I've been using this cult £10 moisturiser as an eye cream for five years—as a beauty editor, I think it's better than everything else

A true multi-tasker

Woman having make-up applied at MFW
(Image credit: Getty Images)

For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with people's beauty secrets: the products, techniques and application methods they use to feel their absolute best. I have had many of these throughout my life, but nothing that felt very "secret", so to speak.

I knew that a swipe of pillar box red on the lips made me feel "done" and that a great set of eyelashes made the eyes sing, but these are facts in the beauty sphere. No, I only developed a small coterie of tips and tricks after many years of prepping and painting my face and stepping out of the bounds of what we've been instructed—who says that an eyeliner can't double for the lip or vice versa?

With that in mind, one day, I found that even the very best eye creams, and some very expensive ones at that, simply weren't cutting it. I seemed stuck in a loop of delusion, cycling through the world's most acclaimed and pricey products, only to find that my under eyes never ever looked a smidge better.

This is genetic, sure. My mother, and her mother, and so on, all have hollowed, and dark under-eyes. While I do my best to keep mine plump, if I have a night of bad sleep, they will take on a greige hue, which can be covered with some artful under-eye brighteners and concealers. But what bothers me most is a smattering of fine lines right under the bottom eyelashes; no matter how creamy the concealer, it will inevitably settle into them, and while people say they can't notice it, I can.

Now, it's worth noting at this point that I have very dry skin, which means that the delicate skin under my eyes is even drier. Generally speaking, this applies to everyone—it's substantially thinner and more paper-like here than everywhere else. Plus, it also lacks oil glands, which makes it far more susceptible to dehydration, dryness, and irritation.

That's why it's recommended to use a far more hydrating moisturiser on this area, but dedicated products just weren't cutting it for me. To ensure my skin feels supple and nourished, I layer my moisturiser with oils, and when I need extra help, I'll add a decent swathe of Weleda's Skin Food... And that's when the brain wave occurred.

The results were transformative. It takes a while to skin in, because it's slowly plumping and hydrating the skin—once it does, however, the under-eye is left plump and hydrated, with the fine lines visibly filled. If I'm really on my routine, well-hydrated, and use the product day and night, the lines under my eyes will completely disappear.

It's also a great primer for the make-up that will go over the top; I simply slather it on while I work on the rest of my face and gently wipe it in when I'm ready to apply concealer. It's so good that it's the only eye cream that I've used for the last five years; I swear by it and take it everywhere, short-haul or long-haul.

Nessa wears weleda skinfood

(Image credit: Nessa Humayun)

I would say that the product won't be for everyone. If you have combination, oily or congestion-prone skin, Skin Food may be a bit too heavy for you. I'd always advise patch testing on a small area of skin and going from there, or if you find that your under-eyes are disproportionately drier than the rest of your face, try it just there.

Weleda does have its dedicated eye creams: Pomegranate & Maca Peptides Firming Eye Cream and the Blue Gentian & Edelweiss Contouring Eye and Lip Cream. While these products are nice, they don't deliver the same punch of heavy-duty moisturisation that Skin Food does. I find that I need the maximum amount of nourishment, while other people would likely be just fine with the two creams listed above.

It's also worth noting that this isn't necessarily going to brighten your under eyes; it's more of a hydration booster and plumper.

If you're looking for something for dull and sallow under eyes, you'd want to look for a brightening under-eye cream. In the past, I've enjoyed the SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye for Dark Circles & Wrinkles. Often I will switch up these two products: using the classic Skin Food for hydration and the SkinCeuticals eye cream for brightening. But again, if I could only have one desert island product, it would be my Skin Food—not only for my under eyes but for my face on especially dry days, as well as my hands and feet. It's a truly wonderful product, and I can't live without it.

Nessa Humayun
Junior Beauty Editor

Nessa Humayun is the Junior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire UK. With over eight years of editorial experience across lifestyle sectors, Nessa was previously the Editorial Lead of HUNGER Magazine, and has bylines in British Vogue, Dazed, and Cosmopolitan. A self-confessed human guinea pig, Nessa covers everything from product must-haves to long-reads about the industry writ large. Her beauty ethos is all about using products that work hard, so you don't have to.