I am not normally a “luxury beauty” consumer, both because I’m on a budget and also because I know affordable products usually work just as well as luxury. There are occasionally exceptions when certain products really catch my eye. Last year, I discovered Alpyn Beauty and everything about the brand and its products stood out to me. The product that intrigued me most, due to its bold claims, was Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm.
Eye creams aren’t absolutely necessary, but I enjoy that extra step in my morning and night time skincare routines. I have combination skin with an oily t-zone, however, the skin under my eyes can sometimes look dry. I also have some darkness under my eyes, fine lines, and sometimes puffiness. Since I have those skin concerns that are specific to the under-eye area, I feel that it’s beneficial to use products designed to be gentle and improve the appearance of the under-eyes.
This vegan brand is unique and not very well-known, so I’ll tell you a little bit about it. Alpyn Beauty sustainably sources organic wild botanical ingredients from the mountains in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The ingredients used in Alpyn Beauty products are backed by science to preserve, protect, and strengthen skin. Alpyn Beauty is also a member of 1% for the Planet, which means the company donates 1% of all sales to environmental causes!
Please continue reading for my full review of Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm. I’ll be discussing packaging, ease of application, hydration, how well this product works in tandem with other skincare, ingredients, and price.
Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm product claims directly from AlpynBeauty.com
This ultra-moisturizing, under eye treatment applies like a cream but behaves like a balm—instantly filling in the look of fine lines. Vitamin C, licorice root and bearberry leaf brighten the look of dark circles, while bakuchiol smooths and firms. Caffeine kicks in by reducing the appearance of puffiness for a well-rested look.
Disclosure: IntegriBeauty includes affiliate links within product review posts. I receive commissions for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Additionally, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. IntegriBeauty is independently owned and all products discussed within IntegriBeauty product review posts are thoroughly tested and given honest reviews.
Other product details
- Price: $62.00
- Net weight: 0.5 oz. | 14 ml
- Made in the USA
- Cruelty-free (Leaping Bunny certified)
- Vegan
- Formulated without phenoxyethanol, parabens, formaldehyde donors, MEA/DEA/TEA, palm-derived ingredients, sulfates, synthetic dyes, synthetic fragrance, phthalates, petrochemicals, PEGs/PPGs, metallic aluminum, triclosan, talc, mineral oil, petrolatum
- Fragrance-free
- Recyclable packaging
- Shelf life: 12 months
- Where to buy: AlpynBeauty.com or Amazon.com
- AlpynBeauty.com ships to the USA and US protectorates.
- Amazon.com ships internationally to over 100 countries, but not all items will ship to every country. Update your default shipping address to see items that will ship to your location.
- Overall rating: 8.2/10
- Packaging/ease of application: 7/10
- Hydration: 10/10
- Team player: 10/10
- Ingredients: 8/10
- Price: 6/10
Please note that I am not a skincare professional. I am simply an individual that enjoys learning about and using skincare products. Speak to your dermatologist or esthetician if you have any concerns.
Packaging/ease of application
Like many eye creams, Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm is packaged in a jar. More specifically, it comes in a clear glass jar with a plastic lid. The glass is nice because it feels heavy and luxurious, and it’s recyclable, but a jar is not the ideal packaging for this product.
That’s because there are several active ingredients that are sensitive to light and air. Since this jar is translucent, light is able to reach the product all the time unless it’s stored in a dark area. Additionally, every time the jar is opened, the product is exposed to air! Unfortunately, this means that the ingredients in this product will degrade more quickly than they would if the product was packaged differently.
So why use a jar, then? I assume this eye balm was packaged in a jar because of its thick texture. I think it is definitely too thick for a squeeze tube, which is another common type of packaging for eye creams. A small opaque pump may be the ideal packaging for this product, though that would likely result in more waste, which goes against Alpyn Beauty’s ethos.
You may be wondering why this product is called an “eye balm” instead of an “eye cream.” It’s because of this product’s thick texture. It does feel more like a balm than a standard eye cream when first picked up on the fingers. That concerned me at first, but I quickly learned to enjoy the texture.
While this eye balm feels very heavy at first, it quickly melts into the skin. I think the heat from the skin literally causes it to melt. As it is gently blended into the skin, it also absorbs quickly. I find that this eye balm is very easy to apply as long as I don’t pick up too much. It’s best to start with a very small amount and add more as needed, since the formula is so thick and emollient.
Hydration
I think Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm may just be the most hydrating eye cream I’ve ever used. Granted, many of the “eye creams” I’ve used have been more of a lightweight gel texture. It really is very hydrating though, I have to give it credit!
