Do eye creams leave your eyes feeling irritated? Are you looking for a natural eye cream for sensitive eyes? You’ve come to the right place.
Discover what to look for and what to avoid as we share expert tips for choosing an eye cream for sensitive skin.
Why do eye creams irritate my eyes?
Does eye cream cause your eyes to water or sting, or do you experience skin irritation from eye creams?
The skin around the eye is very thin and ultra-delicate and irritates quickly. While many things, including pollen allergens, can cause weeping eyes, the last thing you want to do is irritate them further with an eye cream incompatible with your sensitive skin type.
But we can help you to avoid that. Soothe your skin and prevent cream eye irritation with our list of things to check the label for when choosing an eye cream for sensitive skin.
Fragrance:
The skin around the eyes can be sensitive to fragrance – both synthetic and natural. If your eyes itch and sting after wearing scented eye cream, switching to a scent-free eye cream is an easy way to help the skin around your eyes feel oh-so-much calmer.
Scent Free Eye Cream 10ml
Rejuvenate and soothe with our gentlest eye cream for sensitive skin
£20.00
“Lovely eye cream which moisturises and prevents wrinkles without causing sore watery eyes.” Jacqueline
Drying ingredients:
Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is a preservative used in eye creams but can dry the skin around the eyes, leaving it feeling tight. If you’re prone to flaky, dry eyelids, opt for an alcohol-free eye cream rich in hydrating plant actives.
At Green People, all of our eye creams and other skin care products are free from drying alcohol.
Synthetic emollients:
Emollients are added to eye creams to prevent dryness and soften the skin. While natural emollients like nourishing Avocado Oil and soothing Shea Butter keep skin naturally soft and supple, synthetic emollients can do more harm than good.
Silicones, paraffin wax and petroleum are all examples of synthetic emollients that coat the skin and lead to irritation. We never use these ingredients.
Synthetic humectants:
The humectants in your eye cream hydrate your skin. They, too, come in natural and artificial forms. The latter is linked to irritation because it coats the skin's surface, preventing it from breathing.
If your eyes are easily irritated by eye cream, opt for an eye cream made of natural humectants that soothe the skin as they protect against moisture loss skin, such as the Aloe Vera, Seaweed and Betaine humectants used in our gentle, skin-kind Scent Free Eye Cream.
Dermatological tests: Another way to ensure your eye cream is safe for sensitive eyes is to look for evidence that it is hypoallergenic. For example, Green People’s Scent Free Eye Cream has been dermatologically tested and is clinically proven to be kind to sensitive skin.
Packaging:
No matter how dedicated you are to washing your hands, dipping your finger in a pot of eye cream can quickly cause it to become contaminated with bacteria, risking eye allergies like conjunctivitis.
To avoid sore, red eyes, opt for an eye cream packaged in a pump or tube and always wash your hands before applying it.
Choosing an eye cream rich in Prebiotics is also a good idea. In addition to strengthening the skin barrier, these can help counteract harmful bacteria that enter the skin microbiome.
Use by dates:
Lastly, eye creams and serums are mainly water-based, meaning they rely on preservatives to prevent them from becoming contaminated by microorganisms.
If you are using an eye cream that has been opened for 12 months or more, the preservatives may no longer work as effectively, leaving your cream, and therefore your eyes, at risk of bacterial irritation.
Make sure to check your skin care products regularly and replace any that are going out of date.
Best eye cream for sensitive skin
Do eye creams leave your eyes feeling irritated? Are you looking for a natural eye cream for sensitive eyes?
If your eyes are very sensitive and you’re looking for a sensitive eye cream for wrinkles or dark circles, our Scent Free Eye Cream is your best choice.
Scent Free Eye Cream 10ml
Rejuvenate and soothe with our gentlest eye cream for sensitive skin
£20.00
This natural, non-eye cream has a soothing formula rich in proven anti-ageing actives and gentle on sensitive skin.
Here are a few reasons why it is our best eye cream for sensitive eyes:
- Certified organic formula packed with soothing plant ingredients
- No drying alcohol
- No fragrance or essential oils
- Dermatologically tested
- Clinically proven to be kind to sensitive skin
But we think our customers say it best:
“I am so pleased with this eye cream. It is effective yet so gentle on my very sensitive eye area” Rebecca
“Absolutely brilliant eye cream , no irritation whatsoever and I have really sensitive excema , would not use anything else .” Angela
“I have suffered with sensitive eyes forever and must have tried every cream. This is the best cream I have ever used, no more runny eyes, red rimmed, smarting and sore. I will never use another eye cream again. Only wish I had found it years ago.” Anon.
All Green People eye creams come in easy-to-use tubes. Designed for up to 12 months after opening, our soothing formulations are certified organic and clinically proven to be kind to sensitive skin.
What to put on sensitive eyes?
Here are three more natural remedies that you can use to help calm sensitive eyes.
Iced water: Soak a cotton pad in iced water and gently pop it over your eyes to soothe inflammation and puffiness. Alternatively, wrap an ice cube in a clean towel and gently dab it over the inflamed area.
Cucumber: Soothe those sore eyes with thin slices of water-rich cucumber. They're so cooling that your eyes will feel instantly refreshed.
Refrigerated skin creams: For an extra soothing eye cream experience, pop your Scent Free Eye Cream in the fridge. Trust us, your eyes will thank you!
Complete your sensitive skin routine
If you have sensitive skin around your eyes, you may find that your other skin care products can also set off irritation.
Our Scent Free collection is designed especially for people with sensitive skin. Discover a whole selection of products that have been carefully formulated to bring calm and comfort to your skin care routine.
Here are some of our favourites:
View our entire Scent Free skin care collection.
We hope you have found our guide to eye creams for sensitive skin helpful. For more help building your best sensitive skin care routine, head over to our skin care routine finder or contact our friendly UK customer care team on 01403 740350 or @GreenPeopleUK.
This blog post has been reviewed by Charlotte Vøhtz, founder of Green People, who has over 30 years of experience in the natural and organic beauty industry. A recognised leader in the field of organic beauty, Charlotte helped inform the UK's first organic beauty standards and was voted the People’s Choice in the 2023 and 2024 list of Who’s Who in Natural Beauty. A published author, she wrote the organic beauty bible ‘Naturally Gorgeous’. Previously, she qualified as a nurse and spent over 10 years working in pharmaceuticals.
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