The Changing Face of Eye Care: 10 Years of MZ SKIN

Congratulations on ten years of MZ SKIN! From that first launch at Harrods to where the brand is today, what have been the defining moments in the evolution of the eye range?

It is quite extraordinary to think that it has been ten years. When I launched MZ SKIN in 2016, I was already spending every day looking at the eye area clinically, and I felt there was a real gap between what I was seeing and treating in my patients and what was available in skincare.

Therefore, the eye area was central from the beginning. We started with products such as the Hydra Bright Gold Eye Mask because I wanted to approach the eye differently, with targeted formulations designed specifically for the anatomy and needs of this very delicate area, rather than simply taking a face cream and making a smaller version of it.

Over the years, the range has evolved into a much more targeted approach to eye care, because not all eyes age or present in the same way. For example, Microtox Tightening Eye Serum focuses on fine lines, firmness and elasticity; meanwhile, the Intensive Bio Placenta Eye Cream is aimed at more mature skin that needs an extra level of peptide support, while also helping to restore luminosity and smoothness. Then there are our masks, which are the perfect quick pick me up when the eye area needs hydration, brightness and a more rested appearance in a short amount of time.

That is really what has been exciting about the evolution of the range. We have moved from simply thinking about eye cream to thinking about the eye area much more clinically and specifically: what is the concern, what is the skin doing, and which ingredients and technologies can best address it?

The science has become much more sophisticated over the last decade, particularly around peptides, growth factor technology, hyaluronic acid, brightening actives and barrier support, but the philosophy has never changed: understand the anatomy and the clinical concern first, then formulate around it.

The eye area has been a constant focus throughout your career, from your work as an oculoplastic surgeon and aesthetic doctor to MZ SKIN. Why is this part of the face so important?

The eyes are extraordinary because they are both anatomically complex and incredibly expressive. They are one of the first areas where we notice change and aging, and it’s the first thing we look at when we see someone; the eyes express warmth, sadness, excitement and love before the words ever come out.

The skin around the eyes is delicate, constantly moving and closely connected to underlying muscle, fat, fascia and bone. As we age, it is not simply that the skin develops a few wrinkles, changes occur at multiple levels of the face – from skin quality and elasticity to fat distribution, brow position, eyelid position and the underlying skeletal framework.

That is why I always say that treating the eye is not simply about treating a wrinkle or line – you have to understand the architecture of the entire periorbital region. As an oculoplastic surgeon, I am looking at millimetres all day long – very small changes can make a significant difference to how rested, open and balanced someone looks.

The past decade has seen significant advances in both skincare and aesthetics. What do we understand about the eye area in 2026 that we either did not know, or were not paying enough attention to, when you launched MZ SKIN in 2016?

I think the biggest change is that we now have a much more sophisticated understanding of ageing as a three dimensional process.

Ten years ago, conversations around eye ageing were often dominated by wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness; surgical and non surgical as separate and non overlapping; and parts of the face were evaluated separately. We now understand much more clearly that these wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness are the visible consequences of multiple processes involving the skin, extracellular matrix, muscle, fat compartments, ligaments, bone and even the position of the brow, as well as skin quality.

We also understand much more about the importance of the skin barrier and the specific requirements of periocular skin. It is not just a smaller area of facial skin; it has different structural and functional characteristics and requires a much more targeted approach.

That has influenced the way I formulate enormously. I am interested in multifunctional products that work across several of those visible signs simultaneously, but always with respect for the sensitivity and anatomy of the eye area. Similarly, eye formulations have to be different to tackle different concerns.  While there is overlap, there is usually one concern that outpaces the others.  

Our lifestyles have changed considerably in that time, too. We spend more of our lives looking at screens, often alongside disrupted sleep and increasingly demanding schedules. Are you seeing those behaviours reflected in the way the eye area ages or presents clinically? Has that influenced the way you formulate?

Absolutely, although I would make an important distinction between what affects the eyes and what directly accelerates ageing of the skin.

What I see very clearly in clinic is the effect of modern lifestyles on how the eye area looks and feels. Prolonged screen use is associated with altered blinking, ocular surface dryness and digital eye strain. When you are concentrating on a screen, you tend to blink less completely, which can contribute to dryness and irritation.

Then you have sleep deprivation, stress, travel, dehydration and long working hours. All of these can make the eye area look more tired, puffy, dull or dehydrated.

 It has reinforced my belief that eye care needs to be both preventative and responsive. I want formulations that support hydration and the skin barrier, but also address visible concerns such as puffiness, dullness, fine lines and loss of firmness. The formulations are not different and I do not think differently in how I formulate: the concerns and processes remain the same but their rate of onset changes as we accelerate our lives!

And of course, skincare cannot compensate for everything. If you are sleeping four hours a night and staring at a screen for twelve hours, the best eye cream in the world cannot completely disguise that.

The Hydra Bright Gold Eye Mask was part of MZ SKIN’s original collection when you launched in 2016, and it remains a hero product ten years later. What do you think has made it such an enduring favourite? And how has the formula evolved alongside advances in our understanding of the eye area?

I think it has endured because it delivers something people can see and feel very immediately. You put them on and 10 minutes later the eyes just look more refreshed and that’s what it’s meant to do. The eye area can look tired almost overnight, and sometimes you want an immediate intervention rather than a long term treatment.

The Hydra Bright Gold Eye Mask gives hydration, luminosity and a fresher appearance, which is why it is particularly loved before an event, after travel or simply when you look in the mirror and think you look exhausted.

The formulation has evolved as our understanding and technology have evolved. It combines ingredients including hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, panthenol, a collagen complex and colloidal gold to hydrate, smooth and brighten the under eye area. Current user testing found improvements in radiance, hydration, firmness and the appearance of tiredness.

