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on the
the same effect.
.. yes, even cold tea bags! The
same idea is popping up in the latest trend in
eye products —
the inclusion of a roller-ball
applicator to cool and de-puff the eye area.
If you have tried everything to do
away with those dark circles but they
r
w %
/ 1
just won’t budge, you should consider
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lifestyle factors. Poor nutrition, excess
Turn back the clock by taking a little extra
care of the skin around your eyes
T
hey say your eyes are the windows to your soul, but
they also reveal a lot about your age. Fine lines, crow’s
feet, dark circles, puffiness, wrinkles and shadows are
unavoidable - but the good news is, there’s plenty you can do
to reduce their appearance and delay their onset.
The basics
The skin on your face is thinnest and most
delicate around your eyes, so it makes sense
to look after it with a specialised eye product.
Use eye cream as part of your daily routine,
then there’s less chance of you forgetting.
Put a small pea-sized amount of cream on
the tip of your ring finger. Gently press both
your ring fingertips together to divide the
product, then apply by tapping under each
eye, following the line of the eye socket to the
outer corner. Then glide your finger over the
upper part of your eye socket from the inner
to outer corner. Repeat until all the product
has been absorbed into your skin.
Cool as a cucumber
So will placing sliced cucumbers on your
eyes do any good? Amazingly, the answer
is yes. But this old wives’ remedy will only
help deflate puffiness and brighten those
dark circles temporarily. Puffiness is an
accumulation of fluid under the eye area and
can be caused by a number of things, such as
tiredness, rubbing the eyes, allergies or even
staring at a computer screen all day.
The coolness of a straight-from-the-fridge
cucumber helps relieve the area and deliver
much-needed moisture. In fact, anything
cool and wet placed over your eyes will have
alcohol consumption, too many caffeinated
drinks, smoking and lack of exercise can all
contribute to under-eye discolouration.
Eye for an eye
So you know the basics, but what now?
You’re still faced with a huge choice when
it comes to picking an eye cream that will
suit your needs. Here are a few of the more
common ingredients so you know exactly
what you’re getting into.
Vitamin A
Also known as retinol, vitamin A
has long been a common ingredient in
skin care but now it’s also found, in lower
concentrations, in products designed for
the eye area. Vitamin A triggers skin cell
turnover, which in turn stimulates collagen
production. The result? Plumper, fuller,
smoother-looking skin with fewer wrinkles.
Vitamin C:
IfyouseeL-ascorbicacid listed on
the ingredients of your favourite eye cream,
you can be sure it contains vitamin C - one of
the beauty industry’s favourite ingredients.
Like its cousin vitamin A, vitamin C can also
boost collagen in your skin, but it’s other
main benefit is its ability to restore radiance,
which is especially helpful if you suffer from
any skin discolouration or pigmentation
around the eye area.
SPF:
We all know the benefits of using a SPF
product daily, but is it safe to use around
your eyes? Not always. Because your eyes,
and the skin around them, are so delicate
and sensitive, sunscreens can be irritating,
which is why you won’t find many eye
creams with built-in sun protection.
But
like
everything,
technology
is
advancing rapidly and a few companies are
now using encapsulated SPFs, which means
that the active ingredients remain on the
skin’s surface and can provide protection
without causing any problems.
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