It doesn’t feel quite as occlusive as Versed The Fix Emergency Eye Mask, but overall I believe it provides more hydration to the skin. One of the things I like best about this Alpyn Beauty product is that it feels so hydrating, yet it doesn’t feel greasy once it’s absorbed into the skin. I think this eye balm would work well for all skin types! The skin around my eyes is usually normal, but I believe this eye balm is hydrating enough for dry skin and absorbs enough to work for normal to oily skin!
Team player
A concern with any thick emollient eye cream (or in this case “eye balm”) is that it will cause makeup to move around, or sometimes even pill with other products. I apply Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm right before moisturizer in both my morning and nighttime skincare routines.
In the morning, I find that this eye balm applies well over my other skincare products. After applying the eye balm, my moisturizer, sunscreen, and makeup applies just fine over it! I really was unsure if I’d be able to use it during the day because I thought its thick formula might not work under makeup. I didn’t need to be worried at all, and I enjoy getting that boost of hydration under my eyes before applying makeup.
The experience with this eye balm at night is much the same. It applies smoothly over my other skincare products. I usually will use a heavier moisturizer at night, and those apply well over this eye balm, too! I’m very happy to report that I don’t have any problems using any other products alongside Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm.
Ingredients
Alpyn Beauty is a clean beauty brand that emphasizes ingredients, so I knew their ingredients would be very interesting. Some of them surprised me, and many were very unique ones I’d never seen before! Some clean beauty brands put a limit on the number of ingredients in their formulations, but Alpyn Beauty isn’t one of those. Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm contains 40 ingredients! Here’s the full list:
water, sodium hyaluronate, cetearyl alcohol, squalane, coconut alkanes, glycerin, pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract, coco-caprylate/caprate, mica, titanium dioxide, bakuchiol, centella asiatica meristem cell culture, xanthan gum, euphrasia officinalis extract, cetearyl glucoside, sorbitan stearate, dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol, linoleic acid, cetyl hydroxyethylcellulose, caffeine, tripeptide-29, potassium sorbate, hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate, kappaphycus alvarezii extract, caesalpinia spinosa fruit extract, tocopherol, tin oxide, caesalpinia sappan bark extract, glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, arctostaphylos uva ursi (bearberry) leaf extract, ascorbic acid (vitamin c), ceramide ng, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, salvia officinalis (sage) leaf extract, arnica montana (arnica) flower extract, borago officinalis (borage) flower extract, calendula officinalis (calendula) flower extract, chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract
The breakdown of ingredients for this product is pretty good! I split them into three categories. There are 20 (that’s half!) “good” ingredients that provide skincare benefits. Next, there are 17 “neutral” ingredients that neither benefit or harm the skin. Lastly, there are three “bad” ingredients that have the potential to harm skin. I’ll start with brief descriptions of those good skincare ingredients I mentioned!:
- Sodium hyaluronate
- Sodium form of hyaluronic acid (they work the same way)
- Humectant
- Squalane
- Moisturizer found naturally in certain fish, plants, and human skin (in this case, it’s sourced from plants)
- Glycerin
- Natural moisturizer
- Pyrus malus (apple) fruit extract
- Moisturizing and smoothing
- Acids (like malic and gallic acids) provide mild exfoliation, skin brightening, and antibacterial properties
- Bakuchiol
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Performs similarly to retinol for anti-aging by promoting collagen production and decreasing a collagen-attacking enzyme in the skin
- No side effects like retinol sometimes has
- Can be used with retinol
- Centella asiatica meristem cell culture
- Antioxidant
- Linoleic acid
- Omega-6 fatty acid
- Very important for maintaining a healthy skin barrier
- Lightens hyperpigmentation
- Tripeptide-29
- Small peptide that may trick the skin into thinking new collagen is needed, and therefore increasing collagen synthesis
- Kappaphycus alvarezii extract
- Red algae extract
- Contains galactan that limits the shortening of telomeres, which can help to maintain skin cell longevity and delay signs of aging in the skin
- Caesalpinia spinosa fruit extract
- Skin-protectant
- Tocopherol (vitamin E)
- Antioxidant
- Strengthens skin barrier
- Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract
- Anti-inflammatory
- Skin-lightener
- Helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil
- Improves damaged or irritated skin barrier
- Loaded with fatty acids
- Arctostaphylos uva ursi (bearberry) leaf extract
- Contains skin-lightening agent, arbutin, which may fade brown spots
- Antioxidant
- Ascorbic acid
- Purest form of vitamin C (aka L-ascorbic acid)
- Most researched form of vitamin C
- Potent antioxidant
- High concentrations are effective at evening out skin tone
- Ceramide NG
- Type of ceramide that can be found naturally in the skin
- Important for a healthy skin barrier and keeping skin hydrated
- Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil
- Wax ester that stays on the skin surface to moisturize and make skin soft
- Borago officinalis (borage) flower extract
- Rich source of linolenic acid
- Lightens hyperpigmentation
- Calendula officinalis (calendula) flower extract
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Skin-soothing
- Chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract
- Antioxidant
- Potent skin-soothing property
- May aggravate skin that is sensitive to plants in the daisy family
The first two ingredients (which have the highest concentration) in this eye balm are water and sodium hyaluronate. Sodium hyaluronate is a common skincare ingredient, but not usually in such a high concentration. As a humectant, sodium hyaluronate will hold that water in the skin to improve its hydration. That hydration often has a bonus plumping effect to improve the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Many of the other beneficial skincare ingredients listed here are also quite impressive, but I was most intrigued by bakuchiol. Of all the skincare products I’ve tried, this is the first one that contains this trendy ingredient! There is some disagreement in the skincare community about the efficacy of bakuchiol vs. retinol, but it sounds very promising.
