Whether you’re new to the eyecare game (welcome!) or have been religiously nourishing this delicate area of the face for years (gold star for you!), it’s worth noting there are some very common mistakes made when applying eye products. 

Here are five ways you may be unknowingly sabotaging your smoothing, firming, plumping results. And how to right those wrongs. 

1. Applying in the wrong order. 

Thinnest to thickest. Most active to least active. Always. 

For a retinal eye serum (therefore, lightweight and very active) this can and should be the first product you apply to a freshly cleansed face. Before following on with treatment products, oils, and moisturisers for the rest of your face. 

But don’t rush! Give your eye product some time to sink into the skin before you begin layering. 

2. Using too much product. 

Eye products are pint sized for a reason. A little goes a long way. 

Applying more than necessary is not going to make it any more effective, or fasttrack the results. Instead it may clog your pores. And you’re giving the serum the potential to move or slip or creep into the eyes and cause irritation. No one wants that. 

Stick to product instructions, please! One pump or one pea-sized amount for both eyes.  

3. Going too close to the eyes. 

There’s no need to go right up to the lashline. Again, you’ll just cause irritation. 

Your face actually has a built in guide for easy application - the orbital bone. It’s that circular, cup-y bone structure you can feel tracing the under eye, outer edge, and below the brow. Gently pat your products along this ridge to hit all the key ageing areas, and steer clear of the eye itself. 

4. Rubbing instead of patting. 

Use the tips of your fingers to gently pat your eye serum into the skin. 

Avoid sweeping or rubbing motions here, because it is such a delicate section of skin, and if you’re too overzealous this can result in broken blood vessels. You don’t want to aggravate the area, or exacerbate any skin concerns you’re looking to treat (puffiness, dark circles, fine lines, sagging). 

5. Expecting immediate results. 

While some eye products can instantly plump and hydrate and fool anyone into thinking you have your shit together, it can take some time to see long term fine-line-reducing results. Like, 6-8 weeks.