We have delicate skin around our eyes and it is known to be several times thinner than the rest of our face. In fact, our blood vessels are just a fraction of an inch away from the skin's surface. Since it is more vulnerable, this is why wrinkles appear here first.
Some consumers may think eye care products are unnecessary and is just another marketing gimmick by companies to sell them more products but the truth is, a separate cosmetic product should be used for the eyes. The normal day or night moisturizer for the face is too heavy for our eyes.
To get best results on eye care, use an eye cream with SPF factor for day use. As you use, pat gently on the eye contour beneath the eyes to stimulate blood circulation. At night, use another eye cream to moisturize.
Dark circles
Dark circles can happen at any age, it is true. My three year old kid gets dark circles whenever he sleeps late or goes without his afternoon nap. The most common reason for this is lack of sleep although there are many other reasons such as genetics, stress and food intolerance such as cow's milk. One common belief is that dark circles formed because of waste accumulation around the eye area.
According to experts, the capillaries under our skin at the eye area are so narrow that red blood cells lined up (in a single file) to pass through. Sometimes, these red blood cells break the walls of capillaries and leak into the surrounding skin. Special enzymes then break down the red blood cells, changing it to blue-black colour. It is the same mechanism that produces bruises when we knock our body into something.
Factors that cause dark circles such as thickness of skin under the eyes, genes that caused the weakened capillaries, our skin tone (the lighter it is, the more apparent the dark circles) and whether you have deep set eyes (the shadows contribute to the dark circles, making them more visible) are hereditary.
Puffy eyes
Caused by trapped fluid in the tissues under your eyes, it is usually more obvious in the morning due to accumulation of fluid overnight. Other than fluid retention, factors such as stress and allergies can result in puffy eyes. More often than not, it is usually caused by too much crying (due to over production tears in our eyes) or too much intake of alcohol.
If it happens regularly when you eat certain things, it could be a food intolerance problem. Common culprits are dairy products like milk and cheese. Or you could be sensitive to a certain brand. Try switching brands to see if your condition can improve.
Some researches shown that lymph flow (flow of bodily fluid i.e. mainly white blood cells) has an important part to play in reducing puffy eyes. Therefore doing some simple exercises daily can keep puffy eyes at bay!
Remedies for dark circles and puffiness
1) Wrap an ice cube using a hanky and place over your eye area for a few minutes to stimulate blood vessels and improve flow of toxins. Cold stainless steel spoon kept in fridge may also do the trick.
2) Tannic acid in tea is good for reducing swelling. Soak two teabags in cold water and squeezed out the water. Place them over your eyes for 10 minutes.
3) Put slices of cold fresh cucumber or raw potato on eyes for 15 minutes - cucumber has a soothing and cooling effect while raw potato contains Catecholase, an enzyme that works as a skin lightener and is also used for removing dyes of staining fruits.
4) Gentle massage using middle finger to tap the puffy area from inwards to outwards and repeat for few minutes to improve blood circulation.
Brought to you by Skin of Eden [http://www.skin-of-eden.com].
Jan Leong is a stay-at-home mum cum blogger and skin care enthusiast. Her website Skin of Eden [http://www.skin-of-eden.com] shares natural skin care information and tips in achieving a more healthy and beautiful skin.
