5 Ways to Care for the Skin Around Your Eyes
While you might wish it weren’t so, the skin around your eyes is one part of your body that can show the earliest signs of premature aging, particularly without proper care.
But have you ever wondered why?
First, the skin around your eyes is thinner and more delicate than the skin on other parts of your body. And because your eyes work a lot throughout the day, from blinking to expressing your emotions, this alone can cause premature aging.
Moreover, genetic reasons, ultraviolet (UV) rays, external stressors, and lifestyle choices can also cause the skin around the eyes to age more quickly. Yet no matter how old you are, it’s never too early or too late to give your eyes the love they deserve.
In this post you will find some easy-to-follow tipsto add to your beauty routine today.
Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
Moisturizing your skin is one of those underrated steps that often falls by the wayside but shouldn’t. Imagine our skin as a grape. When it loses water, it starts to shrink, and wrinkles can appear.
But once you put that water back in, it can help plump up and potentially reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. The same applies for our eye area. Since they lack oil glands (our skin’s natural moisturizer), they can be more prone to dryness.
The most commonly asked question about moisturizing this part of your face is whether you can use your face moisturizer for the skin around your eyes. The answer is yes. As long as it doesn’t irritate your eyes and provides a sufficient amount of moisture, you’re good.
Keep in mind, however, that since the skin is thin around your eyes, it can be sensitive to regular face cream. If you feel a stinging sensation or your eyes turn watery or red, avoid using your regular face moisturizer, and instead invest in an eye cream.
Eye creams are often formulated with ingredients less likely to have an adverse effect on your eyes but contain enough active ingredients that may help reduce wrinkles and fine lines.
Check the ingredients
When you’re on the hunt for the right eye cream, it’s important to know which ingredients to look for based on what you’re trying to treat. Below you’ll find ingredients I suggest choosing, based on your concern:
- For fine lines
Aside from hydrating humectants, used to reduce the loss of moisture, you’ll want to look for ingredients that provide an immediate “plump up” effect.
For this result, opt for more potent ingredients that have been linked to stimulating collagen production. These include:
retinoid (prescription-based)
retinol (over-the-counter options)
vitamin A derivate
peptides
- For hyperpigmentation (dark circles)
To combat hyperpigmentation (dark circles) caused by the sun’s UV rays, you’ll want to look out for the following ingredients:
arbutin hydroquinone kojic acid vitamin C soy niacinamide (vitamin B-3) azelaic acid
- For puffiness
The remedy for puffy eyes can be as easy as getting enough sleep or drinking enough water. But when it comes to skin care ingredients, the following may help reduce puffiness:
caffeine
green tea and coffee berry polyphenols
dipeptide-2 (Eyeliss)
willow herb
- For general concerns
For more general concerns about the skin around your eyes, look for antioxidants. These powerful ingredients help remove free radicals in the skin that are triggered by UV radiation, smoking, and pollutants. Moreover, they may also help put a brake on the aging process.
Look for the following:
vitamin C
vitamin E
green tea
vitamin B-3 (niacinamide)
Be gentle, always
From removing your eye makeup to applying products onto the skin around your eyes, it’s important to be gentle. As I mentioned above, the skin under your eyes is very thin. Because of this, the extra pressure from our daily activities has the potential to contribute to extra fine lines. The following are a few tips for ways to be gentler during your skin care routine:
When you remove your makeup
- Apply your favorite eye makeup remover to a cotton pad.
- Press the pad gently onto your skin.
- Slowly drag it in an outward motion.
- Repeat until your makeup is fully removed.
- When you apply your products
Apply your product to your pinky finger. Dab your products around the eyes, circling your eye area. Don’t forget the upper eyelid. Repeat until the product is fully absorbed into the skin.
Sun protection is a must
Sun exposure can play a big role in the skin aging process, and can lead the skin under your eyes to become darker.
A broad-spectrum sunscreen is truly an indispensable part of any skin care routine and should be applied every day. Even if it looks gloomy outside, UVA rays can still cause damage.
Also, don’t forget your upper eyelid. This is one of the most overlooked areas when it comes to applying sunscreen.
And if reapplying sunscreen on top of makeup, especially eye makeup, is too much of a hassle, consider investing in a pair of sunglasses that offers UV protection. This can help protect not only your eyes but also the skin around them from unwanted UVA and UVB rays.