The environment isn't always kind to your skin. On a daily basis, environmental factors such as UV rays, smoke and pollution — also known as free radicals — damage your healthy skin, causing premature aging in the form of fine lines and wrinkles. Luckily, you can help your skin fight back by incorporating a protective eye cream into your regimen.
Sun damage. Unfortunately, sun damage occurs year-round — not just on sweltering summer days. Photo-aging, or damage caused by the sun, is a cumulative process that occurs on cloudy, rainy days. Even spending a short time outdoors is damaging to skin, such as running errands or walking the dog. There are two types of UV rays that contribute to skin damage and photo-aging, which is why it's important to use a broad-spectrum sun protection product.
- UVB rays affect the outermost layer of skin, causing an increase in melanin production that leads to a tan or burn, depending on the individual. This skin damage can then lead to skin cancer.
- UVA rays penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin, and are primarily responsible for premature aging. These rays can also cause skin cancer.
UV rays contribute to:
- Wrinkles and fine lines
- Crow's feet around the eyes
- Smile lines and frown lines
- Age spots, freckles and moles
- Thinner, more fragile, leathery skin
- Collagen and elastin breakdown
- Skin cancer, including basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas and melanoma
Protect yourself. By making sunscreen application a daily habit, you can protect your skin from UV rays year-round. The eye area is especially susceptible to UV damage, and many women will begin to notice fine lines around the eyes long before other signs of premature aging appear. To keep eyes healthy, youthful and vibrant, look for a hydrating eye cream with SPF 15 or higher.
Add antioxidants. In addition to damage caused by UV rays, your skin is also threatened by environmental stressors such as smoke and pollution. Boost your skin's defenses by using an eye cream that also contains antioxidants. These powerful ingredients prevent free radicals from damaging the skin. You can choose from a variety of antioxidants, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, pomegranate, grape seed extract and idebenol or idebenone. Prevage Eye Anti-Aging Moisturizing Treatment by Elizabeth Arden is an advanced idebenone treatment that defends the skin while also fighting fine lines and wrinkles.
Top 5 protective eye creams
- DDF Protective Eye Cream. Packed full of essential fatty acids and humectants, this lightweight day cream provides broad-spectrum sun protection while also minimizing fine lines, dark circles and puffiness. It also helps to firm and tighten sagging skin for a smooth and youthful under-eye area.
- H2O Plus Aqualibrium Self Defense Eye Protector SPF 15. All skin types will benefit from this multi-tasking cream, which protects your skin from UV rays as well as free radical damage. It also assists with common complaints such as puffiness, under-eye circles and loss of elasticity. Use daily to prevent dehydration and preserve the contour of the eyes.
- Murad Environmental Shield Essential-C Eye Cream SPF 15. Protect and renew the eye area with this brightening and firming cream, which contains a patented Skin Repair System to stimulate collagen synthesis. Shorea Stenoptera butter, an effective emollient, leaves the skin soft and supple, while light-diffusing ingredients disguise fine lines and under-eye circles. It also contains caffeine and tiger's herb to tighten the skin and improve elasticity.
- Dermelect Age Def-Eye Cream SPF 15. Great for sensitive skin, this gentle cream counteracts wrinkles by providing a barrier against free radicals. It also softens the skin and diminishes fine lines and wrinkles for smooth, supple skin. Aloe vera and chamomile are added for their calming properties.
- Murad Age Reform Eye Treatment Complex SPF 8. Refine and smooth skin with this powerful glycolic acid formula, which contains a patented Advanced Performance Complex™ to increase cellular turnover and erase fine lines. Vitamins C, E and grape seed extract protect from free radical damage while silica brightens darkness underneath the eyes.
Don't let free radicals continue to damage your skin and cause premature aging. Preserve the youthfulness and vitality of your skin by using one of these effective eye treatments — all of which contain sunscreen and antioxidants.