Super gentle eye creams that actually work- impossible?

[JinglingHellsBells]

I'm fed up because eczema has flared up on my eyelids a little. I used a tiny amount of prescribed cream for a day or so and it's still left my lids more lined and crepey. (The itching was driving me mad.)

So now, one eye lid especially looks 10 years older than the other side.

I've got:

Olay in the white tube and red tube
Eucerin eye cream (gold tube) with 'filler' (supposedly for sensitive skin)
Cerave eye cream

ALL of them are stinging like mad if the skin is even slightly dry.

I really want something that is gently moisturising for a start and something else that might just repair some of the damage/ lines.

La Roche posay toleraine range, I just use the moisturiser rather than a specific eye cream.

When my eyes get like this I just use diprobase cream until the sensitivity has gone, then go back to using my usual No7 eye cream.

I use this one from Ren. I have sensitive eyes and have no problems with it. It is very lightweight and does a great job. Don’t be put off by the price, as Ren frequently have great discounts on their website and they are due another. The site lists it currently as out of stock. I expect it will be back in soon.
www.renskincare.com/collections/eyes/products/vita-mineral-active-7-eye-gel

Almond oil is good for around the eye area as an alternative to eye cream. One drop, gently dab around the eye area, all over. It's a very light oil and you won't end up all oily and sticky.
It might be worths it that you first try to calm the skin.
By doing nothing.
Use a compress with slightly warm water or something like chamomile tea - damp cotton wool gently pressed over the eyes for a minute or two morning and evening or when you can or however best you can.
This should help with hydration a but and calming the skin.
Drink plenty of water if you can.
Once you feel more comfortable, look up facial massage online or on youtube. Be gentle and consistent. This will help with improving and maintaining the lift aspect.

Avoid any kind of eye makeup if you can for a while.

After a month, re-asses the situation. Hopefully your skin looks and feels healthier by now.

Either carry on with the above or try some of the product recommended on here with a gradual introduction.
There is a Japanese brand recently introduced at boots called Curel for sensitive skin. I haven't used it but maybe it won't be as irritating as standard skincare.

What I can say though, there isn't a single eye cream out there which reduces ageing signs. If this is of concern to you. I have tried quite a few over the years starting at 4.99 all the way up to the £250 mark. Not something I would ever make public. Every ingredient combination. Nothing really works from a pot or a tube.
Rest, gentle care, massage and water do actually make a difference. But it's not as easy as using a drop of product. Maintaining a degree of lift in that area is more attainable and, in my opinion, what helps with a better look. Tiredness is the killer, but we all live so can't be helped as much as needed. A few Lines, I think, are quite attractive and give expression.

I hope your skin gets better quickly.

Another vote for la Roche Posay Toleraine. It's the only eye cream my eyes can handle.

Their cicaplast b5 repair balm is magic stuff. Its not an eye cream but a tiny dab of it might sort out the stinging and itching initially.

I get eczema on my eyelids and swear by Bobbi Brown extra eye cream, much much more moisturising than Keihls avocado which everyone goes on about. It’s expensive but lasts a good while,

Roche Posay Toleraine I am allergic too, but don’t find it very moisturising at all anyway

Pai Feather Canyon Eye Cream. I have sensitive skin and the Pai range is so gentle. I keep coming back to it, even though it is expensive.

Have you tried Liz Earle products? They are very gentle and I'm sure there's an eye cream in there

La Roche Posay Toleraine! I found it through the lovely people here. You can order it from Boots

@Twizbe

Have you tried Liz Earle products? They are very gentle and I'm sure there's an eye cream in there

I'd avoid this if its fragranced.

Avene do a nice gentle one

I came on to say the Liz Earle Superskin eye cream. You might try the Eyebright too, it’s a sort of toner for the eyes.
But anything will sting if the skin isn’t healed.
Now that you’re off the prescribed cream - I assume steroid ? - have you tried some E45 ?

Thank you all :)
I'm just so fed up of the crepiness and lines that have appeared literally overnight.

