Why is there dry skin around my eyes?

Have you ever noticed that the skin on and around your eyes and eyelids is slightly different to the skin on the rest of your face? That’s because it’s actually thinner. The epidermis (the outer layers of skin) can be as thick as 1.5mm on our body, but our eyelids are around 0.5mm thick. Therefore, as our eye area lacks the fat that cushions the rest of our skin, it means they’re more susceptible to drying out and developing visible signs of irritation, such as the appearance of redness and flakiness.

Finding the exact cause of dry and irritated feeling skin around the eyes and eyelids can be difficult, as there are many things that could be causing it. This ranges from cold weather in the winter and low humidity to the natural process of ageing or exposure to something like a skincare or haircare ingredient which has irritated feeling the skin.

What can I use for dry skin around my eyes?

To help you tackle dry patches around the eyes at home, find an eye cream formula that you like and use it each morning and evening to help keep your hydration levels topped up and moisture locked in.

Our Instant Brightening Eye Cream is enriched with British borage seed oil to help replenish moisture levels, plus a naturally-derived light-reflecting pigment to help your under eyes and any dark circles appear brighter. For a formula that also works to visibly lift and firm delicate undereye area, try out Superskin™ Eye Cream. The powerful botanical blend of firming paracress flower extract and nourishing plant oils provide specialist care for the delicate eye area.

If you’re also looking to reduce any visible signs of puffiness or tired-looking eyes, you can try adding our Eyebright™ Soothing Eye Lotion to your regime before your eye cream. Not only is the gentle formula perfect for soothing discomfort, it uses cooling cornflower and hydrating aloe vera to help give a more revitalised feeling.

How to help keep the skin around your eyes hydrated

Once you’ve found the right eye products to help you soothe any dryness you’re experiencing, it’s important to form a plan to help hydrate the delicate skin around your eyes and reduce the appearance of dryness.

Now that you know that this thinner eyelid and undereye skin is much more sensitive than the rest of our face, it’s crucial to eliminate any potential triggers from your daily regime. Keep an eye on the products you’re using and make sure there are no ingredients which are stripping away your moisture – think anything you use to remove stubborn eye makeup or hair products you use in the shower that include some harsher ingredients.

Remember to always be gentle with these delicate areas, too. Rubbing and scrubbing can worsen the appearance of dryness and redness, as can using water that’s too hot when you’re cleansing, so stick to cool to lukewarm water when washing your face. This will be more than effective for removing any impurities which may be a contributing factor to feeling irritation around your eye area.

By continuing to nourish your skin with a hydrating night cream, this should all work to ease dryness and give you replenished under eyes that feel moisturised and revitalised.