Caring For Your Skin Around Your Eyes!

I have been spending a lot of time in my blogs discussing skincare and with good reason - it's the largest organ in your body, we start aging in our 20s, our skin varies in thickness and more. My previous blog on skincare routines covered how to care for your skin however I want to focus on our eye areas. Why?! This might be the most important area on your face to care for!

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. Without proper care, we can significantly age ourselves without even knowing it! Here why - first, the skin around our eyes is quite thinner and more delicate than the skin on other parts of our face and body. Our eyes work a lot throughout the day and the muscles in the eye area get a lot of action - from a simple blink, smile or squint, these actions alone can cause premature aging. Genetic reasons, ultraviolet (UV) rays, external stressors, and lifestyle choices can also cause the skin around the eyes to age more quickly. No matter how much sleep you get or how healthy you eat, I have found there are 4 common eye area concerns which are pretty much inevitable - dryness, puffiness, dark circles, or fine lines. Sucks, I know but no matter how old you are, it’s never too early or too late to give your eyes the love they deserve.

Let's get started!

Not all eye care products are created equally - some are straight up BS and don't even work and some on the other hand seem to be working magic! I guess that's why so many of us are on an endless hunt for that "holy grail" product. When considering a new product, ensure the product will hydrate, smooth, plump and/or brighten. Eye care products in our skin care arsenal will most likely come in the smallest of bottles or pots and are often the most expensive.

What I have found is that the best eye creams for wrinkles will contain cell-regenerating ingredients such as retinol. A formula for dark circles will focus on targeting pigmentation and will include ingredients such as vitamin C which can help the under-eye area look fresher and brighter. Products targeted for dry skin will be packed with powerful hydrators such as hyaluronic acid, it's my hero!

I've compiled a few steps you can take to care for the skin around your eyes as well as a list of products which may suit your needs based on your eye concerns.

STEPS TO TAKE:

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize. Moisturizing your skin is one of those underrated steps that often falls by the wayside but shouldn’t. When your skin loses water, it starts to shrink and wrinkles start to appear. Once you hydrate your skin and put that moisture back, it can help plump and potentially reduce the loos of fine lines and wrinkles.

Since the skin around our eyes is thinner, it can be sensitive to a 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.

Always Check The Ingredients. I can't stress this enough ... when you’re on the hunt for the right eye products, it’s important to know which ingredients to look for based on your skin type and what you’re trying to treat.

Be Very Gentle. From removing your eye makeup to applying products onto the skin around your eyes, it’s important to be gentle. As mentioned, the skin under your eyes is very thin and extra pressure, tugging or pulling of your skin may have the potential to contribute to extra fine lines. The following are a few tips for ways to be gentler during your skin care routine:

INSIDER TIP: 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 should be incorporated into your daily skin care routine and should be applied every day. Even if it looks gloomy outside, UVA rays can still cause damage. Don’t forget your upper eyelid. This is one of the most overlooked areas when it comes to applying sunscreen.

EYE CONCERNS TO TARGET:

Fine Lines. Aside from hydrating ingredients which are 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 can stimulate collagen production including retinol, vitamin A and peptides. Some products to consider would be the DR. DENNIS GROSS SKINCARE Ferulic + Retinol Eye Serum, Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream, and PHILOSOPHY anti-wrinkle miracle worker eye+ line-correcting eye cream.

Hyperpigmentation and Dark Circles. Dark circles can develop in the early 20s and get darker year after year. This is caused by the sun's UV rays, lack of sleep, smoking and can even be genetic. Ingredients to look for are vitamin C, niacinamide (vitamin B-3), soy and kojic acid. Some products to consider would be the Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream, RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream, Murad Vita-C Eyes Dark Circle Corrector, The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG 30ml and Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex Synchronized Recovery.

Puffiness. The remedy for puffy eyes can be as easy as getting enough sleep or drinking enough water. When choosing the best skincare products for your eyes, consider ingredients such as caffeine, green tea, willow herb and peptides. Some products to consider would be the BIOSSANCE Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel, Sunday Riley Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream, Dr. Brandt Skincare Needles No More No More Baggage Eye De-Puffing Gel and Olehenriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème.

Dryness.

Our under-eye area lacks the same oil glands which we have on our forehead, chin, cheeks etc. and can be more prone to dryness. Winter months can be brutal but with ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, antioxidants (often found in botanical oils or certain vitamins), and aloe vera, you may be able to lock in extra moisture when needed. Some products to consider would be La Mer The Eye Concentrate, Dior Capture Totale C.E.L.L. Energy Eye Crème, Tata Harper Restorative Eye Crème and Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Eye Cream.

TIP: If you have extra dry skin under your eyes, try using under eye patches before you apply your under-eye cream at night. I love to use the Peter Thomas Roth eye patches before I apply my under eye cream for an added boost of moisture. I am currently using the Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydra-Gel Eye Patches which can be found at your local Sephora.

Final Thoughts ...

There are so many different ways to give that much-needed love to the skin around your eyes. From moisturizing and sun protection to getting more sleep, implementing these game changers into your beauty routine, even if just one at a time, can help you on your way to improving the skin around your eyes.

Questions or comments? Drop a message or comment below! Stay in touch and let me know what you're currently using for your eye care treatment(s). Stay tuned for more topics to come. If there are topics you would like me to cover in my future Beauty Blog, please let me know!

Stay beautiful, inside and out!

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