Kiehling Over

Listen. This is serious. There are three non-negotiable things about skincare. You can do them however you care to do them, use whatever products work for you, but you have to do them if you want good skin now and in the future. They are:

1. Daily cleansing. Even when you're tired. Actually, especially when you're tired. You have to take all your makeup off, every day.
2. Sunscreen. Even if the only time you spend outside is the time it takes to walk to and from your car. UV rays go through glass, too, and they'll find you and wrinkle you wherever you are unless you protect yourself.
3. And...eye cream. Your undereye area is the first thing that will show aging (even as early as your twenties,especially if you drink or smoke or don't sleep well), so you have to pay attention to it. Your eye cream doesn't need to have sunscreen--you can dab on your whole-face sunscreen after your eyecream to take care of that. It just needs to moisturize the right amount for you.

I will say right here that if you already have an eye cream you like, stick with it. If you don't, I have two suggestions. They both happen to be made by Kiehl's, but that's just a coincidence. They are both awesome, unfragranced, and aren't tested on bunnies.

If you are age 20-40 (or have extremely oily skin), get Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment With Avocado. This is a slightly strange product. You can't just slap it on and rub it in, if you try rub it in, it won't work. It must sit on your skin a minute or so before it will absorb. It is very cooling and moisturizing, but not overly so. There is definite de-puffing action with this.

If you are 40 or over (or have extremely dry skin) , get Kiehl's Imperiale Repairateur Moisturizing Eye Balm. This isn't a cream as much as it is a kind of clear grease. I know that sounds gross but bear with me. Put it on after your shower in the morning, and just walk around with your shiny undereye area while you drink your coffee and get dressed, then apply your regular concealer right over it. You will be less haggard all day. Sometimes "less haggard" is all I can hope for. Really, though, this stuff sticks with you and helps zap all those fine lines.

Whatever product you pick, use your eye cream, at minimum, twice a day. After your shower (when your skin is still plump with moisture--the cream will seal that in) and before you go to bed. If your skin is particularly dry, spring for an extra pot of eye cream and keep it in your makeup bag for a midday application. You can put it over your makeup, nobody cares. It really will refresh you.