Medically reviewed by Minimalist Health Specialist - Written by Sritama Dutta (Medical Science) on 22nd Dec 2020
Wrinkles Under Eyes Distressing You? Here are 2 Incredible Ingredients that can Help You Get Rid of Them!
Aging is an extraordinary process. With every passing minute, our body cells experience certain changes that take us toward aging gracefully. And its first sign appears on our skin as fine lines and wrinkles. Though everyone is beautiful in their way, some individuals might feel conscious about their looks when they develop wrinkles on their skin. That not only lowers their self-esteem but also makes them feel undesirable.
Among those, the wrinkles under our eyes are perhaps the most prominent ones and are the ones that appear first. If you are one of us who is concerned about under eye wrinkles, then you have come to just the right place. In this article, we would talk about the under-eye wrinkles, why they appear, and how you can get rid of them.
The Skin Under the Eyes and the Appearance of Wrinkles:
Wrinkling of the skin is a part of the natural process of aging. But why does it happen? Let's find out.
With advancing age, the skin tissue loses its ability to synthesize proteins such as collagen, elastin, keratin, and the skin's building blocks. They are responsible for maintaining the firmness and resiliency of the skin. The decrease in collagen production and other such proteins leads to loss of skin elasticity, which results in the appearance of wrinkles on the skin.
What Causes Under Eye Wrinkles?
Various factors play their role in the development of Under Eye Wrinkles.
They are:
1. Advancing Age
Aging is the most common cause for the development of wrinkles under the skin. This happens because, after 30, our skin begins to lose collagen, resulting in a loss of firmness and resilience of the skin. The layer of skin gets folded, forming wrinkles and lines.
2. Exposure to Sun
Another cause of the development of wrinkles under the eyes is exposure to sun rays or UV rays. Exposure to UV rays can induce free radical formation in the skin, which breaks down the skin's collagen, resulting in wrinkles and gives your skin a dull, crinkled, leathery appearance.
3. Dehydration
Lack/scarcity of moisture in the skin can cause the skin to wrinkle and fold. Drinking less water or exposure to extreme weather conditions can dehydrate the body tissues and result in wrinkles on the skin.
4. Facial Expression
Facial expressions can also accentuate the formation of wrinkles on the softer skin on your face. Frowning, smiling, squinting can cause wrinkling of the under-eye skin.
5. Diet
Lack of vitamins in your diet can make the skin flaccid and hasten the speed of aging. Consumption of a diet with high sugar content can lower the level of antioxidants in our body. This can make aging faster, which causes the appearance of age lines and wrinkles in the soft skin under the eyes.
How To Get Rid of stubborn Under Eye Wrinkles?
1. Hydrate Yourself Inside Out
Hydration is very important for maintaining the health of the skin. Drinking a lot of water will bring in more water in the body cells and keep them distanced and firm. To hydrate the skin from the outside, it is recommended to apply a good quality moisturizer containing humectants and emollients to help draw water into the skin cells from the environment and prevent it from escaping.
2. Avoid the Sun
The answer to a lot of skincare concerns is to simply avoid the sun. The harmful UV rays might affect the skin and cause premature aging of the skin. So, it is recommended to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to prevent wrinkles and fine lines' untimely appearance.
3. Adopt a Healthy Diet
A balanced diet with all the necessary vitamins will help the skin maintain its vitality and resilience.
4. Exfoliation
Old and dull skin cells can accumulate on the skin's superficial layers that can give your skin a leathery and wrinkly appearance. Exfoliating regularly can help in promoting cell turnover that will leave your skin feeling youthful and radiant.
5. Facial Exercise
Facial exercises can keep your facial muscle and skin taut and elastic. Though the theory is not proven yet, "Facial Yoga" can reduce wrinkles under the eyes and give a smooth, younger-looking skin.
Can Active Ingredients Help in Reducing Under Eye Wrinkles?
The Two Most Effective Active Ingredients that You Can Adopt in Your Skincare Regime are:
Retinoids:
If you are a skincare enthusiast, you must have heard about retinol. It has been officially authorized as one of the ground-breaking anti-aging ingredients. Before we know how retinol reduces eye wrinkles, let's gain insight into what retinol is and how it is beneficial.
What is Retinol?
Retinol is an active form/kind of vitamin A which occurs in alcohol form. It is found in ample quantities in our daily diet, and its deficiency can cause eye problems, such as dry eyes, night blindness, and even complete loss of eyesight. It also affects the skin and results in dry skin and makes it susceptible to infections.
Because of its various beneficial effects, retinol has made its way into the skincare industry and has been well-accepted by the population. But why is retinol so well-known in skincare? It is because it has myriad benefits on the skin that everybody desired in their skincare regime. Let's find out what benefits Topical Retinol has on the skin.
Benefits of Topically Applied Retinoids:
- The first and foremost benefit of retinol is that it can reduce wrinkles and reduce fine lines by stimulating collagen synthesis, which maintains the skin's elasticity.
- Retinol also promotes the proliferation of skin cells. Thus, the thinning of the skin, which occurs due to aging, is compensated as the skin's thickness is restored.
