When it comes to the beauty ingredients that I’m asked most frequently about, retinol is, undoubtedly, up there at the top of the list. With questions coming from friends who want to know if they actually need retinol in their routine yet to family members who don’t know where to start when it comes to choosing a decent retinol serum, it’s the one ingredient that feels like totally unchartered territory when you start to dabble in it. Why? Well, I’d hazard a guess that it’s because a lot of us are totally terrified to start using it when there are so many stories out there about some of the potentially negative side effects. From dry skin to redness, retinol definitely can be irritating if you don’t introduce it slowly and carefully to your skincare routine. Trust me—I get it. I, too, experienced an adverse reaction when trying a retinol cream for my acne a few years back. However, now that I’m in my early 30s and talk to skin experts on basically a daily basis for work, there is no denying that retinol is one of the best ingredients to have in your skincare routine. In fact, dermatologists say that it’s one of the few ingredients that our skin actually sees genuine benefits from.
With this in mind, I’ve been tentatively venturing back into the world of retinol serums and moisturisers, and I have to say that I’ve been converted. My spot-prone skin is smoother, softer and more even in texture, and besides some hormonal moments, my breakouts are generally less frequent and less severe. But it’s not just an improvement in skin texture that retinol is renowned for. It’s one of the most effective anti-ageing ingredients that we have at our disposal. And while I firmly believe that ageing is something to be celebrated, I have to be honest and say that I’m not loving the early scattering of fine lines that are starting to appear around my eyes. But surely, retinol is too harsh an ingredient to use around your eye area? Turns out, it isn’t. And that’s exactly where my new eye cream discovery steps in: the Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Line Erasing Eye Cream.
When I think of Elizabeth Arden, I immediately think of its collection of skincare capsules, which is unsurprising when it’s the brand’s best-selling product type, so the brand really wasn’t on my radar when it came to retinol eye creams. However, its award-winning Retinol Ceramide Capsules are truly brilliant, so I had high hopes for the eye cream from the same range. Formulated with Smart Retinol Technology, this eye cream is a clever creation. As an ingredient, retinol is incredibly sensitive to light and air, so Elizabeth Arden uses microencapsulated retinol that not only protects it from the elements to preserve potency, but that also allows it to absorb into your skin five times more deeply than unencapsulated retinol. While this sounds brilliant in terms of the eye cream delivering its smoothing, brightening and de-puffing benefits, I was a little nervous that this would mean the eye cream would be harsh on my under-eye area. How wrong I was.
Alongside the retinol, Elizabeth Arden has formulated this eye cream with moisture-boosting ceramides, skin-strengthening peptides and a brightening niacinamide blend. This means that the eye cream feels incredibly nourishing and hydrating on the skin and that I didn’t experience even a hint of irritation or redness when I started using this. Of course, like any retinol product, it’s important to add the Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Line Erasing Eye Cream into your routine slowly. I started by using it just once or twice a week at night and slowly added a night or two each week once I knew that my skin was reacting well to it. A month in, I now use this eye cream every single evening, and my eyes look so much brighter and smoother because of it.
So if you’re still on the fence about trying a retinol eye cream, then trust me when I say that the Elizabeth Arden Retinol Ceramide Line Erasing Eye Cream just might convince you otherwise. Plus, thanks to its combination of skin benefits—from boosting moisture and de-puffing tired eyes to smoothing the appearance of fine lines and minimising dark circles—this eye cream can actually be introduced to your skincare routine from your early 20s and beyond. It’s that versatile.
This product converted me to the joys of retinol eye cream, and I’ve been recommending it to everyone.
To receive 25% off Ceramide products at elizabetharden.co.uk, use code CERAMIDE25 at checkout.
(Code only valid on Ceramide collection.While stocks last. Live from: 14/10/21- 19/10/21. May not combine with other offers and excludes gift sets/online exclusive sets. Not valid on past purchases. Offers subject to change without notice. One gift per customer.)
These award-winning retinol capsules contain exactly the right dose for your night application (so no risk of irritation) and have helped my skin to look glowier, smoother and more even over time.
My two Elizabeth Arden favourites also come in this great value duo that’s worth £125. If, like me, you aren’t too hot on maths, that’s a saving of 15%.
Each of these tiny capsules is brimming with hyaluronic acid and ceramides to deeply hydrate and lock in moisture. I love using these of a morning to nourish my skin when retinol has been working hard overnight.
I’m obsessed with vitamin c serums and really fussy about the ones I’ll use, but these capsules are brilliant. They’re formulated with a vitamin c that’s 78 times more potent than a traditional one, and you can really tell. My skin always looks so bright and glowy after I use this, no matter how tired it looked to start with.
What would a round-up of Elizabeth Arden favourites be without the brand’s cult Eight Hour Cream? I use this most nights as an intensive lip treatment and always have one in my makeup bag to hydrate dry patches, soothe skin irritation or act as a makeshift highlighter when my skin looks a little dull.
I try a lot of products out for work, and sometimes, my skin can become irritated. On those occasions, I reach for this probiotic booster to repair and soothe skin before layering on my other serums and moisturisers. It’s so calming and refreshing.
In my opinion, this is one of the best moisturisers to apply the morning after using retinol. It’s intensely hydrating and smoothing and contains SPF30—essential when using retinol in your routine. Up Next: These Are the 22 Results-Driven Moisturisers You Need to Know About
To receive 25% off Ceramide products at elizabetharden.co.uk, use code CERAMIDE25 at checkout. Code only valid on Ceramide collection. While stocks last. Live from 14/10/21 to 19/10/21. May not combine with other offers and excludes gift sets/online exclusive sets. Not valid on past purchases. Offers subject to change without notice. One gift per customer.
