Why I Used to Hate My Eyes and What I Did About It

Eyes are supposed to be romantic and beautiful. You connect with someone by gazing into their eyes and seeing their soul. And who can even count all the songs that have been written about falling in love with someone’s eyes?

But when I looked at my eyes in the mirror, all I saw was someone who was so old and tired that she might as well have broken out a walker at 28.

As it turns out, I’m just one of those unfortunate people with thin enough skin around the eyes that my eyes started aging early. Crow’s feet, dark circles, sagging upper eyelids, you name it. All before I hit 30.

One day I reached my breaking point and I decided to do something about it. There is no one-step perfect solution, but by combining a few different remedies, I can honestly say I’ve taken ten years off my eyes. Here’s what worked for me.

More Moisturizer

Moisturizer is the misunderstood beauty queen of skincare. Everyone touts it as an anti-aging solution, and they’re right, but not in the way they think they are.

Moisturizing your skin doesn’t necessarily prevent your skin from aging. It does, however, make your skin plump and smooth enough that signs of aging aren’t as prominent. Instead of a tool to prevent aging from happening, moisturizer is more useful for making your skin look younger on a day-to-day basis.

For that reason, I discovered that instead of only applying moisturizer near my eyes at night, I should add it to my morning routine too. You get bonus points if you apply your moisturizer right after you shower or wash your face because it can lock in the hydration.

Specialized Eye Products

Attention, everyone who hates the aging around their eyes: you aren’t alone. We’re all in good company, and that’s why so many skincare brands have designed products specifically for youthful-looking eyes. Those are the products you need to seek out.

Different products work for different people, so it’s a bit of a trial and error situation. Serums or eye creams could be great additions to your nighttime routine. My personal favorite is the Peter Thomas Roth Instant Firmx Eye cream because it tackles all my issues in one fell swoop: deep wrinkles, crow’s feet, sagging skin, and all. This cult favorite instantly tightens, firms and smooths the area around your eyes, so you can say goodbye to lines and wrinkles in a matter of minutes.

For those nights when you want to pamper yourself, I love tossing in an eye mask here and there too. The best way to get results is to use a consistent series of masks, like the SkinMedica Instant Bright Eye Masks. Those wrinkles won’t know what hit them.

Serious Sun Protection

As much as I love running outside on a sunny day and spinning around with arms wide a la The Sound of Music, I’ve become painfully aware that my skin doesn’t love the sunlight as much as I do.

In fact, sun exposure is one of the top contributors to early signs of aging. The skin around the eyes is particularly thin, so it’s even more susceptible to sun damage than the rest of the skin.

You don’t have to become a recluse to keep your eyes looking young and snappy. Just make sunscreen a non-negotiable part of your morning routine.

If you want to keep your morning tasks as short as possible so you can sleep in later before work (like me), try the Biopelle tinted sunscreen. It gives you the protection you want while offering light coverage to smooth your complexion. It may even be enough coