Under eye issues

There is a huge difference between the lines, wrinkles and the bags and puffiness. Starting with the cause of these “characteristics”. I like to refer to them as such, it gives it a more friendly ring, I don’t see them as imperfections.

The skin around your eyes does not replace it’s own moisture and therefore needs a lot of help. The lines and bags are both determined in part by your genes, you will most likely have the same “characteristics” as your mother since this is mostly determined by the maternal gene side. Of course there are other factors that play a part in this development besides the whole aging process. Same cause as your upper lip Upper lip : wrinkles are caused by repetitive motions, in this case squinting, smiling, stank facing and frowning.

My biggest downfall: the sun! I am so screwed! The good news is that sunglasses will prevent some of the squinting. Clinique carries an eye cream with SPF 20 and I have Supergoop! Advanced Anti-Aging with SPF 37 on my list of eye crèmes to try.

Once more; smoking is an absolute don’t and sleeping is an absolute do! It is not just the amount of time you sleep (I need my 8 hours to function properly) but also how you sleep. I am screwed again! Stomach sleepers (ME!!!) thou shalt sleep on your back from now on with a slightly elevated head. Sleeping on your stomach can increase wrinkles cause you are squishing your face all-night-long. Hence, my Sharpei face in the AM. The elevation of the head is beneficial for the puffiness because it will decrease fluid retention. A humidifier will benefit your eyes also. Oh ladies there is so much to think about *sigh*. Crying yourself to sleep is a huge no-no too by the way, try getting rid of those bags in the morning!

Wrinkles do; drink lots of water. Wrinkles don’t; stop rubbing your eyes as the skin around your eyes is very delicate.

Bags and puffiness are a different animal although they come with age too. Most of the puff is due to the fluids building up below your eyes. How do we prevent these fluids from accumulating you may ask? Well….we are back to the lack of sleep and smoking but diet comes into play here as well. Salt is a major culprit in the fluid retention. Hydration is once again key; try drinking green tea, it’s loaded with antioxidants. But don’t drink lots of fluids before bed time, besides the obvious night time trips to the bathroom, you might also wake up with puffy eyes.

Eat lots of fruits and veggies, make sure you take in a lot of vitamin C and E as well as Omega-3 fatty acids. Not that hard right? In some cases allergies or a cold could cause the bags and under eye circles, in that case you may want to take an antihistamine to reduce the puffiness.

Gently tap the area under your eyes in the morning when you first wake up to help speed up the process of dissolving the fluid build up. Don’t pull or tug, because you guessed it; that will create wrinkles!!

Next up: dark circles! TBC…