Under-eye gels are extremely popular skincare products thanks to their universal and simple application, visually-appealing aesthetics and presentation. They are especially useful for younger generations and people living in hotter climates who may prefer non-greasy, less sticky gels as a solution for targeting this delicate area of their skin.
Under-eye gels are often rich in high-performance ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, humectants, peptides and plant extracts. It is common for products developed for the sensitive skin around the eyes to be fragrance free or have only minimal amounts of scent (whether from nature-identical aromas or essential oils) in order to reduce the chance of irritation or allergic reaction.
In this blog post, we’re going to show you how to make a simple, hydrating under-eye gel. Our easy formulation can inspire your own gel projects.
What is special about under-eye skin?
The skin in the under-eye area is unique, and delicate compared to the skin on other parts of our face. It’s the thinnest skin on the entire body and also has fewer oil glands and less subcutaneous tissue along with lower fat deposits.
This thinness makes it more susceptible to reflecting changes in our lifestyle, our level of hydration and our sleep regime. In addition, it is also a first area to witness natural physiological processes like ageing. It is no coincidence that our under-eye skin is susceptible to issues such as puffiness, dark circles, pigmentation differences and irritation.
Ideal skincare for the under-eye area
Given these characteristics, it’s essential to treat the skin around the eyes with care. This includes using gentle skincare products, protecting the area from sun damage with sunscreen and sunglasses, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and adopting a healthy lifestyle to minimise factors that contribute to visible signs of premature skin ageing and skin damage. Additionally, using specialised eye creams, gels or serums formulated for the under-eye area can help address the specific concerns of such delicate skin.
Under-eye gel formulation: key ingredients
We have selected particularly soothing, cooling and hydrating ingredients that have a pleasing skin feel and can protect the thin skin under our eyes.
Lavender hydrosol – although our product does not include specific fragrance ingredients for the reasons we outlined earlier, we include lavender hydrosol. This brings a beautiful, gentle floral and calming scent to our under-eye gel, as well as other benefits such as soothing and mild astringent properties to refine skin texture and rebalance the skin.
Aloe vera powder extract – this universally-loved ingredient adds minerals, vitamins and natural polysaccharides, and supports the skin’s natural physiological processes, restoring the skin barrier and aiding skin hydration. Find out more about this ingredient in our formulator’s guide to aloe vera in natural skincare.
Tremella fuciformis extract – snow mushroom extract improves skin hydration, leaving the skin plump, soft, and supple. Also, it forms a film on the skin restoring the skin barrier and helping to prevent moisture loss.
Blue pea flower extract – is added to impress with its colour that strongly depends on the final pH of created solutions, although it’s worth noting that extracts derived from this plant have some anti-inflammatory and calming properties too.
Clearthix S – is a highly-synergistic blend of natural gelling agents that provides a clear gel. This natural thickener and smooth consistency agent is an ideal ingredient for simple DIY projects, such as gels or serums.
Euxyl K903 – our aqueous formulation needs a broad-spectrum preservative suitable for a natural skincare range. Euxyl has full-spectrum efficacy and works effectively at a pH5-5.5 and below.
Our formulation: Easy DIY under-eye gel
Makes: recommended trial batch size: approx. 50-100g.
Formulation: mainly a cold-process formulation (just a hot infusion to make).
Time taken: 15 minutes.
Level: beginner-level formulation to personalise and adapt.
| Phase | Ingredients | INCI | Weight (g) |
| A | Aqua | Aqua | 40.80 |
| A | Blue pea flower extract | Clitoria tenatea flower extract | 0.50 |
| B | Lavender hydrosol | Lavandula angustifolia flower water | 45.00 |
| B | DERMOSOFT PA-3 | Sodium Phytate and aqua and alcohol | 0.10 |
| C | Tremella fuciformis extract | Tremella fuciformis sporocarp extract | 5.00 |
| D | Aloe vera extract | Aloe barbadensis leaf juice powder | 0.20 |
| D | Pentylene glycol | Pentylene glycol | 2.00 |
| E | Glycerin | Glycerin | 4.00 |
| E | Clearthix S | Cellulose Gum and Algin | 1.40 |
| F | Euxyl K903 | Benzyl Alcohol (and) Benzoic Acid (and) Dehydroacetic Acid (and) Tocopherol | 1.00 |
| G | Lactic acid | Lactic acid | q.s. |
| Total: 100.00 |
Equipment:
- Scales
- Stainless steel bowls
- Stainless steel spoons
- Glass rods
- Silicone spatula
- Watch glass
- Protective gloves
- Suitable container
Method of Manufacture: Under-eye gel
- Preparation
Sanitise your utensils and work area, and wear appropriate personal protective equipment and follow Good Manufacturing Practice. (Not sure how? Enrol for Formula Botanica’s Diploma in Organic Skincare Formulation).
- Make an infusion of the water and blue pea flower extract
Make an infusion of the water and blue pea flower extract (Phase A ingredients). Boil the water and pour it over the blue pea flower powder. Let these infuse for 10 minutes, and then strain.
- Add lavender hydrosol, chelating agent and snow mushroom
When the infusion is cold, add lavender hydrosol and chelating agent (Dermosoft PA-3) – the Phase B ingredients – and tremella extract (Phase C ingredient), mix well, and set aside.
- Pentylene glycol and aloe
Make a slurry of the pentylene glycol and aloe vera extract (Phase D ingredients), add to the already prepared solution (A+B+C), and mix well.
- Glycerin and Clearthix S
Make a slurry of the glycerin and Clearthix S (Phase E ingredients), pour it into the solution, and mix it well. If there are some clumps, you can use a homogeniser to help with dissolving them and to promote more uniform hydration of the gum.
- Add Preservative and test pH
Add the preservative (Phase F ingredient), mix in well, and test the pH. The formula should have a final pH of 5-5.5.
- Bottle
Decant into a suitable container, label with name, date and batch number.
Formulation tips: Under-eye gel
- The formulation is for an effective, simple, DIY under-eye gel. The ingredients are kept to a minimum and you can freely adjust our selection according to your needs or specific skin concerns you want to target.
- The colour of the gel is obtained from the blue pea flower extract, and although the colour is stabilised with a chelating agent, it will fade over time if not stored in a dark container. Discover a world of natural cosmetic colour in our article: 38 natural colourants for organic skincare.
- Tremella extract is provided as a very thick gel, which can be easily incorporated into the solution after a few minutes of gentle mixing; if you have an overhead stirrer, you can use it to get a uniform blend quicker.
- A natural polymer – Clearthix S – works nicely to form a clear gel, but this one is extremely prone to clumping in the solution. A short homogenisation along with mixing it with glycerin before adding it to the solution will help to resolve this issue.
Suggested suppliers
Many of the suppliers below ship internationally. We indicate their country or regional base.
Aromazone (EU).
Aromantic (UK)
Alexmo Cosmetics (EU)
Manske (EU)
Soap Kitchen (UK)
Elemental (EU)
Lotioncrafter (USA)
Essential Wholesale (USA)
Go Native (New Zealand)
Naturally Balmy (UK)
O&3 – The Oil Family (UK, EU)
Soap & More (Canada)
Handy Made (Slovakia/EU)
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Miroslava is a grading tutor at Formula Botanica. She has a Ph.D in neuroscience, expertise in biology and chemistry, and a lifelong passion for natural cosmetic formulation.
