Herb + Flora | Eye Of The Cyclops Recovery Eye Gel

This review was originally part of my blog article titled, New Eye Creams That I Think You'll Love As Much As I Do. You can still catch the full piece here.

—

What always feels like a return to normal is spring! I don’t know why that is. As if three cold, harsh, grueling months of winter aren’t normal in New York. Of course that’s normal. But it’s not the welcome kind of normal that spring is, right?

I spent the entire winter season talking about cold weather skin care to treat extreme dryness. You can catch my series on the best face creams for dry skin and all skin types in winter in my two-part series titled Winter Moisturizer. The first five moisturizers are in part one here. The second five, rounding out my ten recommendations, is in part two here.

That seems like ages ago! As winter comes to a close and spring rears its gorgeous little head, I’m beginning to take a fresh look at my skincare picks for the weeks ahead. Lighter face creams will be in again, as will lighter eye creams and sunscreens. Psst…watch out for my piece on lightweight sunscreen products I’m testing out now.

SKINCARE 101: EYE SPF AND THE BEST PRODUCT FOR DARK CIRCLES

Read Article

But I want to kick the new season off with eye creams. Not to pat myself on the back, but I did a much better job of protecting my delicate, thin-skinned eye area this past winter than ever before. I was singularly focused on assuring that the skin around my eyes was sufficiently hydrated day and night as the dry, low-humidity air worked its wicked magic, sucking the life and water out of my skin barrier.

It appears to have paid off.

As with the rest of my face, I prevented trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) most days with my “lock and block” strategy. I locked water in my skin through frequent use of humectant-rich serums infused with high concentrations of Hyaluronic Acid, Aloe Vera, seaweed, Beta-Glucan and Glycerin.

I published an article on what I consider the best Hyaluronic Acid serums titled, My Favorite Humectant Serums — which you can catch here.

MY FAVORITE HUMECTANT SERUMS - BEST HYALURONIC ACID SERUMS, BEST HYDRATING SERUMS

Read Review

What Is Trans-Epidermal Water Loss?

There’s an excellent article on the health website Skin Better titled, What Is Transepidermal Water Loss and Why Is it Important? available here. In the piece, the author defines TEWL as follows:

“The skin is comprised of three primary layers: the epidermis, the outermost layer; the dermis or middle layer; and the hypodermis, the undermost layer. When water passes from the dermis through the epidermis and evaporates from the skin’s surface, this is known as transepidermal water loss (International Journal of Pharmaceutics).
While TEWL is a process that your skin naturally regulates, certain factors that can damage the skin’s barrier function can also affect TEWL levels. Circumstances such as injury, low-humidity weather conditions and topically applied products that dry out the skin can impact TEWL.
To achieve this, combine humectant and occlusive skincare ingredients.
Transepidermal water loss can contribute to a variety of dry skin conditions, and although it is a natural process, there are ways that you can help your skin stay moisturized and hydrated. Hydration refers to the water content of the skin, whereas moisturization is the skin’s ability to retain those water molecules. Therefore, your skin needs both elements to maintain desirable levels of TEWL.
To achieve this, combine humectant and occlusive skincare ingredients. Humectants help to draw moisture to the epidermis, either from the air if it is humid enough, or from the underlying dermis in low-humidity conditions. Because water content that is drawn from the dermis can be lost through TEWL, it’s important to combine the use of humectants with occlusives. Together, these ingredients create a reservoir of moisture in the epidermis and act as a barrier on the skin to help prevent TEWL by sealing in that moisture. The occlusive agents simultaneously keep pollutants, toxins and harmful bacteria out (Skin Therapy Letter).”

SAVE 15% OFF ALL HERB + FLORA SKINCARE

Use code CARMINE15 at checkout.

Shop Now

By locking water-based hydration in my skin, I was able to prevent skin-damaging, skin-aging dehydration. But locking it in isn’t enough. The drying forces of cold air and artificial heat are a tough opponent in the healthy skin game. This is where blocking comes in — creating an effective one-two punch to protect and preserve skin health.

I found that using highly occlusive treatments created an effective seal over my skin that blocked the loss of moisture through the skin barrier. This defensive shield essentially kept the dry air from penetrating into my skin and drawing out the hydration it desperately needs to remain healthy.

