Eye Cream Doesn’t Have to Cost a Fortune—Make Your Own With 3 Simple Ingredients

The delicate skin around the eyes is one of the first places on the face to show signs of aging.

That’s why it’s so important invest in a hydrating and nourishing eye cream; moisturizing regularly is the first step toward minimizing the appearance of wrinkles. If the luxury products on the market—which can cost upwards a few hundred dollars for a small jar or tube—are out of your price range, here’s an alternative. The best part is that you can whip it up at home, in minutes, with three simple but effective ingredients.

A rich base of organic coconut oil hydrates and soothes, while vitamin E helps replenish and restore collagen. (Our skin produces collagen naturally, but as we age, the production of it slows. Several vitamins—including vitamin E—are critical to collagen production). Rose essential oil encourages the skin to retain moisture, leaving the eye area looking plump and youthful.

Coconut Oil Eye Cream

What you need

½ cup room-temperature coconut oil
2 vitamin E capsules
2 to 3 drops rose essential oil
Contact lens case or empty lip balm jar
Glass jar

Instructions

Start with room-temperature coconut oil into a small bowl. (You want it to have a paste-like consistency; if it’s too warm, it’ll be liquid and runny, and if it’s too cold, it’ll set up as a solid.) Use a needle or small cuticle scissors to puncture vitamin E capsules and squeeze the liquid into the bowl. Add rose essential oil and whisk to combine.

That’s it!

For travel, transfer a bit of the finished cream into a small, clean lip balm jar, or use both compartments of a clean contact lens case (which is designed to be spill-proof!). Store the rest in a glass jar with a lid, and apply under makeup in the morning and after removing your makeup at night. And speaking of bedtime, be sure to get plenty of shut-eye. It’s one of the best ways to keep your skin in good shape!

Photo credit: Paul Delmont