IO Eye Contour Wrinkle Care Active

The eye area tells the story of sleep, stress and time. Puffiness in the morning, dark circles after a long week and fine lines at the corners are the concerns customers mention most. IO Eye Contour Wrinkle Care Active is an active whose card covers all three, designed specifically for eye contour products.

Product data

Soluble in water and alcohols. Applications: eye care creams, anti-wrinkle eye creams and sprays, serums for the look of dark circles, de-puffing creams, sprays, serums and gels, and creams for the look of under-eye bags. The INCI, composition and recommended level should be taken from the CoA of the lot in hand.

Three eye concerns

Puffiness

Morning puffiness is often linked to sleep and lifestyle. Cooling gels with caffeine and a de-puffing active give a fresher look.

Dark circles

Dark circles have several causes, including thin skin and visible blood vessels. Products aim for a brighter-looking under-eye area.

Fine lines

Crow's feet and fine lines under the eye respond well to hydration and peptides.

Product formats

Eye gels, serums, creams and sprays. Sprays are less common and can stand out; they suit quick refreshes during the day over makeup.

Formulating guidance

Add the active during cool-down into the water phase or into a hydroalcoholic base for sprays. Keep alcohol levels low in eye products for comfort. Use an eye-safe preservative and avoid fragrance. Combine with caffeine for de-puffing, with Dipeptide-2 hesperidin methyl chalcone eye complex for an under-eye bag concept, and with hyaluronic acid for fine lines. More eye actives are under actives.

Claims

Use visual wording: less puffy-looking, brighter-looking, smoother eye area. Support claims with tests on the finished product, such as photos under standardized light. Keep the vocabulary for the eye area cosmetic.

Safety in the eye area

Eye products need a safety assessment, ophthalmological testing where appropriate and careful choice of preservatives and emollients. Advise users to apply around, not into, the eye.

Who buys eye products

Almost everyone at some point. Eye creams are often the first appearance-focused cosmetic product people buy, and eye gels are popular gifts.

Packaging

Metal-tip tubes and roller balls give a cooling sensation. Small airless pumps protect creams.

Testing

Run stability at room temperature and 40 °C, checking pH, viscosity and clarity.

Choosing textures for each concern

Different eye concerns call for different textures. A cooling gel suits morning puffiness and absorbs before makeup. A light cream with a little more oil suits dry under-eye skin and fine lines, especially at night. A mist suits a midday refresh. Offering a day gel and a night cream with the same active lets customers cover both moments. Keep every texture fragrance-free and test it for migration toward the eye, since products that run cause stinging and complaints.

Patch testing

Ask panelists to apply a small amount near, not on, the lash line for several days before a full eye-area study.

Original recipe: de-puffing eye gel, 100 g

Purified water 85.40 g, glycerin 3.00 g, propanediol 3.00 g, carbomer 0.50 g, sodium hydroxide solution 0.50 g, IO Eye Contour Wrinkle Care Active 4.00 g as an example level per CoA, caffeine 1.00 g, panthenol 1.00 g, sodium hyaluronate 0.10 g, allantoin 0.10 g, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil 0.20 g, menthyl lactate 0.20 g, eye-safe preservative 1.00 g. Disperse carbomer in water and glycols, dissolve caffeine, panthenol, hyaluronate and allantoin. Premix menthyl lactate with solubilizer and add. Add the active and preservative below 40 °C and neutralize to pH 6.0.

Storage

Store it closed in a cool, dim place and close it after each use.