No matter what age you are, spotting that first fine line, or the first sign of wrinkles under your eyes can be a shock. Some very lucky people are saved this encounter until they are in their forties or fifties, but for many of us it can come in our thirties and even twenties, and it can be quite disheartening!
Under-eye wrinkles and “crow’s feet” are an annoying fact of life, after all, who wants to go through their life without smiling and laughing? But some of us are more prone to early wrinkles than others, some skin types are more likely to wrinkle worse than others, so it is always a good idea to look after your skin.
It’s never too early to be thinking about preventing and reducing wrinkles – and that’s not being pessimistic, that’s being prepared and looking after our skin. There are plenty of ways you can try and prevent wrinkles – from making sure you cover up in the sun from your younger years throughout your life to, eating healthily and boosting your skin’s natural resilience.
The sooner you start looking after your skin, the better. But remember that it is also never too late to start, even if you have had a few mishaps in the past – cough, tanning beds and sunburn, cough – there are many ways you can relieve the signs of your skin aging.
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Anti-Aging Wrinkles Creams
There are hundreds of anti-aging wrinkle creams on the market for you to choose from, some of which can give outstanding results at turning back the hands of time on your skin. But they can work in very different ways. Some primarily aim to fill fine lines and wrinkles to help them appear less noticeable, while others aim to promote your skin’s ability to produce collagen. Some can, therefore, give amazing, rapid results, whereas others take a little longer to get results, but are fantastic long term.
Ingredients lists can be a little confusing, so here’s what you need to know when choosing your anti-wrinkle cream:
Collagen Creams & Pro-Collagen Creams
Collagen is a natural protein. It is found in our skin as it is what keeps it supple. Baby skin is packed full of collagen, but as we get older, the rate at which collagen is produced slows down. This is partly due to the natural aging process, but also due to certain lifestyle factors. For example, smoking and tanning reduce collagen production. It makes sense. Therefore, that collagen is mentioned on a lot of anti-aging cream packaging. Unfortunately, it is not quite that simple.
Collagen molecules are large, and therefore they cannot be absorbed by your skin. Therefore, collagen that you apply topically to your skin will not replace the collagen that is lost through aging. It does, however, moisturize your skin, and by slowing the rate of water loss from your skin, you can retain the supple texture of your skin.
On the other hand, pro-collagen creams do aim to replace the natural collagen which is lost. They do this be enhancing, through various means, the rate at which your skin naturally produces collagen. Often marine ingredients are used in pro-collagen creams. They can give you great results but may take a little longer to achieve these results than collagen creams. Their results, however, should be longer-lasting.
Retinoids
Retinoids are chemical compounds which are related or similar to vitamin A. They have important functions in your body, including regulating cell production, growing bone tissue and activating tumor suppressor genes. This wide range of functions has lead to the being used for a wide range of treatments, including acne and psoriasis. They can be made synthetically in many different ways and can be very effective at reducing wrinkles.
Retinoids encourage surface skin cells to turn over quickly, making way for new cells going underneath. They can, therefore, be quite drying on the skin. However, they also reduce the breakdown of collagen and make the deeper layer of your skin thicker – preventing and smoothing wrinkles. Some retinoids can only be used when prescribed by a doctor, while others can be bought over the counter is creams and moisturizers. Products may include ingredients such as retinoic acid, retinol, or Retin-A.
If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive, consult your doctor before using any products that contain retinoids. Certain retinoids can cause serious harm to the embryo or fetus, resulting in major central nervous system, cardiovascular and other types of defects. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive, and are concerned about wrinkles, then consider other anti-aging options first.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a naturally-occurring, fat-soluble compound. It is a powerful antioxidant, meaning it can fight the action of free radicals that can contribute to skin aging.
A bit of science: Free radicals are molecules that are unbalanced because they have an off number of electrons in their outer shell. They occur when our bodies use oxygen. Electrons like to be paired, so having an odd number makes these free radicals unstable, meaning they look for other proteins or molecules to link up with – a process called oxidation.
You can watch oxidation occurring when you see an apple turn brown. Free radicals can gain the desired electron from lipids and proteins in your skin, leading to damage to the structure of cell membranes and therefore poorly-functioning cells. This therefore results in fine lines and wrinkles.
Antioxidants can interact with free radicals in place of body molecules, therefore preventing or stopping the chain reaction which can lead to damaged body molecules. The neutralize the free radicals without harming your tissues and can therefore prevent and reduce the rate at which fine lines and wrinkles occur.
