Reducing Wrinkles around Eyes
Reducing Wrinkles around Eyes
Laugh lines show a life well-lived, but when it comes to wrinkles, usually less is better, given a choice.
And you do have some choices, when it comes to reducing wrinkles around eyes, ranging from traditional remedies to creams to the serious intervention of cosmetic procedures.
You can try botox injections to smooth out skin, laser resurfacing, dermabrasion or a chemical peel. All of these are costly, all involve discomfort and recovery, and all are performed by professionals in clinics or some spas.
For these reasons, they’re not for everyone, including me. In this post, I want to talk about some gentler and also more affordable alternatives that actually do work in the war against wrinkles.
Simple lifestyle changes for reducing wrinkles around eyes
When I did some research, I discovered there are some simple and cheap (or free!) things you can do that actually help with anti-aging. It’s the usual advice – eat healthy, drink water, get enough exercise and rest. Turns out all this good living is bad for wrinkles – and good for healthy, smooth skin.
Pollution and cigarette smoke are also the enemy – they can dry out your skin and also make you squint and too much of that can help cause the wrinkles and frown lines.
You’ve already heard about sun damage, another thing that dries skin and being out in the sun causes squinting (you may not even be aware of doing it). Make-up and a good day moisturizer with sun block can help, for your lips and face. Or just make it a habit to cover up. And remember your sunglasses (they prevent squinting).
The anti-wrinkle diet
Okay, there isn’t really an anti-wrinkle diet. But some of those ‘healthy choices’ that help you lose weight are also good for your skin, such as:
- fruits and vegetables, especially cantaloupe, carrots, potatoes and spinach
- soy products
- salmon and other fish
These foods contain antioxidants and essential fatty acids important for maintaining healthy skin, and there is some evidence that they can minimize the appearance of wrinkles, though that’s still being studied.
What else can you do?
Well, get off the couch, because when you exercise, you also increase blood flow throughout your body, including getting more nutrients and moisture to your skin.
Get more rest and sleep any way you can, because almost all healing happens while we sleep, and so that’s when skin damage is repaired, including wrinkles.
Apparently, it helps to sleep on your back. If you sleep on your side or stomach, your face will get little creases from being pressed against the pillow. Over time, those creases on your face could become permanent.
Do you ever forget to remove your makeup and end up wearing it to bed? I’ve done it, and you probably have, too. Skin around your eyes is very delicate, so you need to use gentle motions when removing makeup, and a make-up remover specifically for use near your eyes.
It turns out that how you wash your face also matters. Don’t use hot water and you may want to use filtered or bottled water if the tap water where you live has plenty of additives and chemicals (true in most cities).
Those chemicals make the water safe to drink, but they also are hard on your skin. And don’t use soap (also very drying) but choose a face cleanser for your specific type of skin.
A few years back, when I was getting break-outs, I tried one of those skin-clearing systems designed to clear whiteheads or occasional breakouts fast and what I got instead was a serious allergic reaction (painful and not pretty). This was a product that I had used in the past but now I’m a bit older and…well the lesson seems to be your skin changes. Now I use a sensitive skin-adult acne product, not the one that worked in my 20s.
Wrinkle creams and eye creams
The point comes when your every-day moisturizer and your every-night night cream just don’t do the job any more. Because it’s so important to keep the skin around your eyes moisturized if you want to win the wrinkle battle, look for a good cream specifically for around your eyes.
You can use it during the day – it’s fine under make-up – but more effective if you use it at night.
One I like is Revitol Eye Cream, because it stays where you put it, it’s creamy and easily-absorbed, not greasy and it’s pleasant to use, and I like the results.
If, like me, reducing wrinkles around eyes and preventing new ones from appearing is something you’re reminded of every time you look in the mirror, it might be worth a try.
