Youthful Eyes: Best Practices and Treatments
Your eyes are the window to not only your soul, but your age as well. Studies have shown that when strangers are asked to judge how old a person is, the eye area is one of the biggest influences. To help your eyes look brighter and more youthful, follow some of these suggestions.
Conceal Dark Circles
Dark circles have an aging effect on eyes. Using a concealer that’s yellow or peach based and slightly lighter than your skin can correct discoloration, illuminate, and make eyes appear bigger. Dusting sheer, loose, yellow-toned powder locks the concealer in place for the day. If you have a few extra seconds, a couple of squeezes of an eyelash curler opens eyes even more and prevents lashes from casting a shadow.
Fill in Your Brows
Don’t over pluck your brows. It will make you look like you’re losing your hair a classic sign of aging. When brows are too think, they make your features disappear, adding years to your face. If yours are growing sparse, try filling them in with a brow powder or for more permanent solution look into microblading.
Gently Remove Eye Makeup
No matter how tired you are or how much waterproof eyeliner you have on, don’t rub your eyes, ever. The skin is so delicate, even rubbing off eye makeup can worsen crow’s-feet over time. Gently press down with a cotton pad soaked in makeup remover for 10 to 15 seconds instead.
Use an Eye Cream
Look for an eye cream that’s hydrating and packed with peptides that help promote collagen and elastin, retinol which helps soften fine lines and wrinkles (but should only be used at night), and contains vitamin K to help reduce dark circles.
Soften Fine Lines and Crow’s Feet
Fraxel laser resurfacing treatments under the eyes combined with dermal filler can greatly rejuvenate the eyes by firming and plumping the delicate skin. Small amounts of Botox or Dysport, a neurotoxin, can help relax the muscles and help make the eyes look fuller, soften crow’s feet and even pop up the brow and give you more of an arch.
Protect Yourself
Being outside, even for a few minutes, exposes your skin to a war zone of skin-ravaging free radicals. Since you can’t live inside a bubble, protecting yourself during the day with an antioxidant like vitamin C is the best at preventing skin-cell damage. Follow up with an SPF of 30 or above and preferably one which contains non-irritating ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (EltaMD) to avoid any skin reactions. Another layer of defense is wearing wide UV-protective sunglasses which keeps you from squinting – one of the many causes of crow’s-feet.