Green Bee Botanicals Brightening Eye Cream

Brighten up. Photo: ChingImages. © mymilligram. Art direction: Marcia Gagliardi. Styling: Christian Jusinski/Surfacehaus.

Hey there, babe. You been working late? Not sleeping enough? (You know, there are things that can help with that!) I see those tired eyes. Let’s show those peepers some love with some Brightening Eye Cream. Hurrah, botanist and chemist Bridget May has returned to the legal market with her small-batch, full-spectrum, cannabis skincare line, now rebranded as Green Bee Botanicals (previously Little Green Bee). She launched the line in 2015, leaving her job in the biopharmaceutical industry as an analytical chemist to pursue her dream of developing cannabis skincare. (Lucky us.)


Fans of Bridget’s Little Green Bee line were familiar with her Renewing Serum (which won Best Cannabis Topical in 2018!), massage oil, and eye cream, and now the line is back, with a whole new look and updated formulations, plus a new serum, the Perfecting Serum, for normal to oily skin. I’m still test driving the facial serums and Deep Calm Massage Oil (it smells heavenly), but am just focusing on the Brightening Eye Cream for this feature, which was the first cannabis eye cream on the market!


The eye area is so delicate—you never want anything too rich, oily, or perfumey, and it’s important for a product to be easily absorbed. The Brightening Eye Cream has a dreamy creamy texture—Bridget tells me it was formulated with more water so it wouldn’t be oily. It also features plant-derived squalane (from organic olive oil) to help boost moisture—our bodies recognize this compound and absorb it quickly because we produce our own (known as squalene). Sadly, as we age, we produce less squalene, which forms a protective barrier and helps keep our skin moist, so the eye area is a perfect candidate for it (read more about squalane/squalene here).


The eye cream has both THC and CBD in it (30mg of each in the 0.5 oz. jar), which are both powerful antioxidants. (You won’t get high from a topical, just to clarify!) CBD is one of the hottest ingredients in skincare right now (heck, in everything!), prized for its reputed anti-inflammatory benefits (a boon for folks who suffer from breakouts, acne, rosacea, eczema, and other forms of inflammation). But what we’re seeing in the market is primarily using hemp-derived CBD, while Green Bee Botanicals celebrates the fact California is a legal cannabis state, and uses top-shelf, tested, full-spectrum cannabis extract as the source of the THC and CBD (as well as all the other cannabinoids, over eighty, that are present in whole-plant cannabis).


As for the benefits of having THC in the formulation, Bridget tells me it helps boost the production of sebum, which is often needed in the eye area (it has a tendency to dry out). THC works synergistically with CBD (all hail the entourage effect from whole plant medicine!), and naturally interacts with our bodies’ endocannabinoid system as well. Our skin is covered with cannabinoid receptors, and cannabis is believed to help regulate inflammation and sebum production, promote cell regeneration, soothe irritation, protect skin from free radicals (and aging), and maintain healthy skin.


The cream additionally contains caffeine, which is an antioxidant and fights free radicals, but also has a tightening effect (yessssss). You’ll see calendula on the list of ingredients, which can help with dark circles (it has an effect on vessels), and is very healing and soothing for this delicate tissue area.


It has such a light scent—nothing too floral, so it’s approachable for all genders to use. (There is just the lightest whisper of rose, thanks to the rose hydrosol in the formula.) Bridget only uses organic herbs and ingredients, and everything is vegan, never tested on animals, all-natural, and paraben- and formaldehyde-free.


How I like to use Brightening Eye Cream

Since there’s caffeine plus brightening agents in the cream, this is definitely one to start your day with. Let your eye area wake up and smell the coffee with you! Did someone have a late night? It can help with puffiness, dark circles, and basically just brighten things up. Some folks only like to use eye creams at night, and you can do that, but this is a good one to start the day with, and end with it too. Double duty. And for air travel? Don’t leave home without it.


It’s incredible how quickly it absorbs, it’s so emollient. I barely dab a few little dots on under my eyes and my skin just drinks it up (no need to work it in). By the time I finish my eye makeup, my under-eye area looks hydrated and happier. I like to pat it around the lip area as well, because I swear, anything to help reduce those lines.


When I’m just about to leave my house, I also rub it on the back of my hands; it’s kind of crazy how moisturizing it is. Try it on one hand and compare—not only will your skin will feel velvety soft, but I notice the skin looks smoother and plumper, less crepey (the joys of aging). Try it on your neck and décolleté (morning creases on my chest, begone!). I may need a bucket of this cream.

Visit greenbeebotanicals.com for more info and this direct link on Sava to purchase the Brightening Eye Cream!

Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult your healthcare professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product.