Eye Area Care

Preserve the natural beauty of your eyes with dedicated eye area care. The skin around the eyes is some of the thinnest and most fragile of any skin on the body. Care of this delicate area requires special attention and a gentle touch.

Eye Area Challenges

The entire eye area is affected by the almost constant motion of muscle contractions from frowning, smiling, and other facial expressions, not to mention simply blinking. These repetitive movements, along with sun exposure, weaken collagen and elastin fibers in the dermis, eventually resulting in fine lines and wrinkles. As a result, the eye area is likely to show signs of early damage and premature aging.

In addition to thin skin, and the resulting sensitivity and fragility, the area has very few sebaceous glands. This lack of oil leaves the skin susceptible to rapid water loss and a dry, rough texture.  Wind and weather worsen this, resulting in red or chapped tissue, especially in the corners of the eyes.

Eye Area Care

To counteract many of these issues and minimize premature damage to the delicate eye area, it’s important to pay extra attention to daily eye area care.

Cleanse Gently

We recently explored proper eye makeup removal techniques in Remove Eye Makeup Like a Pro, but a few key points are worth repeating. Use soft, hydrating cleansers or a micellar water product in the eye area to thoroughly remove traces of makeup, and always remember to use very gentle pressure. Avoid rubbing and tugging at the fragile tissue.

Exfoliate Carefully

Gentle and careful exfoliation around the eye area can help to reduce cellular buildup and stimulate the rejuvenation of skin tissues. But not all exfoliants are appropriate for the eye area. Physical scrubs are entirely too harsh for the delicate area around the eyes. Gentle enzymes and retinoid formulas that are designed not to irritate the eyes can soften and smooth rough texture, and allow better absorption of nourishing eye serums and creams.

Pro tip: We love Rhonda Allison’s Moisture Eye-Zyme, a gentle overall eye rejuvenator with antioxidant support from red wine, pomegranate, and green tea extracts.

Protect & Preserve

Last but not least, eye serums and creams are vital for increasing and protecting hydration levels around this sensitive area. When the skin is hydrated topically, it helps the skin to function optimally and keeps it plump and firm so there are fewer signs of aging over time. Serums tend to target the deeper tissues to support skin renewal processes, while eye creams hydrate and soothe for a smooth and plump surface.

Daily use of the right formulation with the correct blend of active ingredients will have a significant impact on the long-term health and vitality of youthful-looking skin around the eyes.

Reality Check

While well-formulated eye care products do provide legitimate benefits, it bears emphasizing that an eye cream alone cannot completely reverse the natural aging process, no matter what the latest product advertising tries to sell you.

The use of eye products should be accompanied by a realistic expectation of results and an understanding of their true role as preventative and protective measures, not miracle workers.