Thinking of the eyes as the mirror to the soul is more than a romantic notion. They truly are the most expressive part of the face.
Eyes communicate the full range of our emotions. They are also usually the feature we notice when meeting someone – and the one we usually remember the most.
But they are also one of the first areas of the face to show signs of ageing. This is because the skin around our eyes is the thinnest of any of the skin to be found on either the face or body.
The eye area also has minimal sweat or oil glands to provide natural hydration for the skin. As well, the muscle surrounding the eye is circular and therefore has no cross support, so if any part of that muscle becomes weaker then the whole muscle begins to sag.
Here are a few simple rules to help improve the appearance of the eyes and the skin around them.
Top 10 eye care tips
1. Stop any habits that involve rubbing or pulling the skin around the eyes – it can cause sagging of the eye area over time.
2. When cleansing or applying any creams around the eye area, use only your little finger only as your other fingers will put too much pressure and drag on the delicate skin and muscle.
3. Make sure your little finger works inward so you are not stretching the skin at all.
4. Ensure you always use a moisturiser twice a day for your eyes. Whether this is a cream, lotion or serum, it should be specifically formulated for the eye region.
5. Do not use tissues to remove makeup or to clean around your eyes as they contain tiny pieces of wood that can be irritating and cause scratches on the delicate eye skin.
6. Try to sleep on your back. This helps to utilise gravity in helping to cut down on under-eye puffiness and line formation.
7. Try to wear dark sunglasses whenever you go out in the sun. This protects your eyes from the damaging effects of the sun and helps prevent squinting, which leads to line formation.
8. If you use waterproof mascara make sure you have the appropriate cleanser to remove it without having to scrub your eyes.
9. An emergency quick treatment for eye puffiness is to apply cold tea bags or cucumber slices to your eyes. They help to draw the fluid out.
10. Keep the drinking of alcohol to an absolute minimum as excess alcohol consumption can cause abnormal swelling and creasing of the skin around the eyes.
