What is it? The new to the market and heavily advertised Olay Regenerist Eye Derma-Pod System "puts the benefits of three treatments at your fingertips...for radiant, younger-looking eyes. Resurfaces--regenerates surface cells, revealing younger-looking skin; decongests puffiness--massage helps remove excess undereye fluids; fills lines and wrinkles--microspheres help fill creases for a smoother look." Available at drugstores and other "big box" stores for anywhere between $18 and $28 (I bought mine for $17.99 from drugstore.com).What did you think? I had high hopes for this product. From all the print and TV ads I saw, it seemed like this product would transform my eyes and would be a wonder product. I couldn't wait to try these things out, because really--who couldn't use a rocking eye product like this?
When I got the package I read the directions several times. All you have to do is grab a "pod", squeeze it, apply it to both eyes, then use the attached sponge applicator to rub the cream into the area around the eye.
At first I was confused (duh! I am a blonde after all!). I wasn't sure if I was supposed to use one pod per eye, or one pod for two eyes. It turns out I use one pod for two eyes. Thus comes problem #1: I always seem to get more product on one eye than the other. Now for problem #2: the foil pack that houses the eye cream is too close to the sponge pad, causing the foil to scratch my skin from time to time during the "massage" process. And having a piece of foil raked across my eyelid isn't the best feeling in the world (I had disturbing eye images from Un Chien Andalou and Clockwork Orange running though my head during the massage portion of my application process--not good!) Problem #3: there is nothing covering the sponge applicator. You have to leave these pods in the box they come in, otherwise you run the risk of getting gunk on the sponge. And when it comes to your eyes, the last thing you want is a less than sterile environment.
Apart from some delivery issues, I found the actual product to be a bit ho-hum. It did hydrate my lids, but I didn't notice any great improvement in the appearance or feel of the skin around my eyes. I normally use a firming cream from Clinique and I love it because when you put it on, it feels like it's actually doing something. With the Derma-Pods, I felt like I was just applying a facial moisturizer to my eyes.
The one positive comment I could say for this is that the pods would be easy to take along if you're traveling. They're single serving eye cream pods, so they'd be a snap to throw in an overnight bag. Apart from portability, I have little love for this product.
The final verdict? Olay has done one thing right with this product: they've found a way to lighten the pockets of its consumers. All I can tell is that they have repackaged an average (at best) eye cream in a way that makes shoppers pay more for less. My honest and brutal opinion: save your money on these Derma-Pods and buy yourself a real eye cream
