Your eye area is one of the sections on your face that easily gives away the tell-tale signs of ageing before any other area, this is because the skin around your eyes is far more delicate and thin, making them susceptible to wrinkles, fine lines and dark circles.

There are ways to slow down these signs of premature ageing, and one way is to better understand how to care and treat your eye area. 

Natasha Davel from Fundamentals Skincare, a leading affordable and quality skincare company in South Africa explains that: “The skin thins as we age (due to a loss of dermal collagen), and already thin areas of skin, in particular, are usually the first areas to become apparent. We start to have less collagen and elastic fibers in skin as it ages, this very thin skin shows lines earliest. That thin skin is also why the area is more sensitive to sun damage, pollution, and oxidative stress—all of which can contribute to sagging skin and wrinkles.”

The tea on eye care 

Dermatologists’ recommend using a morning and night eye cream coupled with a rejuvenating eye mask twice a week or when needed. You want to layer on the eye cream which will help target eye wrinkles (including crow’s feet) while also introducing ingredients that increase elasticity and firmness, as well as antioxidants that can nourish and protect the area. 

“Remember that the skin around your eye area is sensitive, thin and delicate and therefore you want to ensure that whatever eye cream you are applying is gentle and safe for use specifically around the eye. For this reason, it’s not always a good idea to just use a standard “anti-ageing” cream around the eyes—as it may be too potent or potentially irritating for the skin,” added Davel. 

Instead, opt for an eye cream specifically designed for wrinkles in the area. This will help ensure the active ingredients in the formula are at appropriate concentrations for the skin. A firming yet gentle ingredient is peptides, as these can support your body’s natural production of collagen. 

“Many peptides have been developed specifically to be used around the eyes. Our favourite is our brand new multi-peptide eye cream formulated with skin remodelling peptides to target fine lines and wrinkles around the area while also providing anti-oxidant repair and protection,” said Davel. 

Your ingredient list for youthful eyes

A skincare favourite is peptides. These are small amino acid chains that are pivotal in skincare for their role in stimulating collagen synthesis and addressing the breakdown of collagen associated with ageing. Serving as messengers, peptides encourage the skin to rebuild its collagen matrix, combating fine lines and sagging. With various types offering specific benefits like moisturising and antioxidant effects, peptides like Tetrapeptide-11, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9 are popular for enhancing collagen production and reducing wrinkles.

Bakuchiol known as the baby-sister of retinoids has a range of anti-ageing benefits for skin without the photosensitivity and the irritation profile typically associated with retinoids. It can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, help restore firmness, refine skin texture and even out skin tone. Bakuchiol helps to calm skin making it a good option for those whose skin shows signs of sensitivity.

Niacinamide is commonly included in skincare formulas for its skin-brightening, collagen synthesising and hydrating properties. When used as part of a skincare routine, niacinamide can help your skin appear smoother, softer, and more radiant.

In addition, consider a powerful and deep penetrating eye mask that have ingredients like Ascorbic acid, Hydrolysed Collagen and Glycerin. Fundamentals 24K Gold Crystal Collagen Eye Mask is formulated with pure gold bio-ingredients and active elements which instantly moisturisers, rehydrates and regenerates your eye area. The gold bio-collagen eye mask relieves chronic fatigue and diminishes the formation of fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet around the eye area, minimises eye bags and fades dark circles. 

“These ingredients combined together make the perfect formulation for brighter, younger looking eyes or even used separately can make a huge impact in your skincare routine. Keep your eyes from ageing before their time by committing to layering on a wrinkle-specific eye cream, using a gentle yet effective eye mask to reduce puffiness and dark circles, and of course, upping your sun protection game,” concluded Davel.