I could go on and on about some of these other great skincare ingredients too, but I don’t want to bore you! Next up are the “neutral” ingredients. These are much simpler ingredients that are important to the efficacy and preservation of the formula, but don’t provide direct benefit to the skin.
The “neutral” ingredients in this product act as solvents, emollients, thickeners, colorants, preservatives, and more. One ingredient of interest in this category, that’s much different from the others, is caffeine. I labeled it as a “neutral” ingredient because while it may have soothing and antioxidant properties, it can also be sensitizing. The level of risk with this ingredient seems to be reasonably low.
That leaves only three more ingredients, and they’re the “bad” ones I mentioned earlier. The most common ingredients in this category are fragrance ingredients, but fortunately this eye balm is free of both artificial and natural fragrances.
The first problem ingredient is euphrasia officinalis extract which is a multipurpose ingredient that was included for its antimicrobial, astringent, emollient, and soothing properties. Unfortunately, its tannin content may aggravate skin. Next up is hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate, a molecularly smaller version of sodium hyaluronate. While it penetrates skin well and may be able to moisturize deeply, its small size means it has potential to cause irritation. The final problem ingredient is arnica montana flower extract. Some sources believe it has an anti-inflammatory property, but it can cause skin irritation. Fortunately, the hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate and arnica montana flower extract are in the bottom half of the list, and should therefore have very low concentrations.
Looking at all of the ingredients in Alpyn Beauty eye balm, I’d say the pros definitely outweigh the cons. I’m very impressed by the variety of outstanding ingredients used in this formulation. The three problem ingredients may be problematic for some with very sensitive skin, but I do not experience any irritation myself.
Price
I normally only spend about $20.00 or less on eye creams. When I saw that Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm is $62.00, I admit that I was a bit shocked! This eye balm contains a standard amount of product for an eye cream, 0.5 ounce (14 ml) which means it is $124.00/ounce. This product is definitely not in my normal price range, but I was fortunate to receive it as a Christmas gift from my husband because he knew how much I wanted to try it.
Fortunately, a little goes a long way with this eye balm. I’ve been using it for a month now and it barely looks like I’ve used any. That’s saying something since I use this eye balm both morning and night! At this rate, I estimate that this product will last me at least a few months (would be six months or more if I only used it once a day).
While I think this eye balm is a really beautiful product inside and out, I don’t think I could justify purchasing it on a regular basis. Someone that is comfortable spending $62.00 on individual skincare products would likely feel differently. I’m quite frugal with most of my beauty purchases, so that’s the perspective I’m using to evaluate the price of Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm.
I’m very skeptical of skincare products in general, but especially ones that are pricey and make bold claims. Like this one! I’ve got to say though, Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm is one of very few products that instantly impressed me upon the very first application. The texture is absolutely perfect, it feels incredible on the skin, and I did think my fine lines looked less noticeable right after application. I don’t really notice a difference in the appearance of my fine lines once I have makeup applied, but on no-makeup days, my under-eyes do look better with this eye balm applied.
With every product review I write, I like to look back at product claims once I’ve had a chance to thoroughly evaluate every aspect of the product in question. Alpyn Beauty makes several claims about this eye balm. The description states that it is ultra-moisturizing, instantly fills in fine lines, brightens dark circles, smooths, firms, and reduces puffiness.
I definitely agree that the formula is highly moisturizing and appears to fill in fine lines. It may also brighten dark circles a bit, but I think that has more to do with the mica that adds a slight shimmer, rather than anything lasting. I think it might also help to reduce puffiness. As far as smoothing and firming, I haven’t seen those effects yet. It’s likely that those are more long-term effects that would come from using this product for an extended period of time.
I genuinely think that almost everyone would enjoy Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm. The texture and overall experience of this product are so pleasant, and the hydration it provides would be lovely for most, if not all, skin types. Those with very oily under-eyes are probably the one exception.
Have you tried this eye balm or any other skincare products from Alpyn Beauty? The brand’s range of products is small, but impressive. Please comment below with any thoughts you have on this product. 🙂
Lauren
