By Ivy Digest
I admit I was a Neutrogena teen. I tried every skincare product they had. But my skin demanded something more. So I left that cult after college and tried L’Oreal.
At first, I was wary of L’Oreal because I viewed Parisian stuff as hoity toity. My friend’s mom loved Lancôme and she had great skin. But that’s too expensive. I couldn’t relate to French skin care because it felt extravagant. I wanted an eye product that was sensibly priced so I could continue to use it for a long time.
First off, I hardly get puffy raccoon eyes but I wanted to avoid crow’s-feet, so I was on the hunt for an affordable eye cream that works. It needed to be readily available because I didn’t want to go to a snooty brand nor did I trust signature labels slapped on useless cosmetic jars.
WHAT I NEEDED
I used to wear contacts so I was sensitive to harsh ingredients. Plus I had oily skin that makes everything slide off my face. Finally, I needed an eye cream that can withstand heat and humidity and stay intact under make up.
I’ve tried all the drugstore brand eye creams. There weren’t a lot back then. From the
limited choices, some were too oily and would run into my eyes and irritate me. Others were too rich or cake around the lids. Many had useless ingredients or just don’t work.
After succumbing to massive advertising, I tried L’Oreal Eye Defense Cream while I was in law school, the breeding ground for sleep deprivation and mass hysteria.
L’OREAL EYE DEFENSE EYE CREAM
L’Oreal wasn’t my first choice because it’s pricier than most drugstore brands like Neutrogena. But once I tried it, I couldn’t find a better alternative. Nothing was cheaper or better, so I stuck with it.
I’ve been using L’Oreal Eye Cream for over 20 years and have gifted it to my female friends and some male loved ones. I highly recommend it to everyone who wants to keep their eyes from looking tired and crinkled.
It’s very light so it absorbs quickly. Unlike the video demo on Amazon that smears it on, I apply it sparingly around the eyes. Then I wait a few seconds for the cream to absorb before I apply moisturizer or makeup.
INGREDIENTS
I always read the ingredients so I know what could potentially blind me. L’Oreal lists its top ingredients as water, glycerin, and jojoba oil. These are all good moisturizers. The rest I cannot spell. Caffeine, which is what our eyes need to reduce puffiness and darkness, is listed midway. The rest of the ingredients I don’t understand, but I’m willing to accept since they’re in diminishing order.
In the past, L’Oreal Eye Defense Cream didn’t have hyaluronic acid. But since it became a hyped ingredient a few years ago, it’s been added to everything. My research found that it doesn’t really work to hydrate the skin and can even be drying. But since it’s listed at the end, it’s minimal and hardly matters.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Lack of sleep doesn’t give our bodies enough time to repair and clear debris in our system. This reduces oxygen in the body and dilates the blood vessels. This results in darker blood vessels that show through the skin. Fluids also pool under the eyes resulting in eye bags. So we need to give the body some time to resume blood circulation which will oxygenate the blood vessels in the eye area to reduce the
puffiness and dark shadows.
Now manage your expectations. Don’t expect instant eye bag deflation. The key word here is minimize, not remove. Eye bags and circles don’t disappear but they will be reduced. Don’t rely on L’Oreal to do all the work for you. It’s a cream, not a magic potion. You still need to do what you can.
HOW TO USE
When I’m home, I apply L’Oreal eye cream after I wash my face in the morning. I follow with a face moisturizer. Then as I’m waiting for my water heater to boil, I gently cover my eyes with a cold compress for 10 minutes. Make sure to wrap the ice compress in cloth so it’s not too harsh on your face. You don’t want to break any capillaries. A cold compress quickly helps bring down the swelling. Like me, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how bright and less swollen your eyes look afterwards.
If you’re in a rush or you don’t have access to an ice compress, like when you travel, L’Oreal eye cream works well. But you have to give it at least 30 minutes while you also give your system time to drain excess fluids.
I’ve used L’Oreal eye cream regularly in the mornings. Lately I’ve been using it at night too to try to counter wrinkles as much as I can. I still occasionally try new brands or other eye cream lines, but nothing has replaced L’Oreal Eye Defense Cream.
PROS: Lightweight, affordable, accessible, effective.
CONS: I wish a jar had more than half an ounce, but it still lasts a month.
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https://amzn.to/3TWLMSa – L’Oreal Eye Cream
