Eye creams are a hard sell, with many not delivering on their bold claims. If you're shopping for an eye treatment, there's a high chance you're after something that'll make a visible difference to fine lines and those unavoidable crow's feet. Our advice? Skip the unpronounceable plant extracts and precious metals, and head to the one thing we know really works: retinol.

Whether you're crying, smiling or squinting, your eyes do a lot more work than you realise, which means the skin around them is more prone to early ageing. Retinol – a derivative of vitamin A – is the gold standard when it comes to anti-ageing ingredients. Many dermatologists laud its ability for stimulating cell turnover and collagen production, leading to a smoother, plumper and brighter complexion.

However, with genuine results comes genuine side effects. We know that retinol is strong, and a formula that’s too powerful can cause redness, dryness and irritation. So, when it comes to finding the right retinol-based cream, it’s crucial that it will equally brighten and smooth your under-eye, without causing any side effects associated with the active.

If there’s one brand that gets retinol right, it’s Medik8. We’re long-time fans of its Crystal Retinal serums– which are available in five incremental strengths – and now the brand has introduced an eye treatment to the line-up.

The new Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye is an extension to the Crystal Retinal range, which promises to reduce the appearance of crow’s feet, wrinkles, crepiness and puffiness. The skin around your eyes is a lot thinner and more sensitive compared to the rest of your body, so it requires a bit more TLC. This clever serum has been sensitively formulated to allow you to benefit from all the perks of retinol, without the risk of irritation.

Since this innovative formula landed on our desk, we've been trying it out to see how it differs from other eye creams, and so far, we're impressed. The star ingredient is, of course, encapsulated retinaldehyde: it’s a slowly released, stabilised active that delivers hydration and effective results without irritation. This form of vitamin A is stronger than your standard retinol, meaning it will help to smooth and brighten at a quicker rate. The formula is also boosted with ceramides to ensure hydration on the surface and, to seal the deal, there are hyaluronic acid filling spheres which help to plump out fine lines and wrinkles with moisture.

Another plus is the way the formula sinks in immediately - a welcome factor if you don’t like the feeling of rich formulas around your eye. It doesn't cause a tingling sensation but leaves a hydrating seal for you to apply the rest of your skincare on. And, just like our favourite Crystal Retinal face serums, the eye cream comes in a range of concentrations so you can tailor your specific retinol needs. The brand recommends you pair your eye cream with your face cream, so if you’re new to retinol, start with Ceramide Eye 3 and then slowly graduate to Ceramide Eye 6 and then onto 10. As you can tell, this launch is truly raising the bar in the eye cream category.

An amount equivalent to a grain of rice is all you need here, which does make the price point a little more palatable. Like anything, results won’t be instantaneous – but stay loyal and after a few weeks, you’ll notice brighter, plumper and younger-looking eyes. We know that many eye creams can disappoint, but this is one we truly believe in.

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