Vitamin E is also anti-inflammatory and hydrating. This means that products containing vitamin E are a good choice for people with sensitive skin.
Choosing Your Anti-Aging Cream
There are many different options when it comes to choosing an anti-aging or anti-wrinkle cream. Here are our final considerations when choosing the right product.
- Non-comedogenic – if you are still prone to breakouts and blackheads, choose a cream that is non-comedogenic as it will not block your pores and lead to spots.
- Eye creams – skin around your eyes can be more delicate than other areas of your face. Consider choosing a product specifically designed for use around the eyes for best results.
- Sun protection – you might as well prevent wrinkles from occurring while you are trying to get rid of old ones! Consider a cream that has an SPF rating.
How To Get Rid Of Under-Eye Wrinkles Naturally
Natural methods may not pack as big of a punch as the specially-designed formulas that you can buy now, but they are a gentle alternative that can still give you some noticeable results. Many foods we eat contain antioxidants and while we can reap the benefits if we include a lot of them in our diets, but it is also thought that we can absorb them through our skin.
We love these methods because they also give you an excuse to take a few minutes to chill – sit back and relax and let nature work at turning back the clock! Here are some of our favorite natural, topical formulas to help reduce those annoying under-eye wrinkles:
Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera is widely recognized for its healing properties, but you may not have thought to use it to reduce wrinkles. We love that you can use aloe vera gel straight from the plant. Simply snap one of the leaves off and squeeze out the gel, then dab it straight onto your offending wrinkles. You can either use it as a mask and wash it off after a while, or you can leave it on overnight. You can also combine your aloe vera gel with a vitamin E capsule, to give it even more wrinkle-fighting power.
Avocado Masks
Avocados are packed full of antioxidants, vitamins and healthy fats. They contain high levels of vitamins C and E, which are well known for their ability to reduce and prevent wrinkles. They can do wonders when you eat them, but they can also work wonders when you use them topically. You can either slice one up and press them under your eyes, or you can mash them up into a paste and apply it to your skin. Then sit back and relax for a while. Afterward, just rinse it off with lukewarm water.
Coconut Oil
Just like avocados, coconut oil contains high levels of vitamin E, as well as nutrients that can help to repair broken tissues. Unrefined, raw/virgin coconut oil is an excellent nourishing and highly moisturizing massage oil, so you can combine it with other natural ingredients when you make an anti-aging face mask. You can use it alone by gently massaging it into your skin around your eyes. However, it can make your skin shiny, so it is best to apply it to your skin just before you go to bed.
Cucumber
There is a reason why we associate cucumber with day spas! Cucumber is highly moisturizing, which means that it can hydrate your skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and prevent new ones from forming. It’s extremely cheap, so it’s a method you can use regularly! Simply mash up or blend about a ¼ of a cucumber, until it is a slightly chunky purée. They you can apply it directly to your skin under and around your eyes and let it sit for a while. Afterward, just rinse it off with lukewarm water.
From Any Supermarket 🙂
Egg White Mask
Egg whites are full of protein and contain plenty of natural collagen. Combined, these features can plump-out your skin, tighten your pores and leave your skin more supple. To make an egg white facial, separate two egg whites for their yolks and whisk the egg white until they become frothy. You can then apply it around your eyes and any other areas that are prone to wrinkles and leave them to sit for a while. Afterward, rinse them off with lukewarm water and then gently pat your skin dry.
Anti-Aging Devices For Under Eye Wrinkles
If you are looking for something with a bit more oomph to tackle those under-eye wrinkles and crows feet, but you don’t like the idea of needles and surgery, there are still many options that you can do from the comfort of your own home. So we are going to talk through some of our favorites, which are remarkably simple but can give you some outstanding results.
These methods seem quite varied and can seem a little too good to be true, but they all have one thing in common. That is that through different methods, they are all thought to stimulate your skin’s natural collagen production, which is essential for retaining, boosting and restoring your youthful glow and shrinking those pesky, stubborn wrinkles.
Even better, these methods are all thought to greatly increase the effectiveness of topical products, so you can combine them with applying your pro-collagen anti-wrinkle cream to get even better results!
Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy stems from a technology that was originally developed by NASA, and has since been found to heal skin and reduce pain. The ability of red light therapy to heal wounds led to research into how it can affect skin aging.
