection, so if you don’t have the habit of wearing sunglasses, you can feel slightly assured that you wear a little protection here. But, ladies, do wear sunglasses when you need, you can save you a lot of trouble trying to rescue the damage done. The texture feels a bit thick at first, but once you spread over and dab around, it got absorbed rather quickly. It’s a fairly alright product.

Derma E Hydrating Eye Cream

Ingredients:

Purified Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid; Actimoist® Bio-1), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Ascorbyl Palmitate (C-Ester), Pinus Pinaster (Pycnogenol®) Bark Extract, Panthenol (Provitamin B5), Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Organic Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract* (.1%), Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract* (.1%), Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil* (.1%), Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.

VEGAN. NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS. NATURAL. ORGANIC.

Price according to the official site
Price per item ( 14 g ) : 21.50 USD | 15.75 GBP | 26.45 AUD | 17.72 EUR | 169.00 SEK | 138.25 RMB
Price per 5 g : 7.68 USD | 5.63 GBP | 9.45 AUD | 6.33 EUR | 60.36 SEK | 49.38 RMB
Use within 12 months after opening

Derma E is a good brand that does a lot of good things. This eye-cream is very light weight and comfortable to use. The texture is easy to spread and feels light on the skin. I have heard a lot of good things about hyaluronic acid, which keeps skin hydrated like a super hero, so I am glad to see its use here, as it’s exactly what I need. There are also many other natural ingredients such as green tea extract or jojoba seed oil. It has the quality ingredients of premium brand but at a price that’s close to drug store’s high level product. The only disadvantage is that it’s not available in Sweden, so I have to order it from USA. But those of you who do live there, I do recommend it.