If you have ever spoken to a skincare enthusiast or a dermatologist, they must have told you that the skin around your eye needs special care. It is because the skin under your eyes is more delicate than the skin on other parts of your body. It is more prone to get dehydrated and tends to age prematurely. This article will explore all you need to know about a stellar under-eye care regime.
Why Does the Skin Around Your Eyes Need Special Care?
From a frown to a smile, every emotion we express throughout the day puts stress on the under-eye skin. Exposure to UV rays, extreme temperature, and dust also damages the skin around your eye.
In addition, our lifestyle, dietary habits, and even our genetic makeup play a role to determine the health of the under-eye skin. All these extrinsic and intrinsic stress factors can trigger the thin under-eye skin to develop signs of aging before your facial skin starts to exhibit signs of aging. Thus, it is imperative to take care of the skin under-eye to keep up your youthful look.
What are the Common Problems that Affect the Under-eye Area:
Now that we have learned why we need to take extra care of our under-eye skin, let’s take a look at the most common under-eye skin problems you might encounter. Oversleeping, sleep deprivation, fatigue, exposure to sunlight, and environmental pollutants might cause;
1. Dark Circles
2. Puffiness
3. Fine Lines and Wrinkles
4. Under-eye Dryness
5. Redness and Irritation
Do’s and Don’ts for a Stellar Under-eye Care (Recommended by Experts):
1. Modify Your Diet and Lifestyle
Our diet and lifestyle play a major role in maintaining the integrity of our skin. For instance, drinking adequate water helps keep the skin under your eyes well-hydrated, taut and youthful. You should drink at least 6-8 glasses of water to prevent the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
Also read: All Relevant Information You Need About SunCare
High cholesterol is associated with under-eye puffiness or eye bags. Increased sodium-potassium level in the blood also makes your under-eye skin appear baggy. Regular exercising can help regulate cholesterol and sodium-potassium level, thereby relieving puffiness.
2. Do Moisturize!
As we learned before, the skin around our eye is thinner than our skin elsewhere. Thus, it tends to lose moisture faster and become dry. Thus, both external and internal moisturization is an absolute necessity for your under-eye skin.
In addition to drinking adequate water, you must also use a good-quality hydrating eye cream or eye gel to give your under-eye skin some extra moisturization.
3. Be Gentle
Rubbing or applying too much pressure on the under-eye skin can damage it and accelerate the process of premature aging. Using harsh chemicals on the delicate under-eye skin also hampers the integrity of the skin around your eyes and makes it appear dull and rough.
When you are applying makeup around your eyes, make sure you gently dab the products. Similarly, while removing the makeup residue, we recommend using soft cotton pads, and micellar water to gently wipe away the makeup.
4. Do Include Active Ingredients in your Under-eye Care
The skincare industry has introduced several active ingredients that can cater to every skincare problem you experience. Active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, kojic acid, etc. help treat common under-eye problems such as puffiness, dryness, and dark circles.
5. Don’t Forget Your Sunscreen
Exposure to harmful UV rays can accelerate premature aging, develop wrinkles and fine lines. Thus, you cannot afford to miss applying sunscreen when you step out of your home. Sunlight can also induce pigmentation and cause dark circles under your eyes. Use broad-spectrum sunscreen on the skin around your eyes and use sunglasses for additional protection.
Let’s Take a Look At the Must-have Ingredients in Your Under-eye Care Regime:
| Ingredients | Why Should You Use It? | Side Effects |
| Hyaluronic Acid | It is a potent hydrating agent that helps keep the skin under your eyes well-moisturized. It prevents dryness and delays the appearance of fine lines and crow’s feet. | It is usually safe to use on the skin. Allergic reactions are rare. |
| Retinoids | It is an efficient anti-aging ingredient. It helps reduce wrinkles and make the skin around your eyes youthful. It helps boost collagen synthesis in your under-eye skin, making it firmer and more resilient. | It usually produces a “worse-before-better” effect. The common side effects are: Dryness Tightness Peeling Redness Retinoids can make your skin sensitive to sunlight. Thus, dermatologists advise using retinoids in your PM Skincare regime. |
| Peptides | Peptides are strings of amino acids that act as building blocks for protein such as collagen and elastin. It makes the under-eye skin taut and firm. | Topical application of peptides might cause side effects such as: Skin sensitivityRashesItching |
| Ceramide | Ceramides help strengthen the skin barrier and boost its immune system. It also helps prevent hydration loss, thereby reducing signs of aging. Ceramides also help make the skin around your eyes firmer and smoother. | Ceramides may cause side effects such as: Inflammation Redness Itching Stinging sensation |
| Vitamin C | Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that helps neutralize the free radicals responsible for premature aging. It also helps brighten the skin under your eye and reduce dark circles. | Vitamin C is well-tolerated by most when applied topically. However, it may cause side effects such as Slight irritation Itching Tingling sensations Redness. |
| Niacinamide | Niacinamide is a multipurpose ingredient that you can use to treat almost all your under-eye issues. It helps increase collagen synthesis and makes the skin more resilient. Niacinamide also helps decrease melanin synthesis and fades away dark circles. | Niacinamide is generally safe on the skin. However, it might cause: Slight redness Burning sensation Itching Rashes |
| Alpha Arbutin & Kojic Acid | These active ingredients are known for their ability to reduce melanin synthesis. It helps make the skin under your eyes more radiant and youthful. It also helps reduce dark circles, sun spots, etc. | These ingredients might cause side effects such as: Irritation Redness Sun sensitivity Swollen skin Rashes |
Eye gels vs. Eye Creams: What Should You Choose?
Eye creams and eye gels share similar ingredients but have different textures. While eye creams are thicker and eye gels have a lighter consistency. Eye creams are a good option if you have dry under-eye skin. Whereas, eye gels are more suitable for oily skin.
People usually use eye gels for their morning skincare routine because they have a smoother blend under the makeup. Eye creams, being of heavier consistency, might cause crease lines under your makeup. Eye cream is a good option for your nighttime skincare regime.
Take Away:
The skin under your eye is extremely delicate and is more prone to damage than the skin on other parts of your body. Thus, it requires special care to keep the under-eye skin well-moisturized, firm, and resilient.
Changing your dietary habits, moisturizing the skin adequately, and including active ingredients like hyaluronic acid, retinoids, ceramides, and peptides can be beneficial for your under-eye skin. We hope this article has helped you understand why taking appropriate care of the skin around your eyes is important and how you should do it. If you want more information regarding your skin and what is best for you, visit our website here