- Retinol can promote cell turnover, eventually reduces hyperpigmentation on the skin such as age spots, dark spots, and sunspots.
- Retinol, though generally not used as an exfoliator, does have a mild exfoliating property. It acts at a cellular level and can give you smooth and radiant skin.
- As it increases protein synthesis in the skin tissue, topical retinol can also minimize enlarged pores and improve the skin's elasticity.
- It also possesses a mild antioxidant property that can protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV rays when exposed to the sun.
- Retinol can also treat and prevent acne to some extent. It can unclog congested pores, reduce overdrive of sebaceous glands, and can even prevent future breakouts.
How can Retinoids Reduce Under Eye Wrinkles?
The skin around the eye lacks the support of any bony structure underneath as our eyeball lies in a hollow space, i.e., the orbital fossa. Thus, the skin around and under the eyes are the first area where wrinkles and fine lines appear.
Unlike other anti-aging ingredients that only work on the superficial layer, Retinoids can work skin deep. The small molecular size of retinol enables it to penetrate the epidermis and go to deeper layers. Once it reaches the inner dermal layers, retinol can neutralize the free radicals in the skin that ages the skin. This, in turn, promotes elastin and collagen production, making the skin firmer and plumper, thus reducing the wrinkles under the eye.
How to Use Retinol in Your Skincare Regime?
- Using retinol in your daily skincare regime is quite simple. Here's how you can use retinol to reduce under-eye wrinkles and fine lines.
- Retinol must be used after cleansing your skin with a mild cleanser and toning the skin. If you want to layer it with other products, it is recommended to apply the water-based serum before applying serum.
- Dermatologists suggest that retinol should be used in your Nighttime or PM skincare routine.
- Retinol should be applied before applying moisturizer.
- You would only need a pea-sized quantity/amount of serum. Dab the serum on the skin around your eye, taking care that the serum does not enter your eyes.
- Wait for 2-3 minutes so that the serum gets absorbed into the deeper dermal layer.
- If you are starting to use retinol for the first time, it is recommended that retinol would take some time to show its effects. Generally, it takes up to 2-3 months to show accurate results.
- You should use at least 2-3 times a week in the beginning and then gradually increase the frequency to once daily.
- Retinol promotes cell turnover, which reveals the newer and younger cells on the superficial layers. These cells are susceptible to photodamage; thus, applying a considerable amount of broad-spectrum sunscreen before stepping out is necessary.
Are There Any Potential Side Effects of Retinol?
The topical Retinol serum intended for cosmetic purposes is usually of lower concentration. Generally, they do not cause any side effects. However, if used in higher concentration, retinol can have multiple adverse reactions.
Many cases have been reported that first-time retinol users have experienced skin irritation, redness, dryness, and peeling of the skin. Other rare side effects of retinol include breakouts, acne flat ups, skin discoloration, swelling, and stinging.
Peptides are a somewhat recent addition to the cosmetic world. Let's see what they are.
What are Peptides?
Peptides are chains of amino acids that form the cellular proteins in our body, such as collagen and elastin. When applied topically, as a serum, peptides can penetrate the skin cells and promote the synthesis of collagen and other proteins(building blocks of the cell) and make the skin look smooth and youthful.
These proteins are naturally synthesized in our bodies, but their production decreases with age. That's when peptide serums come to help. They compensate for the lost proteins and bring back the youthful resilience of the skin.
How can Peptides Help in Reducing Under Eye Wrinkles?
Peptide serum has a small molecular size that can easily penetrate the skin's outer layer, i.e., the epidermis. Thus, similar to retinol action, peptides can also penetrate the deeper dermal layers and send signals to induce the cells to produce more collagen and elastin.
When applied in the skin around and under the eyes, the peptides can gradually erase the fine lines, crow's feet, and wrinkles, and you would feel that you have never aged at all.
Peptides can also help in the activation of the cutaneous repair process and revitalize the skin.
How to Use Peptides in Your Skincare Regime?
Peptides can be used in your daily skincare regime, but preferably at the nighttime or PM regime to get the most out of it.
Cleanse your face with a mild cleanser and hydrate it with hyaluronic acid or other potent moisturizing agents before applying peptides serum.
Apply the serum with a dropper on the skin and dab it on the skin evenly. Let it rest for 1-2 minutes to allow it to get absorbed in the skin cells.
Something to keep in mind:
- You can layer Peptide serum with other products but try to go by the gradient.
- Avoid using facial acids before or after applying peptides as it may reduce their efficacy.
Are There Any Potential Side Effects of Peptides?
Peptides are organic ingredients and completely safe to use on the skin. Its composition makes it compatible with all skin types and does not show any adverse reaction. However, it's better to perform a patch test before starting to use it.
Wrapping it Up
Your eyes are the mirror of your inner soul. Then why allow wrinkles to dim their vibrancy? These two incredible active ingredients: retinol and peptides, can help you eliminate the undesirable under-eye wrinkles. Adopt them in your daily regime and feel young all over again!