The required level of occlusion can be achieved through a heavy, water-free ointment or rich facial oil, particularly suitable during the night, while you’re at rest. In the morning and throughout the day, a heavy, emollient face cream paired with a thicker sunscreen does the trick.

NEW PAMPERING FACIAL OILS THAT WOW ME - FROM KJAER WEIS, BIOSSANCE AND MORE

Read Article

For the first time since my youth, I emerged from winter with my eye area relatively intact — smooth, healthy and free of dehydration lines. Throughout the season, I used all of those heavier treatments — the waterless balms, heavy facial oils and thicker sunscreens in my immediate eye area.

Spring is, well, springing and these emergency measures are no longer required. Just like the lifting of pandemic restrictions allowing me to return to my Friday night movie, I’m returning my regular eye care to something a bit more normal — with lighter-weight eye creams, serums, and sunscreens!

Let’s have a look at a few new favorites, some of the best eye creams for dry skin, oily skin and all skin around the eyes in springtime…

Herb + Flora | Eye Of The Cyclops Recovery Eye Gel

I love science and the science of the skin. That includes dermatology, skin nutrition and, of course, the chemistry and genius that goes into making great skincare products to begin with. Some of my favorite conversations in my weekly Clubhouse chats in the Skincarma Lounge are with dermatologists, nutritionists and product formulators.

I had never heard the term autophagy until new skincare brand Herb + Flora brought true skincare innovation to the marketplace — and to me.

Psst…for the record, it’s pronounced: au·tóph·a·gy | \ ȯ-ˈtä-fə-jē

This is product innovation that reimagines the beneficial effects that skin care can have for the skin, transcending the norms around skin health. Herb + Flora goes beyond moisture, hydration, antioxidants and vitamins. Way beyond.

The Herb + Flora brand tapped into the effects that sport, exercise, activity have on skin cells to optimize the health of the skin. And I’m excited to be among the first to experience and share the brand!

Screen Shot 2021-03-01 at 5.20.16 PM.png

What Is Autophagy?

Hey, it’s news to me too. Even after looking it up in the dictionary, I barely know what autophagy is.

DEFINITION OF AUTOPHAGY

: the biological process that involves the enzymatic breakdown of a cell's cytoplasm or cytoplasmic components (such as damaged or unneeded organelles or proteins) within the lysosomes of the same cell.

So I went deeper, as I always do, and googled it. I found a terrific piece on the Healthline website titled, Autophagy: What You Need to Know. Here’s what I found most salient:

Autophagy is the body’s way of cleaning out damaged cells, in order to regenerate newer, healthier cells, according to Priya Khorana, PhD, in nutrition education from Columbia University.
“Auto” means self and “phagy” means eat. So the literal meaning of autophagy is “self-eating.”
It’s also referred to as “self-devouring.” While that may sound like something you never want to happen to your body, it’s actually beneficial to your overall health.
This is because autophagy is an evolutionary self-preservation mechanism through which the body can remove the dysfunctional cells and recycle parts of them toward cellular repair and cleaning, according to board-certified cardiologist, Dr. Luiza Petre.
Petre explains that the purpose of autophagy is to remove debris and self-regulate back to optimal smooth function.
“It is recycling and cleaning at the same time, just like hitting a reset button to your body. Plus, it promotes survival and adaptation as a response to various stressors and toxins accumulated in our cells,” she adds.

My first experience of the Herb + Flora brand’s innovative skin care is the wonderful Eye Of The Cyclops Recovery Eye Gel. At first glance, the name is certainly intriguing; it’s an allusion to the brand’s storytelling around Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey — perhaps one of the greatest adventures of all time. But that’s only the beginning of the story.

Eye Of The Cyclops is an exceptional experience. It’s a suprisingly lightweight, silky serum — a relatively uncommon format for an eye cream. This is the lightest of my springtime eye cream collection and it feels so wonderful around the eye area. Herb + Flora says, “Eye Of The Cyclops helps stimulate skin recovery in the delicate eye area without irritation and minimize the look of crow’s feet, undereye bags and dark circles.”

At its heart is the brand’s Exercise Mimic Youth Complex, developed in partnership with Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, MD, PhD and the Director of the Neuromuscular and Neurometabolic Clinic at McMaster University Medical Center in Ontario, Canada. The team’s innovation is its proprietary blend of “actives that helps reproduce the anti-aging effects of exercise and unlocks the life energy of skin.”