I have LRP on my list but maybe when things have calmed down I can try something with low strength retinol to try to get rid of the creases.

@Branster many thanks for your detailed reply.

I agree Pai is the only eye cream I can use, the rose hip oil is lovely too and both the cleansers. It’s expensive but they have an excellent returns policy if something doesn’t suit. Strangely my skin stings any time I use anything from La Roche posay.

@JinglingHellsBells the retinol is the thing that causes my dry skin around my eyes (and neck) I use the lrp cream to buffer so I put it on the sensitive areas then put retinol over the top and I only use retinol 2-3 times a week or my skin can’t take it. I’ve been doing this for a while now and I do think I am getting the benefit of the retinol now it’s just maybe slower than not buffering.

@Twizbe

Have you tried Liz Earle products? They are very gentle and I'm sure there's an eye cream in there

I had very bad luck with her most highly rated eye cream. Waste of time and hurt my eye area/caused it to wrinkle 😱

@JinglingHellsBells I sometimes get this and it was driving me mad . I would look like Quasi Modo with swollen eyes . I have a drawerful of every cream under the sky even a prescribed one from a dermatologist and none worked .The only thing that has worked for me is an antihistamine ( see pic ) you can buy online and this cream from Amazon . I now use Boots Restore and renew Eye Cream and it has really helped the lines . At the first hint of it now I use a cotton bud to dab a small amount of the Itch magic cream .

www.skinshop.co.uk/hydrosil/dry-skin-eye-gel

I like this. It's very gentle

Soap and glory is good

[quote IamGusFring]@JinglingHellsBells I sometimes get this and it was driving me mad . I would look like Quasi Modo with swollen eyes . I have a drawerful of every cream under the sky even a prescribed one from a dermatologist and none worked .The only thing that has worked for me is an antihistamine ( see pic ) you can buy online and this cream from Amazon . I now use Boots Restore and renew Eye Cream and it has really helped the lines . At the first hint of it now I use a cotton bud to dab a small amount of the Itch magic cream .[/quote]
Thanks @IamGusFring Yes, i was taking an antihistamine for a few days (loratadine I think- for hay fever!).

Thanks for the tip on the cream and the Boots stuff too.

It sounds a bit like blephritis -I use "blephasol" to wipe eyelids - very soothing and cleanses eye make up. I have a wheat filled eye mask which you can heat up and place over eyes. A skin allergy test could be useful - lots of chemicals in cosmetics cause inflammation -nickel is very common in eye make up even in so called sensitive ones. My daughter had problems and was found to have several allergies to things such as plant oils -i.e geranium -much better now she has excluded them.

[quote Kjr33]@JinglingHellsBells the retinol is the thing that causes my dry skin around my eyes (and neck) I use the lrp cream to buffer so I put it on the sensitive areas then put retinol over the top and I only use retinol 2-3 times a week or my skin can’t take it. I’ve been doing this for a while now and I do think I am getting the benefit of the retinol now it’s just maybe slower than not buffering.[/quote]
I heard somewhere, think maybe YouTube that you shouldn’t put Retinol on your neck because of the thyroid gland, did I hear that wrong? I avoid my neck with it.
My eyelids were getting quite sensitive with retinol so what I’ve started doing now is I put it on the areas I really want to concentrate on on the rest of my face first, then after about a minute I use my night cream over it, so my eyelids get some but a more diluted dose. They don’t seem as sensitive.

I like the Ceravie eye cream, feels lovely on and not too expensive.

When I had terribly sore cracked eyes I used The Body Shop Aloe Vera eye cream. It had active prebiotics in it that healed my skin. I'm not sure if the new formulated one is the same though.

I have super sensitive skin, prone to exzema including on my eyelids. I use Hydrocortisone ointment (not cream) sparingly during flare ups.
I use rosehip oil on eyelids and around the eyes. It's the best thing for fine lines and crows feet. I have almost none. I'm late 50s and been using it for over 10 years. Trilogy or Sukin are the best I've found.
I hope your eczema goes away soon, OP. It's horrible when it flares up like that.