Eyes Reveal All

As the character Phoebe Buffay from Friends wisely noted, “You need to do something about your eyes … there’s too much wisdom in there.” While we may not aim for a youthful 19, it’s undeniable that our eyes often reveal our true age.

Worthy wisdom paired with worries

It’s a somber reality: as we age, one of the first aspects we notice is the emergence of fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness around the eyes. The skin surrounding the eyes is the most delicate area of the body, regenerating less effectively over time, which results in various visible signs of aging.

Violaine Bargues, product development manager at Good Ventures, an ethical brand specializing in organic skincare, shares insights: “The skin around the eyes needs lighter formulations that contain fewer oils and butters than those used on other parts of the face.”

She also emphasizes the importance of application technique. “Avoid applying too much pressure; it’s advisable to use your ring finger for this delicate area.”

Bargues further advises that to address aging effectively, the focus should be on enhancing the skin’s density and firmness through active ingredients that promote cell regeneration. “As the skin around the eyes thins with age, renewing the cells becomes critical to replace dead cells and enhance skin resilience.”

Natural ingredients to enhance eye care

Hyaluronic acid

According to Bargues, “Hyaluronic acid serves as a ‘water reservoir’ for the skin,” capable of holding 1,000 times its weight in moisture. This remarkable property indicates its ability to provide hydration, ultimately helping to diminish the appearance of fine lines.

Tuberose

Bargues states, “Tuberose extract has shown remarkable results” in addressing various issues related to the eye area, such as puffiness, dark circles, and wrinkles.

Cucumber extract

Beyond merely placing slices on your eyes, cucumber extract is frequently incorporated into eye serums for its properties that hydrate, reduce inflammation, and diminish dark circles due to its high vitamin K content.

Fun fact

Cucumbers belong to the same family as melons such as cantaloupe and honeydew. These low-calorie vegetables consist of about 95 percent water and boast a variety of beneficial compounds, including lignans, antioxidants, flavonoids, vitamins, and trace minerals.

At-home strategies to combat eye aging

Dry brushing

You might be familiar with dry brushing for your body, but have you considered applying the technique to your face? Its advantages include improved circulation, lymphatic drainage, and a gentle exfoliation process that can brighten your complexion and alleviate under-eye puffiness.

How to

Begin with freshly cleansed skin, using a gentle touch to brush from the chin upward towards your hairline until the entire face is covered. Repeat this from your chest to your neck.

Facial massage

Incorporating facial massage into your skincare routine can be a luxurious ritual to help mitigate signs of aging. A-list facialist Abigail James emphasizes that it stimulates blood circulation, promotes lymphatic detoxification, and tonifies facial muscles, potentially combatting gravitational aging effects!

Steps to Follow

Start with a clean face, then apply 1 tsp (5 mL) of plant-based oil over your face and neck.
Using circular motions, drain the lymph nodes in your neck, then massage from underneath the chin towards the ears with a gentle pinching action along the jaw.
Use big, upward circular motions to transition to the cheeks and around the mouth area.
Lift the skin towards the cheekbones with your knuckles, holding for a moment before draining to the ears.
With your fingertips, stroke outward under the eyes, elevate your brows and hold briefly, followed by circular motions around the eyes.
Address crow’s feet by alternating gentle upward and downward strokes with your fingers, one side at a time.
Continue this crisscross method across the brow area.
Gently massage along the hairline.
Conclude by using large sweeping strokes downward across the face, neck, and décolletage.

The tea bag remedy

Far from just being a folk remedy, the “tea bags on the eyes” technique has real benefits. The combination of caffeine and the cooling effect of the tea bags can help diminish puffiness by constricting blood vessels.

How to

Soak two tea bags (black, green, or white) in hot water for 10 minutes, remove the excess moisture, and chill them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Once cooled, place one tea bag on each eye and enjoy for 20 to 30 minutes of relaxation.

This article was initially featured in the March 2020 issue of Daitrl Canada.