It is thought that certain wavelengths of light penetrate your skin at different depths and can, therefore, affect cell processes differently. Wavelengths of red light are thought to increase circulation, therefore improve oxygenation to cells and the removal of waste products. This enables cell processes to work more efficiently – in particular, the cells which produce collagen. This increased production of collagen therefore plumps-out your skin and reduces those fine lines and wrinkles.
Different wavelengths of light, and therefore different colors of light, are also beneficial for different uses. For example, blue light, though not ultraviolet (UV), is widely used to treat acne, as the blue light kills the bacteria which cause acne.
Red light therapy is great for people with sensitive skin, because other than some redness if you overdo it, there aren’t any side effects. If the device you use emits infrared light as one of the wavelengths, you may get some skin heating, but it is a safe treatment that you can use several times a week. It is used by dermatologists and in some salons, and what’s even better is that it is very relaxing!
As we mentioned before though, you don’t have to a clinic to get red light therapy – there are hundreds of devices that you can buy to use in your home – some large to treat larger areas, some smaller to treat more delicate areas such as your eye wrinkles.
We reviewed the 8 best red light therapy devices, you can read our review here:
Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion has been used for many years by dermatologists as a skin-resurfacing treatment. It is the combination of exfoliation by micro-crystals, or diamond, with suction. The benefits of microdermabrasion are that it:
- buffs dead skin cells off the surface of your skin
- removes oil impurities that can block pores
- helps your skin to and feel softer and younger
By removing the dead skin cells and removing oil and impurities, microdermabrasion can clear your pores and freshen your complexion, which can help your skin to appear younger. But its real technique to reduce wrinkles and reverse the signs of aging happen deeper in your skin.
The combination of exfoliation with suction is thought to effectively trick your skin into thinking it has been injured. It is thought that this action kick-starts the healing response of your skin, which includes increasing the production of collagen and increasing circulation to the area – which brings oxygen and nutrients to the areas that need it most. This increased flow to the skin cells can increase the efficiency of skin cell processes, meaning your skin becomes healthier, more resilient and therefore appears younger again. This is also the reason why it can increase the effectiveness of topical products.
Microdermabrasion has best results when regularly repeated, over time. Salon price can add up, so the most cost-effective way to treat your skin is to have an at-home microdermabrasion kit. It is known as a ‘lunch break procedure”, meaning it is quick to do and doesn’t require any downtime afterward – it is quick and easy to do and other than some redness, you shouldn’t get any side effects. It is important not to overdo your microdermabrasion though – give your skin enough time to heal in between treatments. Otherwise, you can undo all the good work your sessions have done.
We reviewed the top 7 microdermabrasion devices, you can read our review here:
Steaming Your Face
This is probably the technique that sounds most like it is too good to be true. But when we talk about steaming your face, we don’t mean just in the shower, or leaning over a boiling pan of water – although you can get some benefits from both of those. We mean using nanosteam.
Nanosteam is much smaller particles than your kettle of showerhead releases. In fact, nanosteam is so much smaller that it is thought to be able to penetrate your skin up to 10 time more effectively than regular steam. This benefits your skin even more because it means that it can deeply moisturize much more effectively.
Not only does this deeply moisturize your skin, but the warmth on your skin also increases your circulation and opens your pores to let impurities out. This can help your skin to plump-out and appear younger. In particular, you can notice that areas such as under your eyes where you are prone to wrinkles appear smoother.
Steaming your face with nanosteam can drastically enhance the results you see from topical products such as facial masks and anti-aging creams, so you can combine these relaxing treatments to achieve the best results – youthful, radiant skin.
We reviewed the leading facial steamers, you can read our review below:
Conclusion
As you can see, you have many options to try to minimize under-eye wrinkles and crows feet. Even better, there is no need just to try one! You can enjoy regular, natural face masks after a relaxing steam session, before applying a luxurious anti-wrinkle cream. Then, to top it all off, every now and again you can give yourself a red light therapy or microdermabrasion treatment. The options are endless, and the results can be fantastic!
If you are keen to find out more about anti-aging creams, take a look at our review, where we have discussed what we consider to be the top products on the market, so that you can choose the best one for you. Or if you prefer, take a look at our blog, where we have looked into the other anti-aging techniques and treatments in more detail.
hello im 46 years old and im conscious about my face especially part of my eyes, i made a home remedies that will work for my tired eyes’
hope yo can give me an advice or remedies that work it out. thanks