How to Make a DIY Anti-Aging Eye Cream

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How to Make a DIY Anti-Aging Eye Cream

A DIY anti-aging eye cream is a preserved, fragrance-free base (a hyaluronic acid serum or a light cream) with eye-area amino acid sequences stirred in at their full recommended rates. In about five minutes you can make a 1 ounce batch that targets the look of puffiness, dark-looking circles, and crow's feet, with every concentration known. The keys are a clean workspace, accurate drops or grams, a preservative check, and a patch test, because the skin around the eyes is thinner and reacts faster than the rest of the face.

Below are three updated recipes from this page, written in drops, grams, and percentages at the highest manufacturer usage rates, plus how to apply them and what to expect. New to boosters? Start with our guide on how to add a serum booster.

Why the Eye Area Ages Differently

Eyelid and under-eye skin is among the thinnest on the body, it has fewer oil glands, and it moves thousands of times a day when you blink, squint, and smile. That is why crow's feet show up early, why under-eye skin looks crepey with dryness, and why fluid and shadows are so visible there. A good eye formula keeps that area hydrated, uses amino acid sequences chosen for the look of puffiness and lines, and leaves out fragrance and essential oils.

Key Ingredients and Their Rates

Booster Used for the look of Rate used here Drops per 1 oz
EyeSeryl (Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5) Under-eye puffiness 10% (range 1 to 10%) 90
Haloxyl Dark-looking circles 3% (range 1 to 3%) 27
Regu-Age Puffiness and tired-looking eyes 5% (range 2 to 5%) 45
Dermafill (Adipofill-in) Hollow-looking areas, a plumper look 3% (range 1 to 3%) 27
Argireline and Snap-8 Expression lines, crow's feet 10% each 90 each
Matrixyl 3000 Firmer-looking skin 8% 72
Syn-Ake / Syn-Coll Smoother-looking lines 5% / 3% 45 / 27

All drop counts use the Skin Perfection house rate of 9 drops = 1% per fluid ounce. One fluid ounce of serum weighs about 30 g, so 1% is about 0.3 g.

What the research shows

In a randomized, placebo-controlled study published in 2013 in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, Wang and colleagues had 60 adults apply an Argireline formula or a placebo twice a day for four weeks. Subjective anti-wrinkle efficacy was 48.9% in the Argireline group versus 0% with placebo, and skin replicas showed lower roughness readings in the Argireline group. In supplier testing reported in the Lucas Meyer Adipofill-in brochure, 20 women aged 40 to 60 used a 2% Adipofill-in cream on one side of the face twice a day for two months, with wrinkle depth of the nose-to-mouth lines measured up to 37.6% lower (supplier data, not an eye-area test). Published human data on EyeSeryl and Haloxyl comes mainly from their manufacturers.

Equipment and Sanitation

  • Digital scale reading to 0.01 g, or a glass dropper you have counted against the scale
  • Sanitized glass beaker, mini whisk or stick blender, and an airless eye serum pump bottle
  • pH strips (range 4 to 7), gloves, and 70% isopropyl alcohol

Wash tools in hot soapy water, rinse, spray with 70% isopropyl alcohol, and let them air dry. Wear gloves and never put your fingers into the base jar. An airless pump keeps fingers and air out of the finished serum, which matters for a formula used near the eyes.

Recipe 1: Puffy and Dark-Looking Under-Eye Serum (1 oz, 30 g)

Ingredient Grams % Drops
Hyaluronic Acid Plumping Serum (base) 24.3 81%
EyeSeryl 3.0 10% 90
Regu-Age 1.5 5% 45
Haloxyl 0.9 3% 27
GSB Natural Preservative Powder 0.3 1%

Recipe 2: All-in-One Eye Serum for Lines, Puffiness, and Circles (1 oz, 30 g)

Ingredient Grams % Drops
Hyaluronic Acid Plumping Serum (base) 15.0 50%
EyeSeryl 3.0 10% 90
Argireline 3.0 10% 90
Snap-8 3.0 10% 90
Matrixyl 3000 2.4 8% 72
Syn-Ake 1.5 5% 45
Haloxyl 0.9 3% 27
Syn-Coll 0.9 3% 27
GSB Natural Preservative Powder 0.3 1%

Recipe 3: Rich Eye Cream With Dermafill (1 oz, 30 g)

Ingredient Grams % Drops
Regenerating Facial Cream Lotion Base 21.9 73%
Ultra Hyaluronic Plumping Gel 3.0 10%
EyeSeryl 3.0 10% 90
Dermafill 0.9 3% 27
Haloxyl 0.9 3% 27
GSB Natural Preservative Powder 0.3 1%

Method (all three recipes)

  1. Weigh the base into the sanitized beaker at room temperature. No heat is needed: these boosters are added cold.
  2. Sprinkle in the GSB and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until fully dissolved.
  3. Add each booster by drop count or weight, stirring gently after each one.
  4. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes with a mini whisk or a stick blender on low until smooth.
  5. Check the pH. Aim for 5.0 to 5.5, which suits the eye area and keeps GSB in its working range of pH 3 to 6.
  6. Fill the airless bottle, label it with the date and ingredients, and store it in the refrigerator.

