Eye creams are a mindfield I’m yet to master. From fine lines to dark circles, it’s an area we’re all aware we need to focus on but we still have troubling knowing where to hone our efforts in on. With these kind of beauty dilemmas, it’s best to ask an expert, or more specifically,an adult. We spoke to Dr Johanna Ward, the award winning Cosmetics Doctor and co-founder of ZENii skincare.
Why is it so important that we care for our under-eye area, even if we don’t have fine lines yet?
‘The skin around your eyes is on average around 0.5 mm thick, compared to an average of about 2mm thick on the rest of your body. This skin’s thinness means it’s very delicate, and is vulnerable to the effects of UV exposure, harsh chemicals, dehydration, allergies and sleep deprivation. Taking special care of the under eye skin helps to prevent accelerated aging and skin damage.
What’s the best way to prevent accelerated skin damage?
The best way is to drink plenty of water, get plenty of ‘beauty sleep’ and nourish your body well. You also need to protect your eyes from UV radiation by using sun protector and sunglasses, and by using an eye cream specifically designed to nourish and repair the delicate under eye area.
My under-eye area is always really puffy, even when it’s not morning. What’s the best way to combat this?
Puffy eyes can be due to a lot of factors, like fluid retention, irritation, a change in hormone levels, lack of sleep and changes in your diet. A great DIY remedy for puffy eyes is to use cold cucumber slices on the eyes for 15 minutes, followed by a great nourishing eye cream. The cold helps to reduce inflammation in the tissue, and the cucumber can provide a calming effect and reduce the swelling. You can also use eye creams to help gentle lymphatic drainage to the area by massaging gentle above and below the eyes from the centre out. This helps to encourage excess fluid to be redistributed from the eye out. The best cream for this is the ZENii Revitalising Eye Cream as it’s deeply nourishing with sweet almond oil and Vitamin B5.
What about dry eyes? What can I do to reduce dryness around my eye area?
Firstly, cut out all products like make up remover and toners containing chemicals like alcohol. Using things like coconut oil is a great natural alternative to make up remover. Secondly, avoid soaps as they can be extremely drying for the skin, and watch out for products containing retional (Vitamin A) – as although they can help rebuild the skin, they can be irritating in the long run.
Make sure you’re cleansing daily with a mild cleanser, and avoid using hot water as it can be drying. Dry skin can indicate a problem with your skins barrier function and if it gets really dry, it can crack. Using Omega supplements for those with very dry skin can really help.
Should I be worried about fine lines now, and what should I be doing to prevent them early on?
Everything starts with prevention. True anti-aging starts at the cellular level and needs to start before too much damage has been done. A good,consistent skincare routine can help massively with prevention. You need to be double cleansing and toning every day to help remove cellular debris, pollution, grime, oil and bacteria from your eye area. Next, is ensuring is sun prevention. The thinner skin around your eyes is prone to accelerating aging, and people often forget to take their sun protection right up to the eye area for fear of irritation. Look for zinc oxide or titanium oxide based sun protectors – they tend to cause less irritation.
Let’s talk dark circles. I get eight hours of sleep a night, but still can’t shift the dark circles, what am I doing wrong?
Dark circles are a complex interplay of genetic factors and environmental factors. Lack of sleep, poor nutrition, low iron and excess eye rubbing can all affect you. They are literally the result of light being reflected back off your blood vessels sitting just below the surface of that incredibly thin part of skin. The best way to prevent them is to nourish your body well with a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and Omega 3. And use a good fortifying eye cream.
Is there one thing I can do to combat all issues (fine lines/puffiness/dark circles) or one product?
My best advice is to live well, eat well, sleep well and take good care of your skin with high performance skincare and sun protection. These measures will trump everything else you can do. A skin cream alone cannot do all of this! You cannot fight your genetic programming but you can prevent environmental and lifestyle related collateral damage.
We decided to test out some eye creams, so you don't have to test them all. You're welcome.
Mario Badescu Glycol Eye Cream, £15
I’ve been using this stuff for about two weeks now and I have to say, whatever it’s doing - it’s working. My eyes feel less puffy, more moist (sorry) and I think they even look brighter. Plus, it’s not too expensive so won't break the bank.
Origins Dr. Andrew Weil Mega-Bright Dark Circle Minimiser, £32
I liked this, but i’m not entirely sold. I think for it to make a massive difference you probably need to use it solidly for months - i used it for about two weeks and didn’t notice much. That being said, it feels really nice on your eye area, and my top tip is pop it in the fridge to make it super cold. It feels dreaaaaamy popping it on your eyes in the AM.
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Follow Alyss on Instagram @alyssbowen
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.