TAKING CARE OF THE SENSITIVE SKIN AROUND THE EYE
Here are some essential eye skin care tips to help you maintain the skin that is around eye area so that it will always retain its youth and be vibrant looking. The fine skin around the eyes is the first to show signs of ageing. Very often fine lines will appear as well as dark circles and puffiness. Taking good care of it is of utmost priorities if you want to maintain a youthful complexion
The skin around the eye needs extra special eye skin care for 3 reasons:
»It is thinner than the skin on the rest of your face, so it’s less able to hold in moisture
»There are also fewer oil glands in this area, which adds to the potential dryness
»There is no fatty layer underneath the skin to act as a shock absorber. The result is that this skin quickly loses its elasticity
Problems with skin around the eye include:
»Puffy Eyes
»Baggy Eyes
»Dark Circles
»Crow’s Feet
EYE SKIN CARE TIPS FOR PUFFY EYES
Puffy eyes is one of the most common beauty problems. So what causes it? The main culprit is fluid retention. While you are sleeping, fluid builds up in the area around your eye. Hence puffy eyes is a common morning occurrence
There are 3 types of people who may be more prone to puffy eyes:
»People who are having sinus problems
»People plagued by allergies
»Women during their pre-menstrual period
All is not lost. A puffy eyes condition do not last, it is just temporary and can be easily prevented and corrected
PREVENTION
Alter your sleeping position. Keeping your head in an elevated position, sleep on your back. This will cause fluids to be drained from the area around the eye and prevent retention of fluids
DE-PUFFING EYES
Here are some eye skin care tips on how to de-puff your eyes:
»When you wake-up, use your fingers to gently tap across the lower orbital of the eyes. Start from the inner corners and gradually work your way to the outer corners. This will encourage drainage of excess fluids
»Store your eye creams in the refrigerator, as the coldness will also help reduce puffiness
»Take a couple of slices of cucumber (or strips of grated potato) and rest them on your eyes for 20 minutes
»Rest for about 15 minutes with 2 damp tea bags over your eyes. Tea bags are said to help fade under eye bags because they contain tannin and polyphenols which have an astringent effect
»Fill a small bowl with iced water or ice-cold milk. Soak a cotton wool pad or cotton ball with the liquid and lie down with the dampened pads over your eyes. Replace the pads as soon as they become warm. Continue for 15 minutes. As well as reducing the puffiness, this treatment will brighten the whites of your eyes
»Soak 2 cotton wool wedges or cotton balls in chilled rosewater, squeeze out the excess and rest them on your eyes for 20 minutes
»Leave a teaspoon in the fridge for an hour or overnight, remove it and place the bulb of the spoon over your eye, first making sure it is not too cold or freezing, as this may damage your skin
»There are products such as refrigerated gels, cold compresses and cooling masks. They are pretty effective in relieving morning puffiness
EYE SKIN CARE TIPS FOR BAGGY EYES
Baggy eyes and puffy eyes are 2 different skin conditions related to skin around the eye. While puffy eyes are the result of fluid retention, baggy eyes have to do with fat
This is what happened:
»Fat is accumulated in the eye area
»Gradually the septum that surrounds the eyeball socket will weaken
»Next, the outer layer of fat that is within the socket sinks forward
»Pouches or bags are thus formed
As of today, cosmetic surgery is the only effective way to eliminate baggy eyes
EYE SKIN CARE TIPS FOR DARK CIRCLES
Dark circles under the eyes could be due to:
»Hyperpigmentation – high amount of melanin
»Engorged blood vessels in the thin skin – this is especially common for the fair-skinned
»Fatigue
»Excessive sun exposure
»Dehydration
»Medical conditions related to renal, thyroid
»Genetics
What are the possible remedies?
» A mere five minutes under a cold compress can constrict blood vessels
»Use products containing sunscreen with at least SPF 15 can protect the eye area from future hyperpigmentation
»Use natural looking coverage
EYE SKIN CARE TIPS FOR CROW’S FEET
Crow’s feet are fine lines formed at the corner of the eyes. The skin around the eye area has less oil glands compared to the other areas of the face. This makes it more prone to dryness and susceptible to the formation of wrinkles
Other factors which contribute to the appearance of crow’s feet include smoking and excessive exposure to the sun. Genetics may play a part in formation of crow’s feet too
We have no control over our genetics but we have control over our lifestyle and habits. We need to avoid over exposure to the sun and we can stop smoking. Over exposure to the sun may cause our skin to lose its elasticity, which is an important factor in ensuring a smooth skin
Permanent wrinkles may develop around the corners of our eyes due to frequent squinting. To avoid excessive squinting, do not smoke and avoid coming into contact with a lot of smoke
EYE SKIN CARE TIPS
CHOOSING AN EYE TREATMENT
Face creams and oils are too heavy for the eye area. They can block tear ducts, causing puffiness, so you should choose a specific eye treatment that won’t aggravate your skin
There are hundreds of eye skin care products to choose from. Gel-based ones are great for young or oily skins and are refreshing to use. However, most women find light eye creams are gentler and more suitable
Apply a tiny amount of the eye treatment with your ring finger, as this is the weakest one on your hand. It’s better to apply it regularly in small quantities than to apply it lots only occasionally. This will help keep your skin more supple and prevent premature wrinkling in this area
