What should you know about dry skin under eyes?

The under-eye skin is delicate and can react to rubbing, makeup, cleansers, sunscreen, lash products, tears or cold, dry air. Flaking and itch may occur with Dry Skin, while Atopic Dermatitis, Psoriasis or Asteatotic Eczema can involve the surrounding skin. Swelling, discharge, marked redness or symptoms inside the eye suggest that this may be more than surface dryness and warrants a clinical assessment.

Stop new eye cosmetics and fragranced products while symptoms are active. Rinse gently with lukewarm water, pat dry and apply a very small amount of bland fragrance-free moisturiser to the bony skin below the eye, never into the eye or along the lash line. Emollient Therapy provides background on barrier-supporting moisturisers. Do not scratch, use scrubs or apply steroid or other medicated creams near the eye unless a clinician directs you.

Arrange medical advice if dryness persists, recurs after cosmetics, spreads to the eyelids or causes pronounced itch. Seek prompt care for eye pain, vision changes, light sensitivity, discharge, significant swelling, fever or redness spreading around the eye.

Ask whether the trigger could be contact irritation, eczema or another condition, which products are safe around your eyes, and whether a prescribed treatment needs special application instructions.