They say that eyes are the windows to your soul. When you look at someone’s eyes, you can read their deepest emotions and desires. They also say that eyes are the most attractive facial feature in our face. It’s no wonder that when your boyfriend or husband were asked about the most beautiful part of your face, most will say that it’s really your eyes.
Shining eyes are always captivating. However, bags under the eyes, fine lines, and puffiness somehow distort its natural beauty. Just like any part of your face, taking care of your under eye is also essential. Whether you are suffering from black dark circles or you want to prevent from developing wrinkles, giving your under eye some love should start now.
Why Do You Need An Eye Cream?
If our face needs moisturizer, toner, serums, and other products, the skin under our eyes need an eye cream. Did you know that the thinnest skin in our face is the one surrounding our eyes? It is very delicate and lacks oil glands which makes it prone to dryness and irritation. The muscles around our eyes are always stretched whenever we blink, laugh, smile, etc. Because of this, it’s the part of our face that develops signs of aging the fastest.
So, what is the need for an eye cream? Isn’t is just like a moisturizer? Can’t we just apply the same products intended for our face? Calm down. We’ll answer all your questions.
For some, using an eye cream seems like an extra and unnecessary skincare step. Given that it’s more expensive than your regular moisturizer, an eye cream is not really a priority for most people. Many believe that the anti-aging and other features that their moisturizer offers can do the same for their under eye problems. But girl, it ain’t the case.
Eye cream is well, formulated specifically for your under eye skin. It’s pretty much obvious from its name, right? Eye creams have stronger ingredients compared to moisturizers that can address your dark circles, puffiness, and wrinkles. Also, considering how sensitive our eyes can be, every component of the eye cream is tested safe to be applied in that area. Did you ever wonder why almost all beauty products for the face warns its users to “avoid applying near the eye area”? It’s because they contain chemicals and fragrances that may be sensitive to your eyes.
Benefits of Using An Eye Cream
We all know that as we age, fine lines start to appear especially around our eyes. And let me tell you right now that wrinkles are not something that makes you less beautiful. It’s part of our life. It’s a sign that we are living a long life, isn’t it? Kidding aside, most individuals, particularly women find wrinkles stressful. Although we cannot run away from this reality, using an eye cream can definitely slow down the formation of your fine lines.
Furthermore, as we get older, the skin under our eyes tend to be more dry. Having said this, using a moisturizing eye cream can help you bring back the smooth texture of your skin. Also, having dry under eye skin can aid in the formation of fine lines. So, if you use an eye cream, you’ll be able to stick together those dry patches of skin cells and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Moreover, choosing an under eye cream that has the properties of a sunscreen can help prevent your skin from the harmful effects of UV rays. You can lessen the formation of brown spots and wrinkles (again) if you constantly apply an eye cream.
Common Under Eye Area Issues
We have talked so much about the importance of using an eye cream. And although we did talk about wrinkles, eye bags, and puffiness, knowing more about these issues can maybe convince you to actually start using an eye cream. Let’s get right to it.
Dark Circles
The main causes of dark circles are genetics and constant eye strain. That part of our under eye that often appears dark and tired can be partnered with puffiness and sunken eyes. What makes the dark circles even more visible is the lack of sleep and exposure to screen devices. Furthermore, other factors that may cause dark circles are ageing, allergies, hyperpigmentation, overexposure to sunlight, frequent rubbing of eyes, etc.
Puffy or Swollen Eyes
Puffy or swollen eyes are common to people with seasonal allergies. This can also result if you have too much salt or alcohol which makes you dehydrated. Dehydration causes water retention which results to puffy eyes. That is why you can observe that your eyes are puffier in the morning, right when you wake up compared in the afternoon. Since by that time, the water in your eyes have already been drained with the help of gravity and time.
How To Care For Your Under Eye?
No matter what kind of under eye problems you have or how old you are, it’s never too late to take care of your eyes. Check out the steps you can do to bring back your youthful and bright under eye skin!
