Be Kind to Your Eyes

Did you know that the first place you show signs of aging is your eye area?  Do you also know how to combat that premature aging?  Most women that I work with don't use an SPF every day, let alone an eye cream, yet both are essential for maintaining good skin health in the eye area.  Fine lines can be caused by a multitude of things, but dehydrating is one of the most common and a simple issue to fix.  In addition to drinking 8 glasses of water a day (or the equivalent through fruits and veggies), using an eye cream will help lock in moisture and plump up fine lines.  You don't have any oil glands under your eyes, so there is no barrier to prevent moisture from evaporating, and eventually the skin begins to sag and become creased.  Also, without proper hydration, the elastic fibers of the skin become weakened and are more prone to damage by stress and irritation (like being too harsh when cleaning off your makeup or rubbing your eyes.)

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What to look for in an eye cream?:  If you can tolerate the SPF (the eye area is more sensitive than the rest of the face/body), use and eye cream with an SPF in it.  The skin is thinnest around your eyes and absorbs higher amounts of sun damage, especially if you don't always wear sunglasses when outdoors.  Also, if you are prone to puffiness and/or dark circles, caffeine is a great ingredient seen more and more in eye creams these days.  It helps to promote circulation and flush out excess fluid in the eye area.  (As we get older, our capillary walls weaken and over time leak small amounts of blood.  Since it is leaking from the veins, it is unoxygenated blood, therefore blue, lending the bluish tint of dark circles.)  Other great ingredients include chamonmile extracts or derivitives and Vitamin C to sooth and brighten.  Some even contain light reflecting particles that instantly brighten the eye area, too.

How to apply eye cream?:  Using your ring finger, gently pat the eye cream onto the orbital bone below your eye. (The bone of the socket.)  Don't get it too close to your lasheline, as it will get into your eyes and cause irritation and swelling, the opposite effect from what you want to acheive.  Don't put any on your eyelid.  It won't do much good up there and will just work it's way into your eye.

How to remove your eye makeup?:  Take a cotton round (those round cotton pads sold in tubes at the drugstore) and soak it lightly with eyemakeup remover.  (Look for one that you have to shake to combine.  It's a little more oily, but the formula is usually better at breaking down even tough makeup and the oils will temporarily hydrate the skin, too.)  Place the pad against your closed eyelid and let it sit for about 10-15 seconds.  Then, gently wipe down the eyelid to remove makeup.  Never rub the eye, and try not to wipe out to the sides, as this can cause the eye tissue to stretch and weaken.  Your skin is like a rubber band or rubber balloon.  It's nice and tight when we are young (new) and when we strech it out, it nevers goes back to exactly the same shape again.  Over time your skin will resemble that deflated balloon if you don't treat it kindly.