Tricks of the Trade: How to minimize dark circles, under eye bags

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I hate my dark circles and sometimes my eyes get puffy. What can I do to lessen these? I’m in my 30’s and don’t really take care of my eye area. Fine lines are also starting to show. 

It is true when they say you can tell a lot about a person just by looking at their eyes. In fact, our eyes reveal much more than we intend to show. Our age, diet and sleeping habits are actually put on display–we can pretty much tell whether a person just cried, is stressed, or needs a good night’s rest from how their eyes look. This is because the skin around our eyes is significantly thinner than the skin on the rest of the face. And because of this, there are fewer oil glands in this area. This means it is less able to hold in moisture and makes it more prone to dryness. All that, plus the absence of a fatty layer underneath the eye area to act as a shock absorber and the skin can quickly lose its suppleness and elasticity.

While I am a little worried about those fine lines and eye bags you mentioned, I am glad you’ve decided to start a skin care routine. There’s no better time to start taking care of your skin than today. And though it may seem late, it is never too late for skin care. Your skin will always benefit from applying moisturizing creams and serums, especially eye creams, because the skin around your eyes needs it the most.

I’ve come up with a quick guide on taking care of your eye area–I hope this will be able to help you jumpstart your skin regimen.

Invest in an eye cream. If you were thinking of using just any cream or serum for your eye area, don’t do it. Applying any moisturizer or lotion may be too heavy for the skin around the eyes and can block the tear ducts. This causes the eyes to appear puffy and may not give you the results you are looking for. Using an eye cream is well-worth the investment, as it is formulated for that area and wont cause any eye irritation. Also, you will only need a dot of product for your eye area, so that jar will last you a long time.

Do your research. Confusing as it may seem with so many brands and types of eye cream out in the market, finding the right one is well worth the research. I usually spend a good week reading up on the best eye creams, taking note of honest reviews and personal experiences. Finding the right one will depend on what you need (whether it’s for dark circles, fine lines and/or puffy eyes), and you’ll find that each product will target one or two of those problems.

Check the labels to find the eye cream to suit your needs. 

De-puffing

These creams may contain ingredients like caffeine, chamomile or cucumber that help shrink puffy skin around the eyes.

Minimizes fine lines

These usually come in thicker formulas and are applied at night. Retinol and alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) are usually active ingredients of the best eye creams, but can make skin sensitive to the sun.

Diminishes dark circles

Under-eye circles are caused by broken capillaries or lack of sleep; a retinol-based cream can remedy this problem but an adequate amount of sleep each night is still the most effective way to reduce dark circles.

Apply with care. Eye cream should only be applied under the eyes and on the outer corners using the ring finger. Since it is the weakest finger, it is less likely to stretch the delicate skin around the eyes. It is also important not to apply too close to the eyelashes as it may irritate the tear ducts. Gently tapping the eye area upon application can help drain excess fluid from the eyes. And remember, using a small amount of eye cream regularly is better than using a lot occasionally, so consistency is key.

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