I took a selfie recently (come on–you know you do it too!) and noticed something different. My eyes looked tired, red, and puffy, and wrinkles were popping up where they didn’t exist before. I don’t know when it happened, but the dry, irritated feeling should have been a dead giveaway that my eyes needed some major TLC.
I felt like I was way too young to have dark circles and wrinkles around my eyes. I was tired of puffy bags when I woke up, and I knew there had to be a solution.
As it turns out, all I had to do was change how I treated my eyes and the skin around them. Now my eyes actually help me look younger. The following eye care tips are ways I’ve found to improve their appearance that I’ve put into practice whenever I can; hopefully, it helps you too!
Reduce screen time.
I’m often at my computer or on my phone–working, chatting with friends, or spending way too much time on Instagram. All of that screen time was drying my eyes out. Not only that, I noticed an increase in migraines too.
My solution was to treat my eyes with eye drops twice a day and change my screen viewing habits. I try to look away from my screen for a few seconds every five minutes. I also set a timer when I’m at my computer to get up every hour and let my eyes rest for five minutes.
The redness, dryness, and irritation are long gone. Thanks to that, I’ve also reduced how often I rub my eyes, which had been contributing to pulling and tugging on the delicate skin around my eyes.
Wear sunglasses.
The sun doesn’t just harm your skin; it also damages your eyes and the sensitive skin around them. I wear sunglasses whenever I’m outside or in a car. I do this on sunny and cloudy days since UV rays don’t care what the weather is like!
Sunglasses also help prevent squinting so that you aren’t giving those fine lines and wrinkles any extra help! You do need some sunlight, though, so every now and then let your eyes go without sunglasses. Just don’t overdo it.
Treat with eye cream.
In your late twenties, collagen production around your eyes starts to drop off. This is where those pesky fine lines and sagging skin come from. Concealer can only do so much, and it’s better to prevent the problem in the first place than to simply treat it after the fact.
Eye creams are better than standard facial moisturizers because they often contain peptides and retinol to fight the signs of aging and boost collagen production. I use an eye cream with SPF daily to help combat the UV rays that age skin.
After several weeks of using an anti-aging eye cream at night and one with SPF during the day, I saw a difference. It also meant I was using less makeup to cover up flaws. In my eyes (pun intended), it was a win-win.
Leave your eyes alone.
I spent a few days paying close attention to how often I rubbed my eyes. No wonder I had dark circles! All that rubbing damages the blood vessels under the eye, leaving them looking dark and puffy.
Now, I make a conscious effort to leave them alone. If my eyes are itchy, I use extra drops. If my allergies are flaring up, I take an antihistamine.
I also go easy when taking off eye makeup. In the past, I tended to scrub it off with a makeup remover wipe. Now, I do a few gentle swipes with a cotton pad and cleansing water instead. It’s a lot gentler.
Block out the light.
You probably already know that getting a good night’s rest is crucial to helping your eyes rest and recover. What I didn’t realize was that sleeping with my face in the pillow was actually making my eyes look worse.
I invested in some light-blocking curtains and used some light-blocking electronic tape over all those LED lights in my bedroom. As a result, I didn’t toss and turn trying to avoid light in my eyes.
Avoid salty foods.
A big contributor to undereye bags is most likely lurking in the foods you eat. Salt causes water retention, not just in your body, but also in your face! Avoiding salty foods can help to reduce puffy eyes.
I also began sleeping on my back with my head elevated. This is crucial as it allows for better drainage of fluids from around my eyes so that they aren’t pooling and creating bags under my eyes. Just a week later my eyes already looked better.
Eyes aren’t just a window to your soul. They’re also a giant sign advertising your age. Take care of them and give them the TLC they deserve.