One of the more heated discussions you can have with a fellow skincare nerd is the importance of eye cream. Some people swear by it, others dismiss it as a big con. And yes, it’s perfectly ok to take your serums and moisturisers to your eye and be done with it. But the fact remains unless we are super diligent with our skincare routine through our younger years, chances are our eyes will show signs of aging. The skin around the eyes is thinner and has fewer oil glands. We laugh, squint, and blink all the time, it is easy to get fine lines and crow’s feet. Genetics also plays a part and can make you more predisposed to dark under eye circles or puffiness. The key is to pinpoint what you need to treat and how to do it effectively.
Dryness
Dry skin around the eyes can be downright unpleasant. It could be down to a variety of reasons – the harsh weather conditions, if you are sensitive to some ingredients, or due to medical conditions. When skin is extra dry around the eyes, fines lines are more prominent.
How to treat dryness
The key is to soothe and nourish. Use gentle, almost bland cleansers, and treat the eye area delicately. Look for eye creams with ceramides, Hyaluronic acid, as well as antioxidants and emollients. You want to avoid harsh cleansers and scented skincare products, as these can aggravate the skin further.
Puffiness
The cause of puffiness can be down to fluid retention, a diet high in salt, genetics, or, in some cases, to medical conditions (namely allergies).
Under-eye bags, on the other hand, are another matter altogether. While they can be made worse by all of the above, they usually happen with age, or we can be more prone to them because of genetics. The fat pads underneath the eyes start to shift outward because our skin loses elasticity and gets thinner as we get older. This makes the under-eye bags even more prominent. For this type of under-eye bags, no eye cream can shift them permanently, and the only option is cosmetic surgery (also known as blepharoplasty).
How to treat puffiness
Diet changes are straightforward – avoid salty foods and lower your salt intake (that’s not just good for your eye area, but overall health). If you are prone to fluid retention, consider sleeping in an elevated position. If you have allergies, antihistamines can help during allergy season. Plenty of home remedies can be used to treat puffiness – cold spoons, cool tea bags, or eye gels/cream with a metal applicator. Likewise, look for eye products that contain caffeine, as it acts as a vasoconstrictor (it constricts the blood vessels and reduces inflammation).
Dark circles
Most of us had dark circles around the eyes at one time or another. Often times, the cause is genetic (it runs in the family). It can also be down to how your eyes are set. Furthermore, the cause can be age – as we get older, the skin gets thinner, and the blood vessels just underneath the skin are more visible. In some cases, it can be down to excess melatonin production (most common in people with darker complexions).
How to treat dark circles
The fastest fix is to use a good concealer. Regardless of the cause of your dark circles, remember to use sunscreen daily to prevent them from getting worse.
People with thinner skin can include a retinol product in their routines. Retinol is a power ingredient that boosts collagen production. In turn, this can help to improve the volume and elasticity of the skin.
If the cause of dark circles is excess melatonin production, consider products with brightening ingredients like vitamin C. Alternatively, our Vitamin K Dark Circle Repair cream combines 5% microencapsulated vitamin K with Haloxyl, a peptide complex. Vitamin K helps repair fragile capillaries, while Haloxyl reduces the dark pigment that gathers around the capillaries.
