This Under-The-Radar Eye Cream Is Flying Off The Shelves At Sephora

We occupy a world currently fixated on healing crystals, energy cleanses, and witchcraft as self-care, and yet some of us are still more skeptical about eye cream than we are about labyrinth spirituality or friendly ghosts. (Emphasis on friendly.)

The debate over whether a designated anti-aging product for the eye area is truly necessary or just another example of the beauty industrial complex hard sell is ongoing. Some don’t believe in eye cream; others wouldn’t dream of facing the day and all its skin-aging stressors without it. Maybe that’s just because the perfect eye cream — the one that turns all the naysayers into zealots — doesn't yet exist. Or maybe you just haven’t tried it yet.

There’s one particularly buzzy formula that has the potential to flip even the staunchest of non-believers. Since launching at Sephora in February, the Biossance Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel has quickly climbed the ranks to become the beauty megastore’s best-selling eye cream. Considering the website stocks around 200 different options, that’s no minor feat for a clean, green, eco-friendly brand that’s flown safely under the radar until now.

Like the rest of the Biossance line, the eye gel features 100% plant-derived squalane as its star nourishing ingredient. Squalane, which is already produced by human skin cells to retain moisture, is an excellent natural hydrator — but until recently, the only way to obtain squalane was to start with squalene, which is sourced from the livers of sharks. That sounds... painful?

Environmentally, the overuse of shark liver oil is far from kosher, so Biossance uses a patented technology that derives squalane from sugarcane. The result is an oil that’s as close in composition to your own natural sebum as possible, without killing the 3,000 sharks it takes to produce one ton of squalane. With an estimated annual global use of about 2,000 tons in cosmetics alone, that means millions of sharks will live another day without us slathering their livers on our faces.

In addition to squalane (the sugarcane version), which locks in moisture to prevent dryness and dehydration, the lightweight gel incorporates peptides to reduce dark circles and diminish puffiness and the extract of “rare Swiss apples” to brighten the eye area. It is also non-toxic, fragrance-free, mineral oil-free, dermatologist and ophthalmologist-tested, noncomedogenic, and suitable for even the most sensitive skin types.

And better still, because the ingredients are sustainably sourced, you don't have to worry about the karmic retribution that comes with the knowledge of your role in the slowly dwindling shark population. You do believe in karma, don't you?

Biossance Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel, $54, available at Sephora.