Ask & You Shall Receive - What's a Good Eyecream?

I'm very late replying to this query and for that I heartily apologise. Lots of readers have mailed us with queries about a variety of eye-related woes. One wants to stop wrinkles in their tracks and another wants to do the same, and she also wants to do something about dark circles. Other readers are concerned about puffiness round the eye area.

Well, unfortunately I don't think there is actually a product out there that's going to really 100% reverse the signs of ageing, or stop any more ageing from happening (well, ok, there's always plastic surgery!) but thankfully you can get products to slow things down, and make the best of the current situation too.

Do remember that wrinkles always look worse when your skin is dry. They also always look worse when you don't exfoliate enough as dead skin cells settle into the lines and make them appear deeper.

You're also likely to be noticing wrinkles and dark circles more this time of the year because of the effects of the cold weather, and the fact that central heating is so drying on the skin. So you'll all probably need to take a holistic approach to the problem - look into your entire skincare routine and perhaps make a few changes - choose a richer day cream, invest in a night cream and definitely make an effort to drink more water. These things should help your skin in general. Read my item on skin affected by weather for more information on strategies that may help.

Now, onto the specific area. One of you asked is it really a good idea to use an eyecream, and I think the answer is a firm yes. But don't use your regular face cream - it's just too heavy for the eye area, so this might be a cause of the puffiness. The skin round the eye is 50% thinner than on the rest of the face, so this means two things - 1. it needs more specialised, delicate care, and 2. you're going to see wrinkles here sooner than anywhere else. As an eyecream will hydrate and plump up the skin here, it should give you some relief from your wrinkle woes.

Good ones to try would be NeoStrata Bionic Eye Cream which I've used and found to be really hydrating. People are also raving about Clinique's newest eye cream - All About Eyes Rich. It does a bit of everything - it claims to banish dark circles, puffiness and fine lines by boosting the natural collagen production of the skin round the eyes so that it looks less transparent. This means that dark circles become less visible! It'll also deal with puffiness due to calming botanicals in the formulation. It should cost about €30 from Clinique stockists.

Unfortunately though, dark circles can be hereditary, which means there's only so much you can to do tackle them. In some cases they're caused by improper drainage of fluid around the eyes, so I'd recommend you try some Eva Fraser exercises (and you could try adding an extra pillow to your bed too) before you go down a more drastic route. You can get skin lightening products - Skin Doctors make one called Circle Clear, but they could contain ingredients that bleach the skin.

You can also try getting the regulation 8 hours sleep a night, and investing in a cooling eye mask which will help reduce swelling round the eye area. But what might actually give you the best effects is just investing in a good light reflecting concealer (YSL Touche Eclat for example). I know it's a cover up and not a solution, but it will make you feel better and more confident.

Aphrodite had a fantastic tip about applying concealer recently - just dab it on to either side of the eye and gently blend - this is an instant complexion lifter and there is no need to ring your eyes with heavy circles of product. Benefit are particularly strong on concealing products, and I'd heartily recommend Boi-ing and Lemon-Aid (above) for dark circles.