Sense and Sensitivity: The 6 best eye creams for sensitive skin

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Eye Creams for Sensitive Skin

Eye cream is controversial. It’s the one product that brands are adamant should be gentle and kind to your skin as the area is so ‘delicate’; but my answer to that is, my whole face is delicate , so please don’t load up other creams with unnecessary ingredients just because it’s not for my eyes. I’d think the same even if I wasn’t sensitive of skin - why add anything that’s potentially irritant?

For those of us with sensitive skin  it is extra important, of course, that eye cream, as much as any other lotion we use is not going to irritate. Do you even need a separate cream? Probably not, if your normal moisturiser  is soothing on your skin and contains plenty of skin barrier-strengthening ingredients such as antioxidants and SPF; but if your eye area is either more or less dry than the rest of your face you might want to use something different.

With that in mind I’ve hunted high and low for effective eye creams that are suitable for the most sensitive - surprisingly, an easier task than other unctions thanks to the skincare brands’ awareness of thin, delicate skin. If only they could apply this thinking to the rest of our regime…

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Clinique Superdefense SPF20 Eye Cream

The clue is in the name with this anti-ager - sun protection is the biggest key to younger looking skin and this gem of a cream contains all physical UVA and UVB filters (good news for us as chemical filters can be a problem for sensitive types ) to give those of us with sensitive skin a fighting chance against pigmentation and wrinkly eyes. Fragrance free as standard, the silky smooth cream has an instantly brightening effect on the skin, which with its SPF makes it ideal for your morning routine.

£29 for 15ml, Buy online

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Nourish Revital-Eyes Kale Biomimetic Anti-Ageing Eye Cream

Kale might be Beyonce's favourite superfood  (or at least, superfood slogan) but it takes a different form from the one in your smoothie for this organic brand's award-winning de-puffing eye cream. Kale extract, together with vitamin E-packed argan oil, bio-peptides and antioxidants make this vegan cream a gentle giant of a formula for sensitive eyes. A good bet if your day cream isn't up to standard for the eye area - you'll feel the difference.

£30 for 10ml, Buy online

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Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream

This natural extract-infused cream is a recipe for under eye success; chamomile, cucumber oil, rosehip, coconut and carrot oil support the skin with the best hydrator known to the experts, hyaluronic acid. A thick, rich cream that's light to the touch, it sinks in with a pat of a finger and makeup glides on over the top seamlessly.

£20 for 15ml, Buy online

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Elethea Eye Architecture Cream

An as yet fairly unsung hero, this eye cream from science-led natural skincare brand Elethea is truly something special. Capped with a golden lid, the bottle looks every bit as luxurious as the ingredients within; the brand's signature Rift Valley Complex, a rich blend of minerals and proteins, combines with cucumber, rosehip oil, tamarind seed and avocado oil for a naturally powerful age defier. The brand enthuses that independent clinical tests found that 100 per cent of users had a 34 per cent reduction in fine lines and wrinkles in just 28 days, and I'm just as convinced that it's made a difference on my sensitive skin. A rich texture with a delicate botanical scent, it's a dream to use both morning and night. Very pricey, yes, but just a drop goes far - in fact one pump of the dispenser is too much, so don't be too heavy handed with this one. Gently does it - and luckily for us, gentle it is.

£75 for 15ml, Buy online

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Pai Echium & Argan Gentle Eye Cream

You won't find a more hydrating cream than Pai's organic offering - a rich, dense formula containing omegas 3 and 6  (in the echium seed extract), regenerating rosehip oil, shea butter and apricot kernel oil to name but a few, it melts softly into the skin and moisturises in an instant. Very little is needed to soothe dry or sore eyes - skin feels comforted and nourished; it's instant relief in a bottle.

£28 for 15ml, Buy online

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Organic Surge Hydrating Eye Cream

A beautifully lightweight cream, this animal-friendly (vegans take note) option from the organic brand's Extra Care range is perfect for sensitive skin. Containing jojoba oil, aloe and shea butter as well as skin barrier-supporting glycerin , this has all the makings of an anti-ageing  product in a 91% organic form. Applied after cleansing, it leaves the eye area feeling less tight, super soft to the touch and gently refreshed. It's good value, too.

£18.50 for 20ml, Buy online