Behind the Mirror: Eyes

I think it is very important to care for the area around your eyes. Because the skin here is very sensitive and gets damaged much easier (it also gets wrinkles before the rest of the skin). I think we all have seen women who don't look their age - either they look much older or much younger mostly depending on the way in which they developed wrinkles or not around their eyes.

There are a lot of issues that can appear with the around the eye area. Lisa Eldridge had a series of videos that covered this topic in detail and explains even better than a doctor I asked the same question a while back (here are the links Video 1 and Video 2). But the basic rule is to start using skin care products for the around the eye area as soon as possible - preferably from the same time you start using make-up. Because you will need some skin care to protect and recover the skin from the pigments in the cosmetics and from the make-up removal process. I am personally using skin care products for this area from around the same time I started using make-up. It is important to use this skincare also in the days when you are not using make-up, because it helps the skin to recover.

Getting to the practical part of this story - I use contact lenses, so the skin area around my eyes has to face an extra challenge besides make-up and make-up removal processesm - when putting and removing the lenses. Therefore I discovered it felt the need for more protection and more hydration. And after seeing Lisa's videos I decided I have to look for some key ingredients in the products I purchase: Hyaluronic Acid (to help the skin be firm and not wrinkle), Retinol A (help the wrinkle heal), Caffeine (to help drain the puffiness around the eyes). But in the same time a lot of companies are bringing out new elements that help with a lot of the around the eyes issues.

REDERMIC + YEUX from La Roche-Posay

This eye cream should help reduce the wrinkles and restore firmness to the eye area. I got this because it contained pure Vitamin C and Madecassoside (extract Centella Asiatica which has renowned recovery properties) and Neurosensine (a peptide that helps reverse the ageing process) and because it was recommended also for persons with sensitive eyes who wear lenses. After I checked the prospect again I saw it also contained Shea butter (which among other properties helps recover the skin, keeps it moist and has a slight sun protection natural factor).

It seemed to work pretty well, however the Vitamin C started to oxidize pretty soon, even if I kept it in the fridge. Also the packaging is not perfect – the body is made of metal, which constantly pushes the product out and when you open it the product just pours out in a larger quantity than you would have wanted.

This makes it difficult to use the product for the whole 6 months of guarantee after opening, even if the quantity and the concentration of the product would otherwise permit it. However this is my favorite eye cream care product by far.

Liftactiv Retinol HA from Vichy
I got it because of the active ingredients it contains (Hyaluronic Acid, Retinol A and even also Shea Butter). I must admit I did not research it very well and had the unpleasant surprise to discover that the packaging was really weird: it is in a pump and on the end it has an outstretched sort of arm with an opening in the end from which the product comes out. This "arm" should help massage the skin around the eye area, however I discovered that the hole trough which the product was coming out was roughly cut and it scratched my skin (which is actually against the whole care idea). Nonetheless it comes with some massaging indications, that can still be used if you do it lightly with your fingers.
Another disappointing thing about this product is that it lasted for ~2,5 months. This product is the competition to Redermic+. But I like Redermic+ better, mostly because I feel my skin felt better from it and it is more mild to the skin - Liftactiv felt a tad more aggressive to the skin.

HYDRAPHASE INTENSE YEUX from La Roche-Posay
This is what I am currently using, because I could not find Redermic+ when I went to the Pharmacy the day the Liftactiv from Vichy suddenly went empty. It contains Hyaluronic Acid and Caffeine and has a gel consistency which is very fast absorbed by the skin.
But if you use too much product, the skin feels sticky and it tends to stick together. Not a very nice feeling.
And I was absolutely amazed by the way in which my concealer "gets along" with it. With the other two creams the concealer creased pretty badly during the day and I had to "rearrange" it, with this it creases much less and the concealer stays better in place.





Speaking of concealers, here are the two concealers I have been using for my under eye area:

All about eyes concealer CLINIQUE
In the color 01 Light Neutral. It says that it "disguises dark undereye circles; reduces the appearance of puffiness". It has a thick consistency and it blends good under the eye giving a fresh appearance.
However it creases on me more than the one from Bourjois does.

healthy mix from BOURJOIS
In the color 51. On the packaging it says that it is hydrating but being oil free in the same time; it also has apricot extracts for radiance and raspberry which activates the micro-circulation.
The consistency of this concealer is much lighter and watery than the one of the Clinique concealer (not creasing as much also), but in the same time it is just as pigmented.




Besides these products, here are some tips and tricks from my experience:

• Drink a lot of fluids (especially green tea), because it helps drain the fluids from around the eye area and  thus reducing the puffiness.
• When you have very puffy eyes, use a green tea ice cube in a cloth or gauze and lightly massage the eye area. The swelling will go down and the eye will feel invigorated. But take care not to apply the ice cube directly on your skin, because it will hurt.
• In the summer time I found that using a make-up remover that was previously kept in the fridge helps calming and refreshes the eyes. The same goes for the eye cream.
• Massaging the skin around the eyes is good, but make it with very light movements and try to do it with cold fingers (keep them previously under cold water for a few seconds).
• Try to sleep a minimum of 7-8 hours a night. Sleep helps reduce the swellings, pigmentation and coloring under the eyes.

Sleep. It is good for the skin! :)
Alex.
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