Brightening Eye Cream

A brightening eye cream for normal and oily skin, for days when the under-eye area looks tired and feels dry. The brightening here comes from moisture rather than a strong active such as high-dose vitamin C: well-hydrated skin around the eyes looks fresher and more rested.

Water comes first, followed by organic sunflower seed oil and glycerin. Betaine, a moisture-binding molecule first found in sugar beet, helps the skin hold water, and rice bran oil, organic shea butter and plant waxes help seal it in. Sodium hyaluronate and hydrolysed hyaluronic acid (smaller fragments), two forms of hyaluronic acid, add surface hydration. Grape leaf, horse chestnut seed and ginkgo leaf extracts sit near the end of the list, in supporting amounts. Ascorbyl palmitate, a fat-soluble form of vitamin C, and vitamin E protect the oils.

Pat a small amount onto clean skin around the eye area, keeping it out of the eyes. On puffy-looking mornings, mix in 1 to 3 drops of the Caffeine Gel Booster. The cream contains fragrance (parfum, with limonene, geraniol, coumarin and linalool from natural essential oils), and eye-area skin is thin, so patch-test first if your skin reacts easily.