But I think the real secret is that it remains very easy to use: 10-15 minutes, and the eye area looks more refreshed. That is a very satisfying skincare experience.

The Intensive Bio Placenta Eye Cream is another product that has remained a key part of the MZ SKIN eye range. What do you think has given it such longevity? What can consistent use achieve for the eye area over time?

The Intensive Bio Placenta Eye Cream is much more of a long term treatment product. It was developed because I wanted an eye cream that addressed several dimensions of ageing at once: hydration, fine lines, firmness, texture and luminosity particularly as I was entering my 50s and experiencing hormonal changes.

Bio Placenta is one of the technologies that has become very closely associated with MZ SKIN. Ours is a lab grown, vegan peptide technology designed to mimic some of the signalling activity associated with growth factors, rather than using human or animal placenta.

The formula combines Bio Placenta with peptides, hyaluronic acid and bakuchiol. In independent clinical testing, it has demonstrated substantial improvements in upper eyelid smoothness, fine lines, crow’s feet, firmness and hydration. I know of no other cream that has tested upper eyelid skin.  

For me, the important word is consistency. Skincare is not surgery. You cannot expect one application to remodel the architecture of the face. But consistent use can improve the quality, hydration, smoothness and appearance of the skin, and that is ultimately what makes the eye area look healthier and more rested over time.

At a time when we are hearing more than ever about Botox and preventative aesthetic treatments, where does a product like the Microtox Tightening Eye Serum fit in? What can it realistically achieve when it comes to smoothing and tightening the eye area? Where do you draw the line between what skincare can do and what requires an in clinic treatment?

 I am very clear about this because I am a surgeon with an aesthetic specialty: skincare and procedures are not interchangeable.

The Microtox Tightening Eye Serum is designed to improve the quality and appearance of the skin. It uses peptides and a Sichuan pepper derived active to help create a smoother, firmer appearance, alongside hydrating and brightening ingredients. In clinical testing it improved firmness by 29.9%, elasticity by 28.1%, hydration by 24.3% and fine lines by 10.5% after one month.

That is meaningful, but it is still skincare.

If someone has true skin excess, significant fat herniation, ptosis, brow descent or structural volume loss, no serum is going to correct the underlying anatomy. That is where assessment by an experienced doctor becomes important.

I think the mistake is to see everything as either skincare or procedures. I see them as complementary. Good skincare optimises the skin; treatments can address deeper anatomical changes. The art is knowing what each can realistically achieve.

For someone discovering MZ SKIN for the first time and choosing between the Hydra Bright Gold Eye Mask, Intensive Bio Placenta Eye Cream and Microtox Tightening Eye Serum, how would you distinguish between them? Who is each product really for?

I would think about what your eyes need.

The Hydra Bright Gold Eye Mask is your immediate reset. If you have travelled, had a late night, have dehydrated or dull looking eyes, or simply want to look more awake before an event, that is where I would start. It is an instant hydration and radiance treatment.

The Intensive Bio Placenta Eye Cream is your everyday long term eye treatment. If your priorities are fine lines, dryness, firmness, upper eyelid texture and overall skin quality, this is the one I would use consistently morning and evening, particularly in women with hormonal shifts. 

The Microtox Tightening Eye Serum is more targeted towards firmness, elasticity, fine lines and that slightly crepey or tired quality that can develop under the eyes. It is lightweight and works beautifully as a serum beneath an eye cream.

They are not really competitors; they perform different roles. In fact, you can use them together: serum, eye cream and the mask when you want an additional treatment boost.

You continue to treat patients alongside running MZ SKIN, giving you a particularly interesting perspective on how the face changes over time. How directly does what you see in the clinic inform the products you develop?

Completely. The clinic is effectively my laboratory, although obviously everything we formulate has to go through the appropriate development and testing process.

I am still seeing patients every day, and that means I see the same concerns repeatedly and, importantly, I see them at different stages of life. I see what patients are asking for, what bothers them, what looks natural and what does not, and where skincare can genuinely make a difference.

I also see the limitations of skincare every day. That is incredibly important when developing a product because it keeps you honest.

For me, the relationship between surgery, aesthetics and skincare is circular. My surgical work informs my understanding of anatomy; my aesthetic work informs my understanding of skin and facial ageing; and that clinical experience informs how I formulate. That is really the foundation of MZ SKIN: products developed from clinical observation rather than from a marketing trend.

We are seeing a much younger consumer become interested in prevention, or prejuvenation, with people in their twenties considering treatments and products that might once have been associated with a much older demographic. From your perspective as an aesthetic doctor, how do you view that shift? Has it changed the way you think about who you are formulating for?

I think prevention is sensible, but I am very cautious about turning youth into a problem that needs to be fixed.

Someone in their twenties does not need an aggressive anti ageing programme. What they do need is good skin fundamentals: reveal, enhance and protect: appropriate cleansing, hydration, antioxidant protection, daily SPF and a sensible approach to their individual skin concerns.

The most valuable preventative treatment is often the least glamorous one: protecting your skin from ultraviolet exposure and maintaining a healthy skin barrier.

I also think we need to be careful about social media creating the idea that everyone should be having injectables or procedures before they have actually developed a clinical concern. As a surgeon specialising in aesthetics, I would much rather educate someone about their anatomy and skin and tell them they do not need a treatment than treat someone unnecessarily.

That philosophy has always been important to me. It’s not about making people look different, it is about helping people understand their skin, protect it and enhance what is already there. 

That is probably why the eye has remained such an important part of the brand for ten years. My goal is not to erase expression – it is to keep the eye area looking healthy, rested and beautifully cared for as you move through life.