Eyes are the windows to the soul, and with ageing, the skin around the eyes will inevitably develop wrinkles and fine lines of varying depths. There is a wide range of eye creams available on the market, with many claiming to help reduce or even smooth out the signs of ageing such as wrinkles and fine lines. The Consumer Council tested and assessed 15 models of anti-wrinkle eye creams, and for the first time ever, invited over 220 Asian women aged between 40 and 55 to conduct a 30-day split-face study to evaluate the benefits of these eye creams in terms of their cosmetic efficacy including wrinkle reduction and skin hydration. The results showed that all models had satisfactory moisturising performance, but only 4 performed relatively better in improving deeper wrinkles. However, 6 models were detected with free formaldehyde or fragrance allergens, among which the model with the most satisfactory wrinkle reducing effect was found with the highest total amount of fragrance allergens out of all models, with as many as 8 types, yet there was no ingredient list on its product label for consumers’ reference. The Council reminds consumers that when choosing anti-wrinkle eye creams, apart from comparing their cosmetic benefits, special attention should also be paid to product ingredients so as to minimise the risk of developing skin allergy. The Council calls on manufacturers to review the formula of their products, reduce the use of formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, and to be mindful of the types and concentrations of fragrance allergens in the product, so as to provide consumers with safe and effective skincare products.
The Council purchased 15 models of eye creams with the claims of anti-wrinkle properties from department stores and personal care and beauty shops, etc. covering models of different price ranges vastly varying from $179 to $1,060, equivalent to unit prices from $11.9 to $58.3 per millilitre or per gram. Tests revealed that 3 models of a lower price per ml/g (less than $21) were found to have good efficacy in wrinkle reduction and skin hydration, while only 2 out of 10 models of a higher price per ml/g (over $30) had relatively satisfactory performance in wrinkle reduction and skin hydration, indicating that there are affordable models with satisfactory cosmetic performance available on the market for consumers’ selection.
Overall Wrinkle Reducing Effect Not as Good as Skin Hydrating
When using an anti-wrinkle eye cream, one would certainly anticipate smoothing out wrinkles, resuming smooth and flawless skin around the eyes. In this trial, each model was tested on 14 to 15 Asian women (panellists) for 30 consecutive days, applied once in the morning and once in the evening daily around one eye area, while the area around their other eye was left untreated with no skincare products applied throughout the entire trial period as no treatment control. The panellists had similar grading of wrinkles in the under-eye area of both eyes, ranging from significant shallow wrinkles to deep wrinkles.
A skin topology measuring device was used to evaluate the topology of the skin area under the eyes of the panellists, mainly on “average roughness (Ra)” and “average maximum height of the roughness (Rz)”, comparing the values before and after the user trial, and taking into account the factor of no treatment control. The variation in measurement values was then calculated, and a decreased value meant improvement of wrinkles. The greater extent of the reduction, the greater the degree of improving the wrinkles.
Consolidating the test data obtained from panellists of each model, results showed that the averaged values of all wrinkle parameters showed various degrees of improvement. In terms of Ra value, comparing to the baseline value (i.e. the wrinkle-related parameters of panellists before user trial) and with consideration of the no treatment control, values obtained from user trial decreased from 2.6% to 13.33% on average, indicating that the skin surface roughness of panellists’ under-eye areas improved in varying degrees on average, and that skin had become comparatively smoother after using the product. 5 models showed relatively better performance, with an average improvement of over 10%. As for the reduction of deeper wrinkles, 14 models showed a reduction in Rz value, with an average reduction from 1.89% to 14.56%. Overall, after 30 days of user trial, 4 models showed a comparatively more significant reduction in wrinkle-related parameters of both Ra and Rz by over 10%, which is a relatively significant improvement.
In addition to combating wrinkles and fine lines, eye creams also generally have a skin hydrating effect. The moisture content measured in the skin at the outer corner of the eye increased significantly for all models. 1 model with the most outstanding moisturising effect showed an average increase of over 30% in skin moisture content, while another 10 models with medium to very good moisturising effect showed an average increase of 14.68% to 22.44%. Although the moisturising effect of the remaining 4 models was relatively less significant, the skin moisture content of panellists still increased by 9.89% to 11.31% on average.
In summary, all the tested models showed a good skin hydration performance, while the wrinkle reduction performance varied markedly among different models. Good skin hydration can theoretically help to improve skin dryness and maintain the skin’s natural protective barrier. Generally, it is relatively difficult to reduce the depth of wrinkles significantly, and eye cream can only be used as a supplementary treatment, while their cosmetic effect would also vary from individual to individual, so consumers should manage their expectations.
1 Model Detected with Free Formaldehyde
5 Found to Contain Fragrance Allergens
While the cosmetic efficacy of eye creams are often the crucial factors for consumers when considering a purchase, allergic reactions such as itching and redness after use may also affect the appearance. If an eye cream contains allergens, in particular preservatives and fragrances, there may be a higher chance of developing allergic skin reactions.
Among the tested models, free formaldehyde at a level of 0.015% (equivalent to 150ppm) was detected in 1 model, believed to have come from the formaldehyde-releasing preservatives used. Referring to an overseas study, people who are allergic to formaldehyde may develop allergic reactions even when exposed to minute amounts of free formaldehyde (e.g. 30ppm). The Council urges manufacturers of the relevant model to switch to preservatives with lower potency of causing allergic reactions. For the sake of safety, people with sensitive skin or are allergic to formaldehyde should avoid using eye creams containing formaldehyde-releasing ingredients.
Fragrances are also another common cause of developing allergic reactions in some individuals. 5 models were detected with fragrance allergens, with total amounts ranging from 0.0018% to 0.2403%, and with 1 to a maximum of 8 types of allergens detected. Among them, the model with the highest total amount and types of allergens detected was the model with a relatively satisfactory wrinkle improvement performance, but there was no ingredient list on product label, so consumers would not be aware of the presence of allergenic substances through reading the label, which may increase the risk of developing skin allergy arising from the use of product.
In addition, cyclopentasiloxane (D5) was detected in 3 models , and trace amounts of cyclotetrasiloxane (D4) were also detected in 1 of these models. Although the use of cyclosiloxane compounds in skincare products can achieve a smooth texture and skin feel, and can also be used as emollients for skin conditioning, as D4 is suspected to be toxic to the reproductive system and is highly toxic to marine life, the Council urges manufacturers to minimise its concentration in raw materials to the lowest technically feasible level.
Consumers may refer to the following tips in their daily care of the eye area and in the purchase and use of eye creams:
- To avoid premature signs of skin ageing, maintain a healthy lifestyle, work out more to help relieve stress, get enough rest, and maintain a balanced diet;
- Take adequate protection measures against sunlight, do not forget the eye areas when applying sunscreen products, and wear sunglasses if you have to stay outdoors for extended periods during daytime to minimise the risk of accelerated ageing of the eye areas due to exposure to ultraviolet light;
- Avoid frequent eye rubbing or tugging of the skin around the eyes;
- Special attention should be paid to the expiry date of products, as fragrances contained in expired products may be oxidised and more potent allergens may be formed;
- For those who are prone to allergic reactions to fragrances, in addition to avoiding products containing fragrance allergens, it is also important to pay attention to whether the products are labelled as containing fragrances (fragrance or perfume).
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