Five Best Eye Creams of 2012

A damn good eye cream is, in my opinion, the most important weapon in my anti-aging arsenal. A bright smooth eye area will keep everyone guessing about your age more than Botox ever will. I recently saw a close friend in England after an absence of two years and she remarked at how “lifted” my eyes looked and how it “changed my entire face.” It has been well over a year since our 2011 Five Best eye creams and we have so much that is new – even the old formulas have been updated and improved. Indeed, this year I am so spoiled for good eye cream choices that I have concluded this post with some honorable mentions. But first, here are the Five Best eye creams of 2012.

AQ Eye Serum ($99 in the shop). I got to know this eye serum for the first time this year and it is a knock-out. It firms, while smoothing out fine lines and crow’s feet. It even makes my eyelashes grow – making it a Five Best for eyelash growth winner, as well as Gold Medalist in the TIA Olympics. The key active is AQ’s human fibroblast conditioned media. This contains growth factors – specifically, TGF-Beta, GM-CSF and PDGF. There are peptides, including Matrixyl 3000, and no less than three ingredients that depuff the eyes and reduce dark circles. It has a light texture and is easily absorbed. Read my review.

Skinfinite LOL Eye Serum ($49 in the shop). Overwhelmingly, our reviewers say that LOL really treats dark under-eye circles. For some people, the effects are so good that they have ditched their concealers. LOL also goes to work on fine lines. Mark reviewed it first for us saying that “it absorbs quickly and hydrates well while addressing any morning puffiness I might have.” The key actives are Bioskinup, a blend of botanicals; and Eyseryl and Haloxyl, complexes that deal with puffiness and dark circles. A great product, especially for the price. Note that it is a light gel.

Your Best Face Correct ($150 in the shop). YBF Correct was reformulated this year and in the words of Ki in her recent review, “the new Correct is an even better version of the old.” I couldn’t agree more. She also pointed to a palpable “lift” – and I can report that too. I use Correct at night and AQ (see above) in the mornings and YBF’s antioxidants (spin trap, Lipochroman-6) and AQ’s growth factors seem to be working synergistically – my eyes have never looked better. As Julie Kay told us in our Contributors’ Picks special: “This eye cream has been the reason why my eyes look far more youthful than my chronological years.” It’s a thick cream that goes a long way. Read Ki’s review, with her great photos, and my review.

Snowberry Smoothing Eye Serum ($53). This eye cream has a great quality-to-price ratio. An anti-aging eye cream that is effective on under-eye bags and dark circles. Key actives are Guanidine HCL and tripeptide-1, shown in clinical trials to activate and stimulate collagen and elastin. And there’s a ton of useful botanicals. Our 60-year old reviewer reported improvement in the elasticity and tone of the skin around her eyes, plus smoother, less crepey skin. In summary, it does what it promises. Read Pam’s review.

Skin Nutrition Eye Reconditioning Serum ($110). Reviewer Cristina tested this against a “well known dermatologist brand” and saw results in five days that the derm’s product didn’t even achieve in six weeks. She says, “I couldn’t believe how fast it worked! It really lessened the puffiness of my under-eye area and it was not greasy at all.” I agree that this is a very good product, with several well-chosen peptides (including the depuffer dipeptide-2), that more than justifies the price tag. Read Cristina’s review.

Honorable mentions should go to ReLuma Eye Cream with growth factors and Eyseryl, LiftLab’s Lift & Firm Eye Cream and newcomers Dr. Alkaitis Organic Eye Cream and 100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream, for those looking for a good starter cream.

Ingredients in AQ Eye Serum: Water (Aqua), Human Fibroblast Conditioned Media, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Glycerin, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Steareth-20, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Butylene Glycol, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Seed Extract, Polysorbate 20, Chrysin, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Aminoethylphosphonic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Extract, Lactic Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Phenoxyethanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol

Ingredients in Skinfinite LOL: Aqua (Water), Glycerin*, Acetyl Tetrapeptide‐5, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide‐7, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Glycosaminoglycans, Ptychopetalum Olaciodes Bark/Stem Extract, Pfaffia Paniculata Root Extract, Alpha Glucosyl Hesperidin, Lilium Candidum Flower Extract, Actinidia Chinensis (Kiwi) Fruit Powder, Coffea Robusta (Green Coffee) Seed Extract, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder*, Steareth‐20, Chrysin, Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) Flower Oil*, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil*, Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile) Flower Oil*, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, N‐Hydroxysuccinimide, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Alcohol Denat., Phytic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract

Ingredients in YBF Correct: Reverse osmosis water, olivem (cetearyl olivate, sorbitan olivate), perfuorodecalin, Eyeseryl (water, acetyl tetrapeptide-5), Haloxyl (hydroxysuccinimide, chyrsin, palmitoyl oligopeptide, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-3), Pentavitin (saccharide isomerate), triglyceride, Leucidal, ceteareth-6 olivate, licorice root extract, Syn-Hycan (tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric urea trifuoroacetate, magneisum chloride, glycerin), Syn-Tacks (glycerin, palmitoyl dipeptide-5 diaminobutyroyl hydroxythreonine, palmitoyl dipeptide-5 diaminohydroxybutyrate), Tego Pep 4-17 (tetrapeptide-21, glycerin, butylene glycol, water), alpha arbutin, Matrixyl 3000 (glycerin, butylene glycol, carbomer, polysorbate-20, palmitoyl oligopeptide, palmitoyl tripeptide-3), ethoxydiglycol, ethylhexyl palmitate, nylon-12, Renovage (triglyceride, teprenone), olive leaf extract, Relistase (glycerin, acetylarginyltryptophyl diphenylglycine), caffeine, spin trap (phenyl butyl nitrone), Homeostatine (enteromorpha compressa extract, caesalpina gum), trans resveratrol, tetrahydrodiferyloylmethane (turmeric root extract), nutmeg butter, vitamin e, lipochroman-6 (dimethylmethoxy chromanol), dimethyl isosorbide, vitamin B5, Sepilift DPHP (dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline), coenzyme Q10, alpha bisabolol, alpha lipoic acid (R-lipoic acid), violet leaf absolute, oakmoss absolute

Ingredients in Snowberry Smoothing Eye Serum: Aqua (Demineralised), Water (Aqua) & Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Cecropia Obtusa Bark Extract, Dextran & Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Algae Extract & Pullulan, Hydrolysed Hibiscus Esculentus Extract & Dextrin, Dextran & Tripeptide-1, Hydrolysed Rice Bran Protein & Oxido Reductases & Glycine Soja Protein, Glycine Soya Seed Extract & Ceramide-3, Echium Plantagineum Oil, Vaccinium Vitis-idaea (Lingonberry) Seed Oil, Olive Oil Squalane, Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Seed Oil, Sorbitol & Yeast Extract, Keratin & Hydrolised Keratin, Soyabean Lysophospholipid, Ethyl Ximenynate & Lecithin, Glucose & Glucose Oxidase & Lactoperoxidase, Sclerotium Gum, Rhizobian Gum, Xanthan Gum, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-2, Parfum, Hydrolysed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ubiquinone, Podocarpus Totara, Tocopherol (mixed) & Beta-Sitosterol & Squalene (Sunflower), Andrographis Paniculate Leaf Extract, Fragrance, Tetrahydropiperine

Ingredients in Skin Nutrition Eye Serum: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Dipeptide-2, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Butylene Glycol, Steareth-20, Hesperidin Methyl Chalone, Chrysin, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polysorbate 20, Polyvinylalcohol Crosspolymer, Carbomer, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Sodium Levulinate