There's a wonderful saying "our eyes are the window to our soul", so it makes sense that we want our eyes to shine bright. But it isn't uncommon for life to take its toll on this delicate area of the face, leaving us with puffiness, dark circles, and a look that screams lack of sleep!
It's not uncommon to suffer common eye concerns so don't feel alarmed. But what are they and what causes them?
ASTHENOPIA:
Asthenopia is also known as tired eyes. It's a common condition that often occurs when the muscles in the eyes are forced to work without any rest, making it difficult to focus, and can cause pain.
One of the main causes of this is from staring at the screen for long periods - something many of us are guilty of in 2021. As you would expect, people who work long hours in front of a computer are more likely to suffer from asthenopia. However, another cause can be straining to see in dim light, for example, if you're reading a book in bed. Most of the time having tired eyes isn't serious and can be fixed by giving your eyes plenty of rest, so always try to give yourself a minimum of 8 hours of sleep.
DARK CIRCLES:
There are several causes of dark circles, tiredness, lack of sleep, allergies, genetics of just the natural ageing process. Dark circles are caused by constricted blood vessels causing hyperpigmentation beneath the eyes, resulting in a darker skin tone, or from the thinning of the skin around the eyes.
PUFFINESS (BAGS UNDER THE EYES):
Puffiness or "bags under your eyes" are a common concern and can make you look more tired than you really are.
There are a few reasons why you may have puffy eyes, it might be from a build-up of fluid that has accumulated under the eye area causing some swelling. Or it may be caused naturally by ageing - the tissue and muscles supporting your eyes can weaken and drop making the under-eye puffy. Although having puffy eyes can be a minor concern it's always important to check that it isn't the cause of something more serious. If you notice there is more swelling, pain, itchy or redness around your eye area then it is important to contact your doctor or seek medical help.
WRINKLES:
Everybody gets wrinkles, it's a natural ageing process as we grow old. They tend to appear on parts of the body that receive the most sun exposure, so your face, neck & back of the hands are the leading culprits. As your body ages so does your skin, your skin becomes thinner and less elastic over time which then creates wrinkles. Most of the time wrinkles appear first on the face, due to natural folds when creating facial expressions.
You can increase the development of wrinkles without even knowing by being exposed to ultraviolet light (UV) from sunbathing, tanning booths and outdoor activities. UV light breaks down the collagen and elastin fibres in the skin. As it breaks down the skin becomes weaker and less flexible and the skin then starts to drop and wrinkles appear. To slow down this process it's important to protect your skin as much as possible from the sun and UV light.
FINE LINES:
Fine lines are shallow lines in the skin, over time they become deeper turning into wrinkles. As you age your skin starts to lose some of its elasticity, this can be caused by sunlight or UV exposure, environmental factors and genetics. You are more likely to show earlier signs of ageing around the eyes because the skin is thinner. Unfortunately, some people who look after their skin still can get fine lines due to genetics. Scientists have found genes that are inherited from your mother's side are most likely to impact the appearance of your skin.
So, for example, if your mother had developed fine lines at the age of 30, you may start to see some fine lines appearing on your skin earlier. Again, this can also work in your favour - if your mothers' skin has remained fine line and wrinkle-free throughout her 50's, you too can expect to be fine line and wrinkle-free at that age.
HOW CAN INSTANT EFFECTS EYE LIFT SERUM BENEFIT YOUR UNDER EYES?
Instant Effects Eye Lift Serum is designed to help target and reduce any unwanted dark circles, puffiness, and the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles under the eye area. It's the ultimate under-eye correcting serum that works in just 15 minutes! (full effects in 1 hour) It is packed full of a combination of natural plant extracts, Vitamin C and patented OX2 Oxygen Transfer Technology. Our OX2 Oxygen Transfer Technology works fast to erase fine lines, leaving the skin smoother, firmer and intensely hydrated. The OX2 pumps oxygen into the skin and therefore increases blood flow to the area and naturally plumps the skin while also stimulating the production of collagen and elastin.
For an extra under-eye boost, we recommend keeping the Instant Effects Eye Lift Serum in the fridge so when you apply it to your under-eye area it feels cooling and refreshing.
HOW DO I LOOK AFTER MY UNDER EYES, ARE THERE ANY NATURAL REMEDIES THAT I CAN TRY AT HOME TO HELP ME IMPROVE MY UNDER-EYE CONCERNS?
There are a few handy tips and tricks you can try to keep those under-eye concerns at bay. Here are some natural home remedies that we recommend you should try:
COLD COMPRESS:
Apply a clean, wet washcloth or cold damp cotton pad to your eye area. Another option, if you prefer, put a spoon or an eye-roller in the fridge to cool, then place the back of the spoon or eye roller under the eye and gently massage the area. Then apply Instant Effects Eye Lift Serum (or your eye cream/serum) under your eye as a cooling gel.
TEA BAGS:
Soak two tea bags in cold water, squeeze any access water before placing them over your closed eyes.
Lay back and relax for 15 to 20 minutes. For some extra relaxation light a candle or scent stick, whilst playing some relaxing music in the background to give you that home spa feeling.
Why use teabags? Tea contains caffeine which may help draw water out of your under-eye area to bring down any puffiness or swelling.
SLICES OF CUCUMBER:
If you're not a fan of putting tea bags under your eyes then you can always use cucumber. Not only is it very cooling but it also smells lovely and fresh too.
Use a cool cucumber fresh from the fridge, cut two slices of cucumber (make sure to cut the cucumber at the round side to get their circle shape), close your eyes and then place one slice over each eye, lay back and relax for 15 to 20 minutes. There is some science that supports using cucumber as a beauty treatment, it is a natural and gentle way to make your skin look and feel better. The cucumber juice is hydrating and has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce swelling and soothe damaged skin.
FACIAL MASSAGE:
Either use your fingers or a cold metal/stone facial roller to massage your face. For the eye area, gently massage or tap around your eyes and sinuses to help drain away any extra fluid that may be sitting under your eyes.
SLEEP:
Having a good night's beauty sleep is very important, not only for our eyes but for our body too. Sleep is the time when our body repairs itself. During sleep your skin's blood flow increases, it rebuilds collagen and the muscles in your face relax. Having a poor night's sleep can cause swollen eyes and dark circles.
Make sure before you go to sleep that you're not using a mobile phone or computer. The blue light coming from the screen interferes with your sleep, and when you wake up not only will you feel tired, but you may also have dark circles and puffiness under your eyes. If you can't settle before you go to sleep, instead of grabbing your mobile phone or computer, grab a book and do some light reading. This will give your eyes, eye muscles and brain a break from the screen, giving you a better night's sleep.
Remember under-eye swelling or puffiness is normal. It normally goes away without any treatment. However, if you notice that the swelling or puffiness hasn't gone done or gone away after 24 to 48 hours, then it is best to contact your doctor. It is important to get any swelling or eye concern checked by a doctor just in case it isn't something more serious.
Nourishing your eye contour helps to keep your under-eye skin looking brighter, feeling refreshed and prevents you from getting dark circles, puffiness, fine lines and wrinkles.
Our Eye Lift Serum was created to keep tired dark puffy eyes, fine lines and wrinkles away. With 24-hour hydration it helps nourish the under-eye skin, making your eyes appear brighter and younger. Find out how here.