About the Preservative

These recipes contain water, so they must be preserved. Each base is already preserved, but adding 20 to 50% of boosters dilutes that system, and some boosters (such as Syn-Ake, EyeSeryl, and Dermafill) contain no preservative of their own. That is why GSB is added at 1%, the rate used when it is combined with another preservative. If you build a formula from unpreserved ingredients only, use GSB at 2% as the sole preservative, or Leucidal SF Complete at 4%, the top of its 2 to 4% range.

How to Apply Eye Cream

Use one pump (about the size of a grain of rice) for both eyes, morning and night. Dab small dots along the orbital bone from the inner corner outward, then press and pat with your ring finger until absorbed. Stay on the bone, not the lash line, and do not rub or tug. In the morning, follow with a mineral sunscreen around the eyes.

What to Expect and When

  • Same day: under-eye skin looks smoother and more hydrated from the hyaluronic acid.
  • 2 to 4 weeks: the look of expression lines can soften, in line with the four-week Argireline study above.
  • 6 to 8 weeks: the time frame most supplier tests use for the look of puffiness, firmness, and fullness.

Shelf Life and Storage

Refrigerate and use within 3 months. A homemade formula has not been challenge tested, so read that as a cautious guideline. Discard it if it changes color, smell, or texture, or turns cloudy. Store opened booster bottles in the refrigerator as their product pages direct.

Patch Test and Sensitive Eyes

Patch test on your inner arm for 24 hours, then on a small spot near the outer corner of one eye. If your skin or eyes are sensitive, start each booster at the lowest rate of its range (for example EyeSeryl at 1%, 9 drops per ounce, and Haloxyl at 1%), use Recipe 1 first, and work up over several weeks. Keep products out of the eyes; if any gets in, rinse with water. Contact lens wearers should apply eye cream after putting lenses in.

Troubleshooting

  • Serum pills under makeup: use less and wait 2 minutes before concealer.
  • Feels sticky: Recipe 2 is booster-heavy. Use half a pump or switch to Recipe 3.
  • Cream thinned out: booster liquids loosen a cream base. Add 1 to 2 g more base.
  • Mild stinging: stop, rinse, and restart with Recipe 1 at the lowest rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make homemade anti-aging eye cream?

Start with a preserved hyaluronic acid serum or cream base, then stir in eye boosters such as EyeSeryl, Haloxyl, and Argireline at their recommended rates. Add GSB at 1% when the base already has a preservative, check the pH, and store it in an airless bottle in the refrigerator.

Can I use my regular face cream around my eyes?

You can if it is fragrance free and does not sting, but many face creams contain essential oils, acids, or retinol that are too strong for the eye area. An eye formula is lighter and uses boosters chosen for the look of puffiness and lines.

Do peptides work for under-eye wrinkles?

Some amino acid sequences have human data. In a 2013 placebo-controlled study of 60 adults, Argireline applied twice a day for four weeks gave lower skin roughness readings than placebo. Results are gradual and depend on using a meaningful concentration.

What is the best ingredient for puffy eyes?

EyeSeryl (Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5) and Regu-Age are the boosters most used for the look of under-eye puffiness. Cool application, good sleep, and less salt in the evening also make a visible difference.

How long does DIY eye cream last?

About 3 months in the refrigerator when it is properly preserved and kept in an airless bottle. Throw it out sooner if the color, smell, or texture changes.

Can I put hyaluronic acid under my eyes?

Yes. Hyaluronic acid is one of the gentlest ingredients for the eye area and helps under-eye skin look smoother and less crepey. Apply it to slightly damp skin and seal it in with a cream.

Shop and Learn More

Read our guides to under-eye bags, dark circles, and crow's feet, and see how to layer Haloxyl and GHK-Cu for tired eyes. Shop the boosters: EyeSeryl, Haloxyl, Dermafill, and the Regenerating Facial Cream base.

Sources

  • Wang Y, Wang M, Xiao S, Pan P, Li P, Huo J. The anti-wrinkle efficacy of Argireline, a synthetic hexapeptide, in Chinese subjects: a randomized, placebo-controlled study. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 2013. doi:10.1007/s40257-013-0009-9 (60 adults, 4 weeks)
  • Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, Adipofill-in brochure, April 2012 (supplier data: 20 women, 2% cream, 2 months)
  • Skin Perfection product pages for usage rates: EyeSeryl 1 to 10%, Haloxyl 1 to 3%, Regu-Age 2 to 5%, Dermafill 1 to 3%, GSB Natural Preservative Powder (pH 3 to 6), Leucidal SF Complete 2 to 4%.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

About the Author
Written by Kari Thomas, cosmetic formulator and founder of Skin Perfection.