I used to get very sore and sensitive eyes when I was a fully-jobbing-globe-trotting fashion model – layers and layers of black eyeliner and smudged-in shadow and eyelash glue and whatever else they bunged onto my lids would play absolute havoc with my skin. And I hadn’t really had sore eyes in ages until the other day, when I was trying out makeup looks and had layers and layers of black eyeliner on, and smudged-in shadow, and eyelash glue and – you get the picture. There’s a definite theme here: lots of eyemakeup = sore eyes. For me, at least.

So I pulled out some old tried-and-tested products in an attempt to soothe and improve – and made a new skincare discovery at the same time. All of the below are brilliant at pushing the reset button on sore undereyes and eyelids. They’re great to have on standby even if you usually prefer something a little more active and hardcore, and they’re not just for heavy makeup-wearers, either. Hayfever sufferers, those who cry easily, people who stare at the computer for too long: all will benefit from having the following in their bathroom cabinets…

Liz Earle’s Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion – £13.25 here. Great as an impromptu mask – just soak two cotton wool pads and place over hot, swollen eyes. I like to use it after proper eye makeup remover, just to get rid of any oily residue and soothe the skin. Brilliant in the summer, even more brilliant if you keep it in the fridge.

Pai’s Echium & Argan Organic Eye Cream, £30 here. I discovered this a few years ago and – when it came to sore-eye-treating – never looked back. I’ve actually used small amounts of this cream to remove eye makeup after particularly lengthy and intense beauty shoots, when everything else just felt too much, and I’ve layered it on more thickly as an overnight mask . If you really have very sensitive skin and struggle to find anything gentle enough, I would definitely recommend you give this a try.

Bioderma’s Sensibio Eye Contour Gel, £14.20 here. This is my new discovery, and a mighty fine one it is too. I was instantly wowed – a light, readily-absorbed gel-cream (it’s not a transparent gel, as you might expect) that packs an incredible punch when it comes to soothing and comforting the skin. Cooling but not tightening, this goes straight into my in-flight beauty bag.

Another tried-and-tested sensitive skin staple; Weleda’s Almond Soothing Cleansing Lotion – £8.55 with free delivery here. This very delicately cleanses the skin without leaving any greasy residue – in fact my face always feels far fresher than I expect it to after rinsing this away. I’ve also used it with cotton wool pads when I have been travelling and still, no unpleasant residue. I have no complaints whatsoever about this little cleanser and I love that it’s in a travel-friendly tube – though I wish there was a larger size available too, because I go through this stuff like nobody’s business!

More skincare reviews for sensitive skin…

What are your sensitive eye skincare staples? Anything I should be adding to the list? Let me know in the comments…