You know you’ll get eye wrinkles one day… But why must that day be now?!
Like, you’re not even 30 and yet, there they are, lining your eyes and making you look 5 years older. Ugh. Life is so unfair…
Sure, the skin around the eyes is very delicate and ages more quickly than the rest of the face. But, can’t you put off those pesky eye wrinkles for a little longer?
Yes. Here are 4 tips to prevent eye wrinkles – or crow’s feet, as we “affectionately” call them from appearing too soon:
How To Prevent Eye Wrinkles
1. Pat Your Eye Products On With Your Ring Finger
Are you rubbing eye cream into the eye area? Stop.
The undereye area is very delicate. Rubbing or tugging can give you wrinkles. Instead of rubbing, pat your eye cream in with your ring finger. It’s the weakest finger, i.e. the gentlest.
I know it’s a very simple thing, but it’s always the basics that mess you up. Applying an eye cream right is half the work.
Related: The Right Way To Apply Eye Cream
Need help creating an anti-aging routine that really works? Sign up to the newsletter below to receive the “Anti-Aging Skincare Routine Cheatsheet” (it includes product recommendations, too!).
2. Use An Antioxidant Serum To Fight Free Radicals
Think of antioxidants like the anti-wrinkle police.
They patrol your body looking for free radicals, the nasty criminals that destroy your collagen and elastin (the proteins that keep your skin firm and elastic) and everything else they touch.
Once they find a free radical, they neutralise it before it can wreak any serious damage. Phew!
A few antioxidants (like vitamin C) boost the production of collagen, too. More collagen = firmer, smoother skin.
By the way, when it comes to antioxidants, the more, the merrier. Vitamin C + Vitamin E + Ferulic acid is a good combination to start with, but the more antioxidants your skincare products contain, the better.
Best Picks:
- Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum ($80.00/£67.00): available at Cult Beauty, Sephora and SpaceNK
- Paula’s Choice C15 Booster ($49.00): available at Feel Unique and Paula’s Choice
- Skinceuticals CE Ferulic ($166.00): available at Adore Beauty, Blue Mercury and Dermstore
Related: What Are The Best Antioxidant Serums?
3. Apply Sunscreen Every Day, Rain Or Shine
I can’t stress this enough. UV rays are the #1 cause of aging.
You can use all the antioxidant serums in the world, but nothing is gonna keep those wrinkles away if you don’t wear sunscreen EVERY single day, rain or shine.
It’s that important. Think about it. If UV rays generate more free radicals than antioxidants can cope with, eye wrinkles are only a matter of time.
Wear your sunscreen. And then wear it again. Top it up every few hours to be on the safe side.
When it comes to antiaging, sunscreen does 90% of the work. Skip it at your peril.
Best Picks:
- EltaMD UV Pure Broad-Spectrum SPF 47 ($25.00): available at Dermstore and Walmart
- Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection SPF 50 Sunscreen + WetForce For Sensitive Skin & Children ($42.00): available at Nordstrom and Ulta
- Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 ($34.00): available at Blue Mercury and Dermstore
Related: How To Reapply Sunscreen When You’re Wearing Makeup
4. Wear Sunglasses On Sunny Days
UV rays are sneaky. They damage your skin in all kinds of ways.
It’s not just the free radicals they generate when they hit your skin that give you eye wrinkles. Their light is bad as well.
All that squinting overtimes leaves eye wrinkles deeply etched into the skin. Pile on the sunscreen and then don your eyeglasses.
Now you can leave the house without worrying about eye wrinkles. Phew!
Related: 4 Ways To Protect Your Skin From The Sun
Nice tips! I usually do eye massages now, because I’m guilty of tugging on my eyes when I was younger. You know, I always hear and read about its better to start sooner. How soon should someone using anti-aging products? Late-teens? Early-teens? I personally didn’t start anti-aging skin care until turning 20.
.-= Dee´s last blog ..A Piece of Me…In January =-.
Dee, thanks. Eye massages sound nice, I should start doing them too.
Everyone seems to have a different opinion about when’s better to start using anti-aging products. I started in my mid-20s but I wish I has started a couple of years before now. Personally, I think early 20’s is a good time to start. I don’t think teenagers need them and that’s too soon to start in my personal opinion, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong or any side effects if they wanna start using them that young.
I can’t prevent them anymore as I’m over 30. *sigh*
.-= Mylanqolia´s last blog ..The Sleek Review is online =-.
Mylanqolia, you’re still young hun! And even if you have some small wrinkles, you can always prevent them from getting worse or more from forming 🙂
Nice post!! I’m guilty of squinting, because I don’t have sunglasses (I wear glasses for myopia) so I occasionally squint when in the sun (thankfully not too often) or when I’m in the car and it’s sunny haha. I also rub my eyes a lot…. -.- I’m 21 but I haven’t thought of starting anti-aging yet.. in a couple of years I will.. 🙂 concious choice heehee 🙂
I totally agree with your tips, moisturising and protecting the eyes, very important for everyone!! =)
Denise, I don’t think squinting will cause that much damage if you don’t use it often. But you shouldn’t rub your eyes a lot, that’s gonna be bad in the long run! And I think it’s never too early to start thinking about anti-aging 😉
yes, I will stop rubbing my eyes … (and touching my face!) I have heard other girls say that, never too early haha 🙂 You are right. 🙂 thanks!
Denise, you’re welcome. 🙂
“no topical can” …I thought retinol was the only thing that’s been proven to work?
Charlotte, yes, retinol is proven to work, to an extant (in the sense that it takes time for the results to appear and even then it doesn’t work as well as botox), but I’m a bit hesitant to recommend retinol and other retinoids for the eye area as they skin needs time to get used to them and in the meantime you can experience redness, peeling and stinging. For some people this isn’t a problem at all (I use a product with Retinoids daily and it works well for me), but I know others who can’t tolerate them and considering how sensitive and delicate the eye area is, using Retinoids there should be done very carefully. But for those that can use retionol around the eye area without side effects then it’ll definitely help reverse the damage to some degree.