With the advancement of eye creams in recent years, a common question people ask is:  "which eye creams are FDA approved?"  

Being the leading eye cream research authority on the web, we will clear up this question once and for all. 

The answer is that cosmetics are not FDA approved, because the FDA does not regulate them.  While wrinkle-treating injections such as Botox are subject to FDA guidelines, most skin care products are not subject to any sort of FDA testing. 

There is one thing eye cream consumers should keep in the back of their minds, however: 

Imported eye creams that are brought across the border can be made anywhere, even mixed in buckets in a garage, or made by people without proper education.  Sometimes, even impoverished children could be the ones deciding if your eye cream will be effective. 

While you can rest assured that is not the case with the reputable skin care companies out there that you see in all of your favorite retail locations, you never know what you are getting when you buy a skin care product that is made outside the USA by a brand you’ve never heard of until now.  The fact is, manufacturing facilities that are outside the USA are not subject to the same rigorous inspections that facilities residing in the USA are subject to.

For this reason, it’s important to know who you are dealing with when you invest in skin care products such as eye creams.  If the company you are investigating makes their products outside of the USA, and they are not reputable or known, we advise you to proceed with caution.  The fact that they may base their operation in the United States may be comforting for customer service issues, but at the end of the day you want your skin to look great and can’t afford any irritation. 

We spoke to one of our advertisers, a representative of a company manufacturing skin care products in the USA.  He had this to say about the whole FDA eye cream topic:

"Companies such as ours who are proud to make products in the USA are quick to point out our manufacturing information.  We show our customers photos of our actual laboratory as well as our FDA number, which can be searched online to show an impeccable record.  The staff operating the machines in our facilities are University educated and hold certifications on the subject of product formulation and even more important, sanitation.  Even one small trace of dirt or another substance can ruin an entire production run."  

We have been forwarded articles from our loyal readers written by some amateur bloggers who have made assumptions that skin care companies are trying to "trick and confuse customers" by using the FDA logo on their website.  There is no trick, folks.  These companies have earned every right to use that logo on their site and show their customers where they make their products.  It would be nice if all companies out there selling products capable of causing long-lasting effects would be so forthcoming.  The real "internet scammers" (as the articles we were sent imply) are the ones out there using fake testimonials and quoting Dermatologists that don’t exist.

Any cream or emulsion mixed in the USA is subject to regular audits by both the FDA and the respective State Health Boards.  It’s best to look for products whose manufacturers are forthcoming with this information and proud to display it on their website.  Our eye cream research team does NOT endorse buying any creams manufactured outside the USA unless you are buying from a well-known company, which in most cases sends over high-paid technicians who can supervise the formulation process.  While multi-national companies are capable of doing this, the small start-ups that are out there looking for the cheapest creams and fattest margins don’t always do their proper due diligence.

The bottom line is that no matter where you live in the world and no matter what your political views are, you need to do your due diligence when buying eye creams online.  Our advice is when in doubt, stick to a country with more laws and regulations than most people care to discuss:  The USA.