it's in the eyes (eye treatments)

the bottom line

Refresh, restore. 5 natural ways to rejuvenate your peepers.

why do our eyes reveal all our secrets?

Eyes are the mirror of the soul, but the thin and delicate skin around our eyes betrays our lifestyle choices. A bright and restful gaze is a glowing testament to inner beauty, while dark circles, fine lines, and undereye puffiness can indicate allergies, fluid retention, excess sugar intake, or (gasp) nicotine use. (Smoking is truly your skin’s worst enemy; more on that later.)

how can I take care of the skin around my eyes?

Be nice to your eyes and they will be nice to you. Adding another layer to your daily routine may seem like agony, but these ones are simple:

• give them a break. You stare at your computer screen all day, and your smartphone all night. Rest those tired eyes with breaks during the day and especially during the evening.
• detoxify your system by drinking more water. Hydration improves the skin’s radiance and can help to reduce the appearance of fine lines.   
• cool and soothe. Soft cotton pads dipped in rosewater smell and feel like air conditioning for your eyes. Roses have anti-inflammatory properties; perfect for tired and overworked eyes. Pop your rosewater into the refrigerator prior to use for an extra burst of cool.
• sunscreen, always, dark glasses, and a hat not only limit UV ray exposure, but keep you from squinting all over the place and creating your very own set of crows’ feet. Plus you’ll look terribly cool and mysterious.
• cream (or gel) it. Twice daily, tap on a light, gentle, and hydrating cream or gel to the eye area to help to reduce puffiness and dark circles.

what types of eye treatments are there, and which one for me?

There are two general types of eye treatments: gels and creams.

• gels: Undereye gels are wonderful during hot summer months. They feel cool and tight: heaven for those late-night eyes. If you tend to have puffy lower eyelids, this is the one for you.
• creams: Heavier than lotions, these are applied gently around the eyes to moisturize. If you have fine lines around your eyes, opt for a cream.   
• what about my dark circles? Look at the ingredients. Specific ingredients in both types of treatments can help with the shadows.

ingredients

It really is all about the ingredients. Look for lovely naturals to nourish and brighten this delicate area. Avoid the nasties: parabens, sulfates, petrolatum, and artificial colors. Unscented products will be less irritating here as well. Here are some of our favorites:

1) caffeine: better than your morning Joe. (Well, almost.) With all of those antioxidants, topical caffeine can help to calm inflammation and minimize the appearance of dark circles by constricting (squeezing up!) the blood vessels under the eyes.

2) glycerine: a wonderful humectant (fancy term for something that draws water into the skin). Your little eye(s) will spy this in eye gels.

3) hydrosols: also referred to as “floral waters”, these are the condensation by-products of steam or water distillation of plant material during essential oil extraction. Light and lovely, these are typically found in eye gels.

4) butters: butters contain saturated plant fats and lend a smooth and creamy texture to an eye cream. They are primarily used to moisturize, but may also have anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, and anti-microbial properties. Some particularly nice ones for eye treatments include shea and mango butters.

5) oils: like butters, light carrier oils help to keep the skin soft and supple while minimizing those pesky little lines around the eyes. They tend to be used in creams as well.

6) ashwagandha: a South Asian favorite. Used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3000 years to increase energy levels, decrease stress, and improve concentration (we could use some of that right about now), it’s also been used anecdotally to decrease the appearance of dark circles beneath the eyes.

7) hyaluronic acid: a crowd-pleaser, this little guy penetrates the skin and is capable of holding 1000 times its weight in water. Lots of moisture, no clogging.

A little plug: anokha® carries a super smooth and creamy balm for your lovelies, the Mango Butter Eye Treatment. We packed a lot into this little jar of goodness, including mango butter (obviously), caffeine, ashwagandha, camellia oil, and hyaluronic acid.

All this and more at www.anokhaskincare.com .

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xx

anokha