Frustrated by thin, sagging skin underneath the eyes? Blame collagen and elastin — two crucial proteins found within the central layers of the skin.
While these proteins work as a team, each has its own special role in keeping your skin healthy and youthful:
- Collagen serves as a support system for your skin, cushioning and supporting the upper layers of the skin and preventing it from sagging and collapsing.
- Elastin is the protein that keeps your skin stretchy and flexible. When elastin breaks down, wrinkles and creases become more noticeable.
Aside from these crucial roles, both proteins also work to bind water to the skin and keep the skin hydrated.
A child’s skin appears plump and full because collagen and elastin are plentiful. Unfortunately, both proteins naturally deteriorate with age — which is usually noticeable at around age 35. If you’ve spent years sunbathing or smoking cigarettes, you might notice the effects much sooner.
What you might notice due to collagen and elastin breakdown
- Skin underneath and around the eyes is thin with a crepe-like texture
- Skin feels dry and dehydrated
- Sagging under the eyes
- Fine lines and wrinkles, or “crow’s feet,” near the corners of the eyes
Eye creams that address collagen and elastin breakdown
Your first line of defense against collagen and elastin breakdown should always be sunscreen. Protecting the eyes against damage from UV rays is critical. There are also many creams that specifically target collagen and elastin breakdown. Relastin Eye Silk is a silky formula that strengthens skin by improving elastin formation, leaving skin smooth and vibrant. In addition, look to eye creams that contain the following ingredients:
- Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that boosts collagen production and protects the skin around the eyes from free radicals that cause premature aging.
- Vitamin A in the form of Retinol, or prescription-strength retinoids, speeds up cellular turnover and also boosts collagen production.
- Peptides are powerful proteins that work to encourage collagen production.
Top 5 Products to address collagen and elastin breakdown
- Obagi ELASTIderm Eye Treatment Cream. Featuring exclusive Penetrating Therapeutics™ technology, this potent cream allows for more effective penetration of the active ingredients. The bi-mineral complex helps to improve resilience and elasticity by replenishing collagen and elastin. In just nine weeks, you will notice a 46 percent increase in elasticity and a 16 percent reduction in wrinkles.
- Pevonia Power Repair Collastine Eye Fluid. This non-greasy formula combines marine collagen, marine elastin and green tea to reduce puffiness and smooth facial lines and wrinkles around the eye area. Skin is left firmer, smoother and more supple.
- June Jacobs Cellular Collagen Eye Serum. With a combination of botanical extracts and neuropeptides, this product softens, smoothes and firms the eye area. Hyaluronic acid is added to plump and fill expression lines while hydrating dry skin.
- Elemis Pro-Collagen Eye Renewal. This clinically-proven anti-aging formula encourages cellular renewal while smoothing lines and wrinkles and providing support for weakened collagen fibers. It also helps with puffiness and under-eye circles for a vibrant, youthful look.
- BORBA Fiber Knit Orbital Eye Rejuvenator. A multi-tasking cream, this rejuvenating formula fights multiple signs of aging while also assisting with dark circles, puffiness and dry skin. Collagen pre-peptide speeds up elastin production while hydrolyzed silk fibers hydrate the eye area for smooth, supple skin. Soy and vitamin C are added to tighten and reduce puffiness.
When it comes to collagen and elastin breakdown, prevention should be your top priority. So, start by protecting your skin from UV rays and environmental damage and breaking bad habits like tanning and smoking cigarettes. From there, fight back by incorporating creams that contain active ingredients such as antioxidants, peptides and retinol or retinoids.