Bright Eyes – Nature’s Way
Posted: Monday 26 April 2010 09:14am
Although there are many top class creams and gels available for battling eye bogeys like dark circles, puffiness and lines and wrinkles, nature has its own effective armoury. We called on two very different experts in the field – our sister site, leading beauty destination Primped.com.au, and a leading contact lens manufacturer – for their tips:
Deflating Puffiness
It might sound obvious, but is your problem puffiness or bags? Puffy eyes are usually temporary but bags are often caused by fat accumulation, developing slowly over years, and only surgery can remove them. That said, treatments for puffiness can also be effective in reducing the severity of baggy eyes.
If swelling is so severe that your eyes are two to three times their normal size or you can’t close them properly, see a doctor as it could be indicative of a problem that requires medical treatment.
To jettison excess eye baggage, consider the following:
* If you’re constantly waking up with puffiness under your eyes, it could be because of your pillow. After lying down for several hours, any accumulated fluid pools when you stand up. Try sleeping with your head slightly elevated so the fluid drains more easily.
* Cover the eyes with cotton pads soaked in iced water or table spoons cooled in the freezer; leave for 10 minutes.
* Fill a zip lock bag with ice, wrap it in a face washer and place on the eyes. Repeat as necessary until the swelling is gone.
*Soak a cotton wool pad in either witch hazel or rose water. Close eyes and leave eye pads on for 15 to 20 minutes.
* Massage the area between the brows, as well as the inner corners of the eyes, to help shift excess fluid.
* Apply a moist, cool caffeinated tea bag to the area, as the astringent tannins in the tea reduce inflammation and shrink the skin. If you’re prone to allergies, a herbal tea like chamomile might swell your eyes, so proceed with caution.
* Float two slices of cucumber in cool tap water for a few minutes. Shake them off well and place over your eyes. The coolness and astringency of cucumber soothes the skin and reduces swelling.
Banishing Dark Circles
Under or around the eyes, dark circles can create an illusion of exhaustion, even illness. In many cases the cause is hereditary and, so, requires more specialist treatment.
Other causes include:
- Sleep difficulties, stress and depression.
- Rubbing the eyes due to fatigue or itchiness.
- Allergies, such as hay fever and to dust.
- Eye skin is so close to the bone that, when the body is dehydrated, blood vessels become more obvious and show up as dark circles.
- Skin under the eyes becomes even thinner as it ages, which also makes the blood vessels beneath more obvious.
- Residual makeup.
To prevent dark circles forming in the first place, there are some simple and basic lifestyle decisions to make: drink plenty of water, cut back on dehydration culprits such a salt, caffeine and alcohol, get enough sleep (7-8 hours a night is ideal), eat a healthy diet rich in vitamin C and iron – proteins, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables. And don’t smoke – not only does it damage the skin but also strips the body of vitamins, notably C, needed to replenish the cells.
* Put used teabags in the freezer, then place them on the eyes covering the dark circles; leave for 10 minutes. Teabags should be squeezed out to avoid further darkening from pigments in the tea leaves.
* Mix honey with a little bit of milk and apply the mixture to the dark circles; wash it off with water after an hour. For better results apply daily for 7 consecutive days. It has been suggested that amino acids in honey and rich proteins in milk could help resist oxidation and whiten skin.
* Soak cotton wool pads in cool milk or Witch Hazel and place on closed eyes for at least 10 minutes.
* Potatoes have skin-lightening enzymes called catecholase, which temporarily help fade circles. Leave two thin slices over each eye for 10 minutes, twice a week. The juices will seep into the skin and even out your skin tone.
* Stop dark circles from worsening by avoiding unnecessary UV as cumulative sun damage causes circles to darken further. Always apply sunscreen before going outside. Find a sensitive formula that won’t sting your eyes – no point fighting one problem (dark circles) and ending up with another (red, irritated eyes).
* It your circles worsen with your hay fever, there’s probably a direct correlation. Allergies swell the vessels under your skin, and when you rub your eyes you can bruise those same vessels. Treating your allergies will stop the rubbing … and the black eyes.
Wrinkles
Around age 25, the natural ageing of skin begins. As collagen and elastin decrease, the skin becomes slacker around the eyes. It is also affected by years of many facial expressions. In addition to ageing and normal activity, other factors which may impact the skin are dehydration, contact with hot water during washing, or frequent eye rubbing.
* To temporarily improve the appearance of wrinkles, beat the white of an egg until thick and apply it around the eyes; leave for 30 minutes and wash off with cold water.
Daily maintenance
Why wait until you have a problem? Once you’ve identified the triggers for your bags, sags or puffs and taken steps to avoid them, proper care of the eye area will help keepthe bogeys at bay. On a daily basis, make sure you use the right eye cream for your skin’s needs and apply it correctly, massaging it in lightly from inner corner to outer corner across the upper eyelid and back underneath the eye. For a demonstration go to http://www.acuvue.com.au/acuvue-life/vanity-case/beauty-care-for-eyes/sparkling-eyes-forever.html and click on Eye Beauty Tips.
Finally …
Don’t forget the eyes themselves! Exposure to sunlight may damage the eyeballs as much as the upper and lower eyelids.
Even on a cloudy day or in cooler weather it is important to protect yourself by wearing suitable protection for your eyes and skin. When outdoors wear a hat with a wide brim to block out sunlight from overhead and choose large sunglasses that fit close to your eyes. Even with sunglasses that offer 100 per cent UV protection, sunlight can still reach your eyes through the sides, especially those rays reflected by pavement, grass, snow, sand and water. Wrap around sunglasses are the best for blocking sunglasses from the sides.