Skincare is one thing, but is separate eye care really necessary? If it’s safe to use your facial skincare products on your eye area too, why does this part of the face need extra attention?

Well, when you think about it, not only is the skin around the eyes susceptible to the same problems as the skin on the rest of the face, but it also has its own set of potential issues to deal with. From dark circles to puffiness, the reason why the eye area is particularly vulnerable to even more skin concerns is because it differs from the skin on the rest of the face in a few different ways.

How? Read on as Introstem explains…

What’s so Special About the Skin Around the Eyes?

So, what makes the skin around the eyes different from the skin everywhere else on the face? 

To start with, the skin around the eyes is extremely thin when compared to the skin on the rest of the face, as well as the body. While the stratum corneum, which is the outermost layer of the skin, consists of around 15 sub-layers on the face, the area around the eyes has just three. Sometimes, this skin is so thin that it appears translucent. This can make dark circles even more of a problem since blood vessels and pooled blood are even more noticeable.

The thinness of the skin in this area also means that the skin barrier is weaker, while the skin itself is more susceptible to daily wear and tear. Combined, this significantly accelerates the skin aging process. In fact, one study found that the eye area is roughly 22.25 biological years older than the skin on the temple, showing just how prone this delicate skin is to aging.

Let’s not forget that the eye area is almost always in motion too. Think about how many times it creases up during the day, as well as while you sleep. This makes it more prone to wrinkles than the areas of your skin that don’t form expression lines.

The fact that the eye area doesn’t contain as many sebaceous glands as the skin on the rest of the face doesn’t help either. Your sebaceous glands produce sebum, which keeps the skin moisturized and protected. Without as much sebum to do these things, the skin becomes even more vulnerable to damage.

What Causes Dark Circles and Puffy Eyes?

We’ve already talked through the multiple factors that contribute to accelerated skin aging in the eye area, but where do dark circles and puffy eyes come in?

Well, in some cases, aging can actually cause these issues. When your skin ages, it thins out even more. This means that the blood vessels underneath the eyes become more visible, leading to the appearance of dark circles. As the tissues around your eyes begin to weaken with age, fat pads start to bulge out, causing puffiness too.

Of course, there are other factors that can contribute to dark circles and puffy eyes too. Dark circles can also be attributed to genetics, dehydration, sun damage, allergies, and a lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation can lead to puffy eyes too, as can allergies, a high-salt diet, genetics, and certain medical conditions.

Banishing the Appearance of Dark Circles and Puffy Eyes

Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom. With the right eye care products, as well as some good lifestyle habits, it’s more than possible to banish the appearance of dark circles and puffy eyes to give your complexion a smooth and bright finish:

Fade the Visibility of Dark Circles With the Introstem Stem Cell Eye Serum

There are certain skincare ingredients out there that have been proven to help lighten and brighten the look of dark circles, and the Introstem Stem Cell Eye Serum contains several of them.

In this serum, licorice root extract, which has been proven to lighten discolored skin, is combined with vitamin C, another ingredient that works in a similar way. If your dark circles have been caused by environmental damage, then these two ingredients can be game-changers. They’ll help to even out the look of your skin, making your dark circles less noticeable.

That said, this serum can help with the appearance of dark circles caused by aging too. It’s formulated with multiple peptides, which thicken the feel of the skin. This means that the blood vessels underneath your eyes won’t be quite so visible, therefore lightening the appearance of your dark circles once again.

The antioxidants in this serum are worth a mention as well. With grape stem cells, green tea extract, ginkgo biloba leaf extract, and more, this formula will help to give your overall eye area a brighter and more rejuvenated finish.

Use an Eye Cream That Will Plump and Thicken the Look of Your Skin

As mentioned above, ingredients that thicken and plump up the look of the skin can make a huge difference when it comes to reducing the appearance of both dark circles and puffy eye bags. Peptides are great for this, but there are other ingredients that will have a similar effect too. 

Ideally, these should be sought in an eye cream, which can then be layered over the top of your eye serum. Our top choice would be the Introstem Stem Cell Rejuvenating Eye Cream. It’s loaded with moisturizing ingredients that will give your skin cells the moisture that they need to look fuller and stronger.