Beyond Herb + Flora’s revolutionary complex is a really well-formulated eye cream infused with beneficial ingredients that skin loves. This includes, as with the Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Boost 360° Eye Cream I reviewed earlier, a replenishing blend of Omega 3, 6, 9 fatty acids that combine to fortify the delicate skin around the eyes.

There are multiple protective antioxidants in the formula as well. In my opinion, you can’t have enough antioxidants in your skin care, and particularly in an eye cream. Among them are organic Asparagus Extract and Astaxanthin — a potent antioxidant derived from micro-algae and found in various foods. With its bright orange hue, Astaxanthin is what gives salmon its characteristic pink color. Studies have shown that the antioxidant potency of Astaxanthin is even more powerful than that of Vitamin C.

I’m so intrigued by the Herb + Flora Eye Of The Cyclops Recovery Eye Gel. And, I’m excited to explore more from the brand in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned…

SHOP THE BLOG: For a limited time, save 15% off all Herb + Flora skincare. Use code CARMINE15 at checkout. Purchase the Herb + Flora Eye Of The Cyclops Recovery Eye Gel for $44.20 (reg $52) here.

BUY HERB + FLORA EYE OF THE CYCLOPS RECOVERY EYE GEL

Proude,.jpg — SHOP THE BLOG:

**Kat Burki Nutrient C Eye Cream**
**Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Boost 360° Eye Cream**
**Herb + Flora Eye Of The Cyclops Recovery Eye Gel**
**Peace Out Retinol Eye Stick**
**Good Molecules Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel**

WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF

MY WINTER SKIN SAVIOR: SKINFIX BARRIER+ LIPID REPLENISHING SKINCARE

ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE

The Ingredient List of the Kat Burki Nutrient C Eye Cream:

KB5™ Complex (Arnica Montana (Arnica) Flower Water, Centella Asiatica (Gotu Kola) Leaf Water, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Water, Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower Water, Matricaria Recutita (Matricaria/Chamomile) Flower Water), Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (Vitamin C/STAY-C), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Dimethyl Sulfone (MSM), Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Azadirachta Indica (Neem) Seed Oil, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Caffeine, Maris Sal (OMC-92 Ocean Mineral Complex), Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle) Leaf Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum (Reishi) Extract, Juniperus Communis (Juniper) Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Extract, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail Plant) Extract, Geranium Maculatum (Geranium) Extract, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Extract, Ascophyllum Nodosum (Algae) Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Isopropyl Palmitate (Palm Oil), Decyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Carbomer, Lecithin, Escin, Potassium Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol (preservative, less than 1%), Ethylhexylglycerin (preservative, less than 1%), Parfum/Fragrance (Natural), Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene.

The Ingredient List of the Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Boost 360° Eye Cream:

Water/Eau solv, Glycerin superstar

sii|h 0 0, C10-18 Triglycerides emo|solv, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate emo, Propanediol solv|h, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Cetearyl Olivate goodie

emu, Stearyl Alcohol emo|vc|emu|surf 2 2, Octyldodecanol emo|perf, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride emo, Sorbitan Olivate goodie

emu, Behenyl Alcohol emo|vc, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract goodie

h, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract goodie

aox|so|amic, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract goodie

so|emo, Medicago Sativa (Alfalfa) Seed Extract, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate chel, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice goodie

so|h, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Gluconolactone superstar

exf|chel, Phytosterols, Chondrus Crispus Extract goodie

h|vc, Squalene goodie

sii|aox|emo, Phytosteryl Canola Glycerides, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil emo 0 3, Ethylhexylglycerin pres, Dilinoleic Acid/Propanediol Copolymer emo|vc, Myristyl Myristate emo 2 0-5, Xanthan Gum vc|emu|surf, Citric Acid buff, Sodium Benzoate pres, Phenoxyethanol pres, Potassium Sorbate pres

Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

The Ingredient List of the Herb + Flora Eye Of The Cyclops Recovery Eye Gel:

H+F Exercise Mimic Youth™ Complex, Asparagus Extract, Macroalgae, Mini Hyaluronic Acid, Astaxanthin, Eyeliss, Mango Butter, Coconut Oil, Mediterranean Botanicals: Yarrow, Wild Sunflower, Arnica, Mallow