Eye cream products flood the market, yet there is a lack of medical research testing the effectiveness of different products. This can make it difficult for consumers to choose. One of the more neutral studies was published by the Hong Kong Consumer Council in November 2009, which I will quote here.
“The test was coordinated by the International Consumer Research & Testing, and a total of 18 international brands of anti-wrinkle eye cream were tested. All anti-wrinkle eye creams claim to have the effect of improving fine lines and wrinkles, and some also claim to improve problems such as dark circles and/or eye puffiness.”
“Based on the scores given by the judges who compared the photos of the users before and after using the products, it was found that none of the anti-wrinkle eye cream samples could significantly improve the wrinkles around the eyes. The minimal effect was only a slight improvement in the length and depth of the wrinkles.”
“However, the effectiveness of each sample on different users varied. The same product may have more obvious improvements in some users, but some users may still not see significant improvements after using the product continuously for six weeks. Therefore, the report cannot use absolute values to calculate scores for each sample. To facilitate consumer reference, the International Consumer Research & Testing has classified the tested products according to their performance. Among the eight products available in Hong Kong, three belong to “slightly more effective in reducing wrinkles,” four belong to “average wrinkle reduction,” and one belongs to “slightly less effective in reducing wrinkles.” The Consumer Council also analyzed the results of different-priced eye creams and found that the effectiveness of low-priced eye creams may be better than that of high-priced eye creams.”
The Consumer Council’s conclusion is that “one should not expect too much from eye creams, thinking that after using the product, all wrinkles can be eliminated and youth can be restored. Although some eye creams add different ingredients that can delay and improve the aging of the skin, the effect depends on the concentration of the ingredients, the overall formula, and the absorption rate. Skincare products can only slightly delay the aging of the skin and cannot turn back time or significantly tighten loose skin.”
In addition, the Consumer Council also recommends “being patient when applying eye cream and not expecting an immediate wrinkle-removing effect. Even if there is an immediate improvement, it may be because the moisturizing ingredients in the eye cream have hydrated the skin’s stratum corneum, improving dryness. It may also be due to some products containing ingredients that reflect light and fill in gaps, making wrinkles less noticeable, but it is not a fundamental solution.”
I believe this study has significant reference value, and I hope to see more similar studies to provide consumers with sufficient data to make informed decisions. As for treatment methods beyond eye creams, we will discuss them in the following article.