May 08, 2023

Eye Care

We hear more and more discussions about eye creams. Some say that eye creams should be used and they are very effective, others that this is marketing and eye creams are just extra money, we can use in these areas what we use on the face. So this begs the question, what is the purpose of eye creams and do you really need to use them?

How does the skin under the eyes age?

First of all, I would like to start talking about the anatomy of the eyes and what happens as we age. The skin under the eyes is extremely thin, with little fat and a weaker metabolism. In this area, the influence of the environment, lifestyle, sun exposure, cosmetics or other habits is much more noticeable. As a person ages, the metabolism slows down, which affects the skin's sagging, loss of elasticity, and sagging. The skin of the eye contour is significantly thinner, which also determines the density of the supporting fibers. Therefore, sagging of the skin is first visible under the eyes. The integrity, elasticity, and firmness of the skin depend largely on the intercellular matrix, which consists of elastin and collagen. Since the skin under the eyes is thinner, it has fewer supporting cells, therefore, as this skin is increasingly damaged, the production of collagen and elastin decreases, which is visible visually. Solar radiation significantly weakens the production of elastin, and collagen is synthesized much more slowly from the age of 25 and without environmental damage. So, after paying attention to this information, we can think about how much time we spend on eye care and how much time on our face. Sometimes we probably forget to take care of this area somehow.

In addition to all eye problems, we also have a natural problem - skin aging. Wrinkles, puffiness, and darkening can also be caused by natural aging, when the skin sags, sags, and bone tissue thins. As we age, the bone around the eyes, in other words the eye socket, expands. This bone consists of 7 small bones that are connected at 4 points. As a person ages, all connecting structures weaken and thus the eye socket becomes larger, deeper and brighter. Cheeks are flattened, because all the fat in the skin goes down. And when the eye socket is enlarged, fluid and fat bags accumulate in this area, which causes swelling. In particular, fatty tissue decreases and accumulates more in certain areas than supports the "plump" of the skin.

What are the most common eye problems?

When approaching eye care, eye problems should be distinguished and what causes them. As I mentioned, aging of the eyes is promoted by sun damage, free radicals, diet, rest, cosmetics. In addition to environmental play, we also have genetics and anatomy.

Black eyes are caused by pooled blood in dilated capillaries, and as this skin becomes thinner and more damaged, the darkness becomes more visible. It should be emphasized that dark under-eye circles are not always caused by blood vessels. If our eyes are brown dark circles - these appear from hyperpigmentation, which can be caused not only by the environment, but also by genetics or general physiological aging.
Eye puffiness can happen for several reasons. It is a disorder of blood circulation and lymphatic circulation, fat migration, weakened muscles under the eyes, which weakens the entire structure. In addition, as the skin thins, which is further thinned by environmental damage, puffiness becomes even more visible.
Eye wrinkles are the most troublesome problem, which is more visible in the case of environmental damage. Not wearing sunglasses, loss of moisture, accumulation of free radicals, loss of elasticity, lack of nutrition. These are the signs of premature aging that appear earlier and due to the slowing down of metabolism in these areas.
Sensitive under-eyes - since this area lacks skin density, it is unable to retain moisture, and its lack causes dryness, itching, and redness. It is very important to distinguish between sensitive eyes and sensitive eyes, because we often treat sensitive eyes as sensitive eyes, but it is usually the use of the wrong product and the wrong application, when too much product is applied near the eyes, close to the eyeball.

So, after reviewing all the problems under the eyes, we can conclude that this area needs special care in order to stop premature aging or reduce the likelihood of unpleasant sensations and vision. It should also be mentioned that just like elastin and collagen, hyaluronic acid is naturally produced in the skin and as we age, these substances decrease, but we need it vitally. It binds to water molecules to keep the skin moist and elastic, retains moisture in the skin, and supports the skin's structure. Therefore, this material is also extremely lacking in the eye area.

How to take care of the eyes?

Since the skin is greatly influenced by environmental factors, naturally we have to somehow take better care of it, enrich it, nourish it, fight against any environmental damage. It only begs the question, wouldn't simple face creams do the trick? Will eye creams save you from the problem of puffy eyes?

The most debated and controversial question that has a generally very logical explanation. When answering whether you need an eye cream, I will ask you, what is your goal? ☺

If our needs are only to maintain moisture, the effects of environmental damage are not annoying - then the same moisturizing cream that you use for your face will be enough for you. However, if you are dealing with darkened under-eyes, strongly expressed wrinkles, irritability, puffiness, then face creams will not give you any noticeable or felt effect. This area is much thinner, which means it is more sensitive than the skin of other areas of the face, so such active products as you use for the face cannot be used on the under-eyes due to excessive damage and irritation. This is why eye creams were created, which are focused on more sensitive skin. In comparison, eye creams with retinol will be in a much lower concentration, more tolerable form than what we use for the face area. And so with all the other ingredients. If we want to protect our eyes from environmental damage, improve their appearance, and reduce the activation of certain problems, then I recommend having an eye cream in our routine, but the most important thing here is to clarify what result we expect and what we want to achieve by using it. I emphasize that the eye cream does not reduce the cause of the problem, such as closed capillaries, lymph accumulation or natural aging of the skin, but it reduces environmental damage, fills the lack of moisture, stops premature aging, makes dark circles less visible or promotes more "draining" of this area. It is like prevention and improvement of appearance. The problem, apart from the lack of moisture, could be completely solved by injections or a scalpel, but sometimes when the problems are less visible, they don't become problems anymore. ☺

Eye creams. Which ones to choose?

So, after deciding that you do need an eye cream, it is very important to choose the right one, because the market is full of everything. It is very important to pay attention to the composition, whether the eye cream is only a concealer, which does not contain any necessary substances, but only masks the under-eye area with mica or color, is it rich in antioxidants, retinol, hyaluronic acid, or other useful substances. It is also important that eye creams do not contain alcohol or a lot of essential oils, as these are extremely irritating to the skin. Look for CAFFEINE, VIT.C, LACTIC ACID, RETINOL (LOW CONCENTRATION), PEPTIDES, NIACINAMIDE, HYALURONIC ACIDS, BAKUCHIOL in eye creams.

Eye cream recommendations by problem

For dry, irritated, wrinkled eyes, choose light consistency eye creams with hyaluronic acid, caffeine, peptides.

Arginine, peptides, bakuchiol, hyaluronic acid are very important for dark eyes.

Anti-aging creams should contain several types of peptides, retinol, bakuchiol, vit,c, and a slightly oilier nourishing consistency.

Another eye care routine

If several problems bother you, you can mix eye creams and use one in the morning and the next in the evening.

I also recommend not to rub the eye make-up, but to wash it with light movements around the eyeball, and to clean the eyelashes - to clean from the nose to the ear, making 3-4 movements over the entire eye. Just don't rub back and forth. Use biphasic cleansers, oil or light cream cleansers to clean your eyes.

When choosing under-eye concealers, pay attention that they not only mask, but are enriched with a good composition, for example: vitamins, peptides, hyaluronic acid, more extracts. Avoid eye concealers, silicones, fragrances that contain a lot of alcohol. Please note that spf should be used to protect the eyes from sun damage.