Did you that the skin surrounding your eyes is the most delicate skin on your body? In fact, it is 10 times thinner that the rest of your skin. Given the constant wear and tear on your eye area, i.e. blinking, rubbing, smiling and frowning, it's only common sense that your eyes need some extra attention. Keep reading to discover common eye area concerns and how best to treat them.
Puffiness
Often times, under-eye puffiness can be a result of genetics. However, it can also be a result of excess salt intake and lack of sleep. Eating foods high in salt can cause your body to retain water, resulting in swollen, puffy eyes. If you notice this try cutting excess sodium from your diet and increasing your water intake. It's also a smart idea to sleep with two pillows to encourage overnight drainage.
If you find that you're not getting as much sleep as you need, chances are you'll be yawning quite a lot. Yawning can be just as detrimental to your eyes as the lack of sleep you got since it causes your eyes to water, creating swelling and puffiness. In fact, excessive yawning is equivalent to excessive crying because of the fluid it produces. The next time you're tempted to stay up late consider the side effects it will cause you. Adequate sleep is called “beauty sleep” for a reason!
Good news, if you do wake up with puffy eyes and need a quick fix, a warm shower can help. Heat from the water relaxes and opens your lymphatic vessels to drain toxins and waste that build up in your blood vessels. Washing your face in the shower stimulates the excess fluid in your eyes and encourages it to drain from your face.
Sagging
Sagging of the skin around your eye area can also be caused by genetics, but the skin's elasticity can be aggravated by rubbing and tugging at this sensitive area. It's important to be mindful to not rub at your eyes anytime but especially when removing your eye makeup. Using an oil based remover such as Dermalogica's PreCleanse, is critical to safely remove your eye makeup because it allows it to loosen and dissolve before you gently wipe it away.
Other ways to prevent sagging are pretty simple. You can easily minimize sagging by watching your sodium intake, drinking 12-16 glasses of water daily, and wearing sunglasses to prevent squinting while outside in the direct sunlight. Also, a hydrating eye cream, such as Dermalogica's Intensive Eye Repair is always a great bet to keep the skin around your eyes continuously lubricated.
Dark Circles
Since the skin around your eyes is so thin darkness can appear in a moment's notice. This is because the blood vessels are very close to the surface of your skin. Most often, thinning in this area is caused by loss of collage due to aging. Some people also have a bone structure that can cause under eye shadows or blood leakage from the capillaries, both which cause dark eye circles.
Luckily, there is hope for dark circles! First, get lots of rest. Sleep deprivation compromises your body's circulatory system. This leaves old blood in the vessels under the eyes longer than necessary. Next, when applying your eye cream use circular motions to stimulate blood flow. Also, applying your eye cream with your ring finger is ideal. This finger is the weakest, so you're essentially applying your eye cream with the least amount of pressure. Last but not least, it's always a smart idea to splurge on a good concealer!
There's no time like the present to begin caring for the skin around your eyes. Proper sleep, adequate hydration, good sun protection and a few eye creams are all you need to begin looking (and feeling) well rested and ready to face your day. Stop into any of our 4 locations to purchase PreCleanse and Intensive Eye Repair from our Dermalogica Skin Bar. We look forward to helping your eyes look their best everyday.
