What makes this product the most reviewed anti-ageing eye cream on BEAUTY/crew?

If you weren’t a beauty junkie, you wouldn’t be here, so we’re going to go ahead and assume that as someone who probably has a 7-step skin care routine, you’ve no doubt dabbled in eye cream application. And like many of us, you probably came to the following conclusion after doing so: it feels nice, seems luxurious, and hell, it’s probably doing something even if you can’t see it, right? Right?

Here’s the thing, though: regardless of the fact that we continue to load it on diligently, across the board, it’s not uncommon to be concerned that your orbital area isn’t actually showing all that many signs of improvement, despite daily use. Well, (and we’re only making this sound like a giant, dramatic deal because it kind of is): Lancôme have gone and put their clever little finger on precisely why that was.

Any skin care enthusiast who knows their glycolic acid from their glycerin has no doubt heard the word ‘microbiome’ over the last year. And while it may be both tricky to pronounce and understand, one thing’s clear as day: it’s a major player in the skin health department. However, despite the fact that your face even having a microbiome was big news back in 2020, it’s no longer the only skin-related one you need to worry about. Your eye area actually has its very own, and despite its tiny size, it’s a giant factor when it comes to achieving results.

To get science-y for a sec, we humans are actually made up of 50 per cent human cells and 50 per cent bacterial cells; and it’s those bacterial cells that serve as our ‘microbiome’. But just the way you have to be more careful with a fragile silk dress than a sturdier cotton one, you need to treat and tread extra carefully around the delicate eye area. Not only is it three times thinner than the rest of your complexion, but it’s also under serious strain most of the time; there are actually 22 muscles in the area (yep), and we tend to blink around 10, 000 times a day (again, yep). Ironically, the eye rolls we give when someone tells us they don’t use an eye cream can’t be helping much, either.

Considering all it goes through, it’s really no surprise that the eye area’s delicate little microbiome has gotten thrown off its game. We’d be upset (and taking out our aggression in the form of dark circles and fine lines) too, if we were subjected to all the issues it deals with. Think about it: you wake up, cleanse, possibly throw in some eye drops, maybe add some contact lenses, head outside into a flurry of pollution and UV light, and then eventually head home only to begin a hefty makeup removal process. All of that can seriously disrupt a microbiome’s balance. And when said microbiome is off, even the silkiest eye cream can’t guarantee you results – unless, of course, it was specifically designed to do so.

You’re probably wondering how, huh? Allow us to remind you about pre and probiotic fractions, AKA the elements that work to get a microbiome back on track. Probiotics are forms of good bacteria that help to restore the balance, and prebiotics show up to back them up, acting as face-friendly fertilisers designed to help probiotics do their best work while also keeping bad bacteria in check. Luckily, while the rest of the eye cream category figured ignorance was (dull, crepey, non-blissful) bliss in this area, Lancôme was busy loading seven fractions of these guys into an already beloved formula: the Advanced Génifique Eye Cream. Why? Because innovation is as important to them as it is to us beauty lovers (okay, maybe a tad more; they do the research, and we just reap the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed benefits).

There are some familiar friends in the mix too; after all, what eye cream is complete without the dynamic duo of hydrating hyaluronic acid and luminising vitamin C? So, in addition to re-balancing the area in order to allow benefits to legitimately show through, it also promises some pretty stellar ones, considering it hydrates, smoothes, plumps and brightens; science says so. But hey, just in case you’re still a skeptic (we get it; it’s hard not to be cautious of pretty promises), we called in our Review Crew for backup. Bearing in mind its status as BEAUTYcrew’s most reviewed eye cream, it wasn’t tough to find some…

Moral of the story? If you're looking to get into the eye cream application game, you’ve picked a terrific time to start. And if you’re several years strong into a search for an option that makes actual visible changes, we’ve got a suggestion as to which formula to go for. Because if 91 per cent of testers saying the area felt tightened, lifted, re-plumped and downright bouncy (the ultimate eye cream endorsement) won’t convince you to try a tub, nothing will.

So, here’s our advice: first, grab a pot of this nifty little formula which works to reduce dark circles and fine lines and watch your eye area reach its plumpest, smoothest, brightest potential. Next? Start dropping the phrase ‘eye area microbiome’ into every conversation you have to remind your dark circle-plagued pals that you’re no doubt the skin care aficionado of the group.

Main image credit: @lilyjcollins

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