Before eyebrow threading, brow makeup, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara, the whole deal – you should have your eye-care routine down. Why? The eye area is sensitive so you want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to preserve the area, to prevent any irritation or infections and to stop any signs of premature aging. We’re all for the beautiful process that is aging, it’s 100% natural and happens to everyone, we just don’t want it to start before it has to. Also, early instances of fine lines and wrinkles can be a signs that your skin is in need of some TLC. Therefore, taking extra care of your eye area (from brows to cheek) will ensure better results with eyebrow threading and smoother makeup application. So, without any more delay here are some easy tips for taking care of your beloved eye area.
Puffy Eyes
It happens to the best of us and for a variety of different reasons. Puffy eyes occur from the swelling of tissue around the eye area and can be caused by something like too much sleep OR not enough sleep – ironic, we know. A surefire way to make sure you’re getting enough sleep, is to train your body to wake up and sleep at the same time every day – ensuring that you’re getting the same amount of sleep as well (hopefully around 7-8 hours). Another thing that can cause puffiness is excess salt intake – to help with this, watch what you eat and try to avoid cooking with too much salt. P.S. Fast foods and foods that have been preserved for a long time, are usually high in salt.
To temporarily reduce puffiness around the eyes, you can do a number of things, including.
- Water: Drinks lots of it!
- Chamomile Tea Bags: This tea contains natural anti-inflammatories that are perfect for reducing swelling. All you have to do is place two used teabags in the fridge until they are cool and then place them on your closed eyelids for 15 minutes.
- Cucumber Slices: Yes, there is actually a purpose to these! Cucumbers contain natural tannins (excellent antioxidants) that reduce puffiness. Just cut a cold cucumber into thin slices and place on closed lids for 20 minutes.
Sun Damage
The sun is a huge contributor to issues regarding the eye area – not surprisingly because we’re exposed to it every. single.day. Things like fine lines and milia all worsen with sun exposure, so you should always wear sunscreen in order to minimize the effects of the sun. In addition, on days when the sun is especially bright and during the summer, always wear sunglasses! Specifically sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB radiation, for protection of the skin around the eyes and your retinas. Btw, those teeny 90s sunglasses might be on-trend but they do nothing for your eye health and protecting the eye area. Function > Fashion is our motto when it comes to protecting your body!
Fine Lines
Like we said earlier, this is going to happen to all of us – we just don’t need to make them any more significant than they would naturally be! As we grow older, dead skin cells build up around the eye area because our cell turnover rate slows down. The skin isn’t able to renew itself as quickly as it does when we’re younger so the skin thins out, the collagen breaks down, which in turn reduces the elasticity in the skin and causes lines. In order to minimize fine lines you can use eye creams and masks that produce cell turnover and help rebuild collagen. There are a ton of new collagen creams and masks on the market so make sure you do your research, to find the best one for you. P.S. the reason it’s always better to apply these products at night is because our cells regenerate while we sleep!
Preventing Infections
Since the eyes are very sensitive, they are also prone to getting infected easily. Taking these simple precautions can significantly reduce the risk of getting an infection and are good for you personal hygiene, in general.
Only use creams/ masks/ makeup that are specifically made for the eyes.
Avoid touching your eye area as much as possible.
Wash your hands often in case you do touch your eye area accidentally.
Keep all of your makeup brushes clean and throw away any old/ expired eye makeup.
Don’t share makeup, specifically makeup for the eyes with anyone else.
Don’t sleep with your makeup on, ever!
Sharpen your eye pencils every time you use them – this will remove any bacteria or old germs that may have affected it since your last use.
And that’s all the tips we have for you today! We hope you found these helpful and are going to try and incorporate one, if not all, into your daily routine. Eye-care is extremely important and doing all the above (and more) will only make your eyes perform better, for a longer period of time. These tips should also help you understand what products work best with your skin type and help keep the skin smooth for better makeup application! Let us know if you have any other tips and if you’d like to see a part two of this post.
Until then, take care,
Ziba Beauty xo