This eye cream also contains a trio of vitamins; A, C, and E. Together, they’ll work to leave your skin barrier feeling thicker and more resilient. At the same time, glycerin will plump up the look of your skin, de-puffing your appearance. Collagen amino acids provide an even more enhanced moisturizing effect, leaving the skin looking smoother and firmer.

Instantly De-Puff Your Complexion With Eye Masks

Looking for a way to immediately de-puff the look of those bags underneath your eyes? 

There are plenty of ingredients out there that are capable of quickly soothing and calming the feel of the skin. This reduces the appearance of puffiness while also helping with a number of other skin concerns. 

While eye serums and creams containing these types of ingredients are great, we’d recommend adding eye masks to your skincare routine. Masks are loved for how they contain a higher concentration of active ingredients than daily skincare products. This makes them perfect for producing faster visible results.

Take the Introstem Stem Cell Rejuvenation Facial & Eye Mask, for example. This mask is brimming with ingredients that feel super relaxing and purifying when they’re applied to the skin. Sea algae extract and Irish moss powder hydrate and calm the complexion while lavender oil lowers the feeling of inflammation. Just like all other Introstem skincare products, this one also packs grape stem cells for a dose of potent antioxidants. It’s our signature ingredient for a reason!

Give LED Light Therapy a Try

LED light therapy is a procedure that makes use of different colored LED lights to tackle a variety of visible skin concerns. Each light depicts a different wavelength, with each one hitting the skin at its own unique level, enabling it to produce specific changes in the complexion.

When it comes to both dark circles and puffy eyes, red light therapy is believed to be the most efficient. This is because of how red LED light can help to boost circulation while also reducing the look of inflammation. This gives the skin a smoother, brighter, and less puffy finish.

While you could visit a professional for LED light therapy treatments, multiple sessions, along with further maintenance sessions, will be needed in order to see significant results. This is why at-home LED light therapy devices have become so popular. They provide a safe and extremely convenient way for people to enjoy the complexion-enhancing benefits of LED light therapy from the comfort of their own homes.

The Introstem IntroLite Jade Eye Device is one that has been designed specifically for the eye area. It offers two modes; red and blue. The red works in the way discussed above, while the blue is ideal for perking and reviving the look of tired eyes. This device is easy to use and is one that you’ll be able to return to time and time again, no matter the eye-related skin concerns you end up dealing with in the future.

Keep Your Eye Area Protected From the Sun

The sun’s UV rays cause so much damage to the thin and delicate skin around the eyes. Sun damage majorly contributes to dark circles while also speeding up the skin aging process. This then increases your chances of experiencing puffy eyes.

This makes it so important to keep your eye area protected from the sun at all times. To do so, you’ll need a good sunscreen, such as the Introstem Stem Cell Active Defense SPF 30. This superstar product contains grape stem cells, green tea extract, aloe vera leaf extract, and a blend of vitamins. This means that, in addition to protecting the skin from the sun, it will also assist in reducing the appearance of oxidative damage while brightening the look of the skin.

In addition to using plenty of SPF, there are other sun-protective measures that you should be taking. Whenever you’re outdoors in the sun, make sure that your eye area is shielded with a pair of UV-blocking sunglasses. A wide-brimmed hat will provide even more protection by ensuring that your eye area remains in the shade.

Adjust Your Diet

Skincare, including eye care, isn’t solely about the products that you apply topically. It also encompasses your diet since the food that you eat feeds your skin from within.

If you’re trying to get rid of dark circles and puffiness, the first thing to do is increase how much water you’re drinking. Keeping your body hydrated and ensuring that your skin cells have sufficient moisture will help in a big way. Adding more water-rich foods, such as cucumbers, strawberries, and watermelon, can boost hydration levels even further.

Try to cut salt out from your diet too. Although this doesn’t really impact dark circles, a diet that’s high in salt can cause fluid retention under the eyes. This leads to puffy eye bags.

Final Words

As you can see, it’s so important to give the skin around your eyes the care and attention that it needs. Not only will this help to prevent and eliminate the appearance of dark circles and puffiness, but it will also keep your skin looking smoother, healthier, and more youthful overall.

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