Eye cream remains one of the most debated skin-care steps—even some dermatologists say we don’t really need it—but if you have signs of aging around your eyes that you don’t like, it’s worth adding the quick step to your routine. For those with dry skin, a crepey texture or fine lines, or all of the above, Drunk Elephant’s new Ceramighty AF Eye Balm is a must-try. I’ve been testing the cream for the last couple weeks, and these are my honest thoughts.
My Skin Type:
Combination. I’m drier in the cold-weather months and oilier in the warm-weather ones thanks to the high humidity on the East Coast.
The Benefits:
My favorite part of this rich balmy cream is its 3-percent ceramide blend—ceramide AP, ceramide NP and ceramide EOP—that gives the formula its deeply replenishing properties. Many wise dermatologists have taught me the importance of ceramides in skin care: If you think of your skin as a brick wall and your skin cells are the bricks, ceramides are the mortar. They’re part of the lipids in our skin and provide essential moisturizing, strengthening and protective benefits.
The combination of ceramides with vitamin F and plant oils and butters that are rich in omega fatty acids creates a silky, cushiony texture that blankets the eye area with barrier-repair ingredients and keeps it moisturized all day. It also helps keep skin’s elastic fibers healthy so skin looks firm and smooth, rather than loose and crepey. In the before-and-after images above and below, you can see impressive results on crepey skin, fine lines, and even deeper lines like crow’s-feet after four weeks of use. Though I don’t have deep lines, I do have some dry skin and a little feathering of lines around my eyes and this balm smooths everything out so nicely.
I’ve heard some other people who have tried it say it’s also helped brighten their under-eyes, but I haven’t seen that result personally. In my opinion, if dark circles are your concern, you should try Drunk Elephant’s C-Tango Eye Cream instead.
Key Ingredients:
Ceramides, avocado oil, jojoba oil, glycerin, marula oil and butter, oat kernel oil and vitamin F (linolenic and linoleic acid)
What It’s Free From:
Essential oils, silicones, fragrance, phthalates, formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasers, and parabens
How to Use It:
Using your ring finger, gently pat one pump underneath each eye, along the orbital bone and on your eyelids in the morning or night. I prefer to use it at night only because of its richness, and I love the way my skin feels and looks when I wake up in the morning. If you’re a morning eye cream user, try storing the balm in the fridge so that it’s nice and cool on puffy eyes when you wake up.
What It Feels Like:
A rich, silky, moisturizing cream-balm that doesn’t dissolve into my skin right away, but when I wake up, it’s fully dissolved and I love the way my skin feels.
What It Smells Like:
Nothing. It’s free of synthetic fragrances and there are no ingredients in the formula that lend a natural scent.
The Bottom Line:
If you have dry, crepey skin around your eyes, or your eyes look tired and stressed, this ultra-nourishing cream may be the miracle-worker you need.
Price/Where to Buy:
$60, drunkelephant.com
