You would not go out without mascara and you
have put serious time into perfecting your eyeliner flick over the years. So,
why do not you think more about the areas around your eyes, too? Leyla
Tabaksert investigates.
When did you last think about your eye
care? A quick pool of my friends and colleagues shows us to be a pretty slack
bunch when it comes to looking after the areas around our eyes, putting it well
behind our relentless quets for the perfect foundation, most flattering fake
tan or latest cool nail colour. And it seems we are representative of most
women. While we might dip in and out of using an eye cream, we are still not
seriously committed to a regular habit. Yet new research by L’Oreal found 90%
of women aged 35 plus are concerned aboyt eye bags and dark circles. So, why
are not we doing more to get rid of them?
You
would not go out without mascara and you have put serious time into perfecting
your eyeliner flick over the years. So, why do not you think more about the
areas around your eyes, too?
I consulted some of the biggest beauty
junkies I know. Surely they would welcome the chance to add another cream to
their collection? Ironically, many of them trotted out that long- running argument
that we do not really need a specialist eye cream- seems their unswerving faith
in their favourite products has convinced them that a regular moistruriser,
with its boasts of anti- ageing, hydrating and protecting ingredients, could do
the job just as well. Now I am the first to champuon double- duty beauty
products, but there is no excaping the fact that the skin around your eyes ages
faster than the rest of your face- it is 40% thinner, and therefore more
susceptible to environmental damage. ‘It is fragile and of a completely
different texture from the rest of your face,’ says cosmetic surgeon Dr Jean-
Louis Sebagh. ‘Eye creams have been specifically developed to treat it.’ Ole
Henriksen of Ole Henriksen skincare, agrees. ‘Your traditional anti- ageing
moisturiser just is not rich and dense enough to bind to the delicate skin in
the eye region and stay in place,’ he explains. So, if anything, we should
afford our eyes more care than we give our skin if we want to look younger for
longer. But what to buy? Roller- ball applicators, eye- cream/ concealer
combos, high- tech gels encased in ice cubes- it is all too easy to take one
look at the huge variation of brands, formulas and textures currently on offer
… and pick up another pastel nail polish instead. But is does not need to be
complicated. Yes, the fact most eye products offer ingredients, formulas and
textures that sound as though they suit every eye concern can make it tricky to
know what to buy, but it also means you are pretty likely to find one that
worls specifically for you
The
beauty trick we are all missing
Choose your enemy
If wrinkles are your main bugbear,
ingredients like retinol, which stimulate cell turnover and collagen
production, and peptides (which also boost collagen but are gentler on the skin
than retinol) are what you want to look out for. And, of course, anything that
packs in the moisture is great- the skin under your eyes has no natural
lubrication of its own, so it needs as much moisture as it can get to stave off
those crows’ feet. Hyaluronic acid, which holds up to 1,000 times its weight in
water, and ceramides, which help maintain hydration, are worth looking out for.
Dark circles are typically caused by a lack
of circulation in the eye area and can benefit from a number of things.
‘Anything from soya to yeast ectracts and cafferine will boost circulation
aroung the eyes- as will a workout,’ says Ole. And as for puffiness, do not
overlook the age- old favourite, cucumber. ‘One of the most popular eye
treatments in my spa uses grated cucumber wrapped in gauze to treat puffy
eyes,’ he says. ‘Cucumbers have amazing soothing and firming benefits.’
Cornflower and aloe have similar de- puffing actions- and they are often teamed
with caffeine because of its draining effects.
Cheat your way to wow
But an eye cream can not do everything. If
your bags are down to genes rather than a lifetime is lack of sleep, even the
best eye gel will not erase them completely. And very lined skin or pronounced
bags may require more invasive tretments, warns Dr Sebagh. But, though you might
not be able to get rid of them altogether, a few make- up artist tricks and
clever concealers can hev seriously eye- improving effects. Look for light-
reflecting concealers created just for the eye area ( the textures work better
on the fine skin inder your eyes) and blend in with your ring finger. ‘I always
massage Estee Lauder Idealist Cooling Eye Illuminator, $61, aroung my eyes to
refresh them first,’ says Max Factor make- up artist Caroline Barnes. ‘I then
dab on Clinique Airbrush Concealer, $24, in the inner corners of my eyes and
underneath, taking it half- way along the eye only- just where your under- eye
shadows are at their worst. If you do it all the way round your eyes, you will
get a reverse panda- eye effect and accentuate any crows’ feet and wrinkles,
too’.
But
an eye cream can not do everything. If your bags are down to genes rather than
a lifetime is lack of sleep, even the best eye gel will not erase them
completely
Adding lifestle changes will also help when
it comes to reducing the onset of wrinkles, bags and circles. ‘I always look at
a client’s lifestyle as well as giving product suggestions- drinking, smoking
and your diet can make you prone to puffy eyes,’ adds Dr Sebagh. So, for best
results, implement the tweaks recommended (right) along with your new daily
eye- cream habit.
See overleaf for our round- up of problem-
solving products. And remember- an eye cream is as essential as a good mascara
and there is no way you would do without that.
5 eye- opening lifestyle changes
Sleep.
‘A good night is sleep between the hour of
10pm and 7am, is the best advice I can give a woman,’ says Dr Sebagh. ‘An
afternoon nap just does not have the same benefit.’
Reduce salt.
‘Salt is a major cause of fluid retention,
so if you sprinkle salt on everything, try cutting it our for a week and see if
it helps,’ suggests Ole.
Defy gravity.
Fluid build- up around the eyes often looks
worse when you wake because you body is pulled down by gravity as you stand up,
so resting fluids fall with it. Another pillow (or a better one) reduces the
rush.
Eliminate dietary triggers.
Dr Sebagh suggests looking at possible food
intolerances if puffiness is particualrly bad. ‘I have clients who wake up with
puffy eyes because they have drunk just one glass of Champagne the previous
evening, and it is all down to a yeast intolerance.’
Massage tired eyes.
Anne Semonin Miracle Eye Treatment, $69 for
25 minutes, combines the eye- brightening Eye Express Radiance Ice Cubes (see
overleaf) with a lymphatic eye massage to relax and reduce dark circles. ‘You
can also try lightly tapping your eye preducts on with your fingertips to
boost circulation,’ says Emma Schulz, Darphin VIP therapist. ‘Begin at the
inner corner of your eyes and work outwards.’
How the experts apply eye cream
Once you have found your product, ensure
you adopt a ‘less is more,’ approach when it comes to actually using it.
‘Because the skin around the eye is so fine, products are absorbed much
easier,’ says Dr Sebagh. Take a dab about the size of a grain of rice (for each
eye) and apply with a light, tapping motion using your ring finder around the
edges of your eye. ‘It helps avoid excess pressure and the risk of stretching
the delicate skin,’ explains Dr Sebagh.
