Eye Care

What causes eye wrinkles?

How to prevent under eye wrinkles?

Which anti wrinkle eye cream should you use?

Are there under-eye wrinkle home remedies?

Diet, skin care products & lifestyle play a big part in the appearance of your skin.

What you eat and drink matters. Too much sugary foods and alcohol causes skin to dehydrate and cells to oxidise.  Smoking is also problematic as it dries out your skin and can cause irreparable damage both inside and out.

The right skin care products make all the difference. For example: if you use Rich Cream Moisturiser or other heavy cream on your eye area this can cause puffiness because the cream is too thick and rich for the delicate skin around your eyes; causing sagging and that ‘luggage’ appearance.

If you live a more active lifestyle, let’s say surfing for example, lots of sun glare will cause you to squint more. Lots of wind and water exposure will cause your skin to dry out.  The same with aircons and heaters.

Facial expressions will also decide the appearance of the skin around your eyes. As mentioned above, lots of squinting can cause more wrinkles.  Frowning is also problematic as is, ironically, smiling too much – although there are good wrinkles such as laughter lines that show you’re a happy person who is enjoying life.

Natural ageing will also affect your eye area. We all  go from young to old (no Benjamin Buttons here), yet we can ward off wrinkles and reduce the amount we have by taking good care of our skin.

Avoid the sun.  As mentioned above, we are far more likely to squint when the sun is in our eyes, therefore try to avoid the sun as much as possible.  Wear sunglasses as much as possible even on cold cloudy days.  This stops cold air and wind drying out the skin around your delicate eye area as well.

Use a nourishing and protective eye cream, one that is soft and light on the skin yet contains potent anti-wrinkle ingredients.

Get your daily does of omega 3 as this helps supports skin structure – especially important as we age and our skin changes.
Foods containing omega 3 are: flaxseed, chia seeds, walnuts, tofu, canola oil, navy beans, brussels sprouts, avocados, soy beans, shellfish, salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring and sardines (recommend a minimum of 250–500 mg per day).

Use a delicate eye makeup remover, nothing too heavy or too rich.  Don’t leave makeup on overnight.

Wear a protective day cream i.e. applying eye cream before you start your day and also at the end of the day after cleansing/before bed.  The more often you protect and moisturise your eye area the more softer your skin will be and the longer wrinkles will take to form.

Drink plenty of water because your skin needs water to stay hydrated.  If your skin drys out this will cause premature or excessive wrinkles.

Try not to rub your eyes when tired or itchy as this stretches and buckles the skin.

A good night’s sleep is a great way to ease the appearance of dark circles around the eyes, as they can be caused by tiredness.  Lack of collagen, thinning of skin, can exacerbate dark circles as well.  Protein rich foods will provide your body with a wide range of amino acids needed to make collagen.

There are non natural ways to reduce eye wrinkles such as injections (fillers), micro needling, face lifts and chemical peels.

However, there are also some wonderful natural alternatives you can use.

Aloe vera is a great option as it has healing properties and also hydrates (plumps up) skin.

Topical vitamin C as found in rosehip oil.  Dab a little around the area before bed.

Satin, silk or other slippy fabric pillow cases.  This allows your skin to slide around on the bedding as appose to gripping the bedding and causing skin to buckle while you sleep.

Zinc (internal & external).  Some mineral makeups contain zinc which is good for protecting skin from UV and there are many foods that contain zinc such as: whole grains, baked beans, chic peas and nuts, plus avocados, blackberries, pomegranates, raspberries, guavas, cantaloupes, apricots, peaches, kiwifruit and blueberries.