Sitting pretty in the middle of our face, they say the eyes are the windows to the soul. They communicate all our emotions (even when we wish they didn’t) and allow us to experience the world through immeasurable amounts of colour and texture. 

When it comes to skincare, we can get caught up in our routine's fundamental building blocks that we then neglect the most delicate and intricate part of our face, the eyes.

The skin around the eyes is ten times thinner and has fewer oil glands than the rest of our face. These oil glands on other parts of our face, help regulate our skin’s moisture. This means, not only is the skin around the eyes extremely delicate, but it needs an extra hand getting hydrated. As a result, our eyes tend to be the first place we notice premature signs of ageing and other issues such as dark circles and puffiness around the eyes.

In this piece, we will explain what factors accelerate the appearance of wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness around eyes and what you can do to slow down the process.

Ageing 

One of the number one causes of wrinkles and dark circles is ageing. To put it simply, as the production of collagen starts to decline (this usually happens around your mid-twenties), the skin on your face begins to lose its elasticity. While you personally may perceive these outcomes as undesirable, there is something to be said for the beauty of ageing that shouldn’t be wholly resisted!

Environmental factors

By now, we should all be familiar with the damaging effects that ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) have on the skin. It can come in the form of sunspots, pigmentation issues, leathery skin and wrinkles. Exposure to UV causes an acceleration of premature-ageing anywhere on the body, even the toughest of skin, making our eyes particularly vulnerable to extreme damage and visible signs of ageing. 

Normal Facial Expressions 

Whether your laughing, smiling, squinting or frowning, facial expressions are another big culprit for wrinkles around the eyes. With age, the skin loses its flexibility, making it much harder to spring back into place. Repeated facial expressions create grooves in the skin which eventually become permanent features on your face. In saying this, we are not suggesting you stop expressing yourself! Life is all about the experiences we have, which are best expressed through expressions. In a way, these lines hold special moments of life. 

Sleeping habits

New to the wonderful world of parenthood? Unfortunately, lack of sleep and irregular sleeping patterns are generally responsible for puffy eyes and dark circles. These habits can cause the skin to become pale and dull, allowing the dark tissues and blood vessels beneath your skin to show.Lack of sleep can also cause fluid to build underneath your eyes. This build-up of fluid will cause the eyes to appear puffier, especially first thing in the morning after being horizontal. 

What should you do?

Making certain lifestyle tweaks can help prolong the appearance of fine lines or eliminate dark circles/puffy eyes, however, it is not the only course of action. We also love incorporating an eye treatment to target our specific needs and give our eyes that extra bit of hydration. 

Firming Eye Balm: 

If your main concerns are wrinkles and fine lines, Firming Eye Balm is for you. This product is enriched with Eyebright Herb Extract, Hyaluronic Acid and Squalane. The Eyebright Herb Extract and Hyaluronic Acid combined are incredibly potent and work by delivering ultimate hydration to specifically combat fine lines. While the Squalene in the formula works to accelerate cell growth, smoothing and softening the area.

Energising Eye Balm: 

This one is for those that suffer from dark circles and puffiness around the eyes. This serum is light and cooling on the skin. It is packed with Aloe Vera and Witch Hazel Extract that instantly wakes up the area. This eye serum is the perfect treatment for tired eyes to minimise the appearance of dark circles and inflammation.

As the area is so delicate, the application is important. We suggest using the ring finger to gently pat a thin layer onto the orbital bone and on top of the brow. Do not apply to eyelids. 

The beauty industry is good at convincing us that imperfections and signs of ageing are bad, without reminding us these things are natural.

Fine lines, dark circles and puffiness around the eyes is inevitable as we age and while there is nothing truly bad about that, we don’t have to roll out the red carpet for them.

Taking the extra time to incorporate an eye treatment not only prolongs the arrival of fine lines, dark circles and puffiness, but it’s also is a perfect opportunity to add a touch of self-care to your regime.