Beauty Clinic: Sensitive eyes
Q. H-e-l-p please! My eyes are red, sore and puffy due, I think, to a powerful serum I have been using. What product/s do you recommend?
A. Poor you. Commiserations from us – we have super sensitive peepers so we know what it feels like.
It’s tricky to recommend products as users’ responses are so individual. The aim is to soothe your eyes reaction to the invaders and that may take a few days. Putting cucumber slices on your eyes under a warm damp compress then lying down may help.
Generally, aim for products that contain fewer ingredients, rather than more. Natural products may suit you although remember that not every natural chemical is good for individuals, just as not every synthetic chemical is bad.
For Sarah, that means discarding all the skincare products she has been using when this occurs and reintroducing them singly once the situation has calmed down. There are various product ranges that help. Trilogy Sensitive Very Gentle Calming Serum/£29.50 for 30ml, with chamomile and calendula, is an old standby to help eyes directly. The matching Cleansing Cream/£23.50 for 200ml, and Moisturising Cream/£29.50 for 60ml, are well worth adding in too.
Other ranges that don't provoke irritation for Sarah include French pharmacy brand Avène, which offers a Routine for Allergic Skin on its UK website. This includes applying compresses soaked with Avène Thermal Spring Water/£13 for 300 ml, on unscented tissues or pads, which should help soothe eyes immediately.
Other things to consider: as well as or in addition to cosmetic products, you may be suffering from some kind of environmental pollution from airborne particles, cold winds or biting rain. A useful strategy is to wear big shades to block the assault on your vulnerable eyes. (Sarah developed a sensitivity to her horses hay/straw, despite it being winter, and now mucks out with Jackie O shades firmly in position.)
If you use eye drops see if preservative-free ones improve the situation. Ask a pharmacist for help on this.
Lastly, if the condition doesn't get better do please consult your GP.