Moisturize with Eye Cream
As mentioned earlier, using an eye cream does the job of keeping your under eye moisturize. It also prevents under eye problems from developing or worsening. However, there are certain ingredients that you should look for to specifically address your concerns.
For fine lines
Looking for an eye cream that have anti – ageing properties is essential to keep your fine lines at bay. Here are a few ingredients to look for regardless of your skin type or tone.
- Hyaluronic acid – this ingredients draws in water which aids in hydrating your skin
- Peptides – this ingredients produces collagen to make your skin more plump. It’s also called the “building blocks” of skin which holds cells and tissues together to reduce the appearance of wrinkles
- Retinol – this vitamin A derivative stimulates collagen production to make your skin smooth
- Antioxidants – vitamins C, A, caffeine, cucumber extract, and other antioxidants lessens the discoloration and harmful effects of UV rays
For hyperpigmentation
Concealer is not a long term solution for hyperpigmentation. So, to address those dark circles in your eyes, make sure to check out these ingredients in your eye cream. Most of these inhibits tyrosinase activity, an amino acid needed in the production of melanin.
- Arbutin
- Kojic Acid
- Vitamic C
- Soy
- Niacinamide (vitamin B-3)
- Azelaic acid
For puffiness
Addressing your puff eyes can be as easy as getting enough sleep, avoiding crying (just kidding), and drinking enough water. However, using an eye cream with these ingredients can reduce the puffiness faster and make your under eye brighter.
- Caffeine – this ingredient has anti-inflammatory properties to calm skin. It also a vasoconstrictor which constricts the blood vessels under the skin to reduce inflammation
- Green tea – this ingredient contains antioxidants called flavonoids and tannins which reduces inflammation
Observe A Healthy Lifestyle
We cannot deny that the food we eat, the way we go on about our day without exercise, and the unhealthy routines we do can affect the overall condition of our under eye. As much as creams can deliver results, making yourself healthy is also crucial.
Avoid sleeping late and start saying good bye to your 3 am Netflix sessions. Not resting your eyes enough will not only increase the chances of puffiness and dark circles but it can even damage your eye sight. Furthermore, exposing your eyes too much on screen devices will cause irritation and dryness especially in the under eye skin.
Moreover, just like all parts of our body needs nutrition, you should also take in food that are rich in antioxidants, minerals, and can hydrate your skin. You can have a few slices of cucumber, watermelon, blueberries, tomatoes, celeries, beetroot, and such.
Be Gentle
Always, ALWAYS, treat your under eye skin like a baby. The least thing that you want to do is to put too much pressure on your under eyes. It doesn’t matter if your mascara or eye liner won’t come off easily. Rubbing and pushing too hard will just irritate and create more lines to your skin. Just chill okay?
When applying anything on your under eye, may it be a makeup remover, cleanser, or eye cream, never overdo it. Instead, gently pat or drag the products into your skin as lightly as possible. Furthermore, make sure that you don’t put any product inside your eyes. Try to reach most parts of your skin without getting too close to the eyes. When things didn’t go as planned, wash your eyes with running water to avoid irritation and redness.
Avoid Sun Exposure
UV rays from the sun damages your skin (in general). And so, using a sunscreen not just when you go out means extending more life to your youthful skin. However, for the protection of the under eyes specifically, always keep your sunglasses and visor/hat in your bag.
Sunscreen do protect your eyes from getting dark spots and wrinkles. But somehow you will end up looking at the sky and well, squinting your eyes from the bright sun. Doing such constantly can increase the risk of developing fine lines around your eyes. So just to be safe, wear your sunglasses or visor whenever you think you’ll look at the sky that day.
Now that everything have been laid out to you, are you gonna start giving your under eye some tender loving care? If you were convinced, go ahead and start investing more time and effort to this part of your face. Just remember to consult your dermatologist before using any products to avoid complications from happening. We’ll hope to see that sparkly eyes soon!