What is going on with skin around my eyes (pics included)

[macnab]

The skin on the inner corner of my eye and eyelid, both eyes, is patchy and flaky and almost purplish. No matter what I use to try and cover it goes cakey and horrible. I don't know what to do. I was using RetinA on my whole face maybe that's caused it? But I haven't used it around the eye area for a couple of weeks now and it's still bad. I'm wary of going to a skincare counter as I'll get talked into expensive creams which would be OK if they worked. Has anyone any suggestions? I have an occasion coming up and would really like to look my best but it's awful looking right now. Not sure if you can really see it properly in the photos. Also have similar problem where the bottom of my nostrils meet my cheeks I'm 42.

Excuse the state of my brows please

I've had this in winter with central heating on, etc. - very, very dry skin. I suggest using something very gentle to moisturise and a gentle eye make up remover. The products I was using were exacerbating the problem - a serum and moisturiser I hadn't used before so it took a while to work out what was going on. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream used at night worked for me.

Thanks. No heating on here yet. Maybe the RetinA caused it? I've been using Astral cream at night maybe I should keep that away from the eye area and try something else. I do have 8 hour cream but really hate the smell!

I had this problem for weeks. Nothing shifted it. Tried Astral and it has made my skin loads better. My skin drinks the stuff.

Oh I have this! Will try astral thanks

Hi OP - I had very dry skin due to heating being on and made worse by the products; it really stung. I think the retinol A may have dried your skin out in that area. Once I got rid of the awful dry skin, I could use the serum, etc. without issue. I just make sure that I use a richer moisturiser and also a night cream in winter.

I got this, or similar, when I became suddenly and infuriatingly allergic to Touche Eclat.

I use Nivea Q10 eye cream which isn't horribly expensive and works really well.