Dry, Crepey Under-Eyes on Tretinoin: Why It Happens and How to Fix It
By Karolina Maria Szymczyk, founder of The House of Vellura · October 2026
Tretinoin often leaves the under-eyes dry and crepey even when the rest of the face looks plump, because the skin there is thinner, has fewer oil glands and receives product that migrates from the cheeks. The fix is usually not stopping tretinoin, but keeping it off the eye area, protecting that skin with a barrier-supporting product first, and using a retinoid made for the eyes, if any, much less often.
"My face is dewy, plump and hydrated. My under-eyes look like dry, cracked mud." It is a familiar complaint from people a few months into tretinoin, and it is usually fixable.
Why the under-eyes react
- Thin skin lets retinoids reach sensitive layers quickly.
- Fewer oil glands mean less natural protection against water loss.
- Migration: tretinoin applied to the cheeks moves upwards with warmth, blinking and your pillow.
- Dehydration lines look like crepiness. They often improve within days of protecting the area.
The routine that helps
- Protect first. Before tretinoin, apply a fragrance-free moisturiser with ceramides around the eyes, on the orbital bone.
- Keep a gap. Stop tretinoin about a finger's width below the orbital bone.
- Seal the very edge. A thin layer of plain balm along the lower orbital bone helps stop product creeping in.
- Hydrate in the morning. A light eye product with hyaluronic acid on damp skin, then sunscreen.
- Pause actives around the eyes for a week if the skin is cracked or stinging.
Should you use a retinoid on the eye area?
Only one designed for it, at a low level, and only once the skin is comfortable again. Start every other night, applied to the orbital bone only. Never layer it with tretinoin on the same night. Read how to use actives near the eyes safely.
Dehydration or ageing?
| Dehydration from tretinoin | Age-related crepiness | |
|---|---|---|
| Onset | Weeks after starting | Gradual, over years |
| Feel | Tight, flaky, sometimes stings | Soft, thin, no stinging |
| Response to moisture | Improves within days | Improves slowly with consistent care |
Our approach
The Eye Morning Elixir is a light, retinoid-free formula with peptides, caffeine and niacinamide that sits under sunscreen. The Eye Night Repair uses encapsulated retinaldehyde at 0.05%, dosed for the eye area, for people who want a gentle retinoid there instead of their face tretinoin.
Questions
Can I put tretinoin under my eyes?
Some prescribers allow a tiny amount on the orbital bone, but many people find it too irritating. Follow your prescriber's advice.
Will the crepiness go away?
Dryness-related crepiness usually improves once the area is protected. If it does not, or you see redness and swelling, see your prescriber or a dermatologist.
Is Vaseline under the eyes OK?
A thin layer of a plain ointment on the skin around the eye, not on the lash line, is a common way to protect it.
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General information, not medical advice. If you use prescription tretinoin, follow your prescriber's instructions. Vellura products are cosmetics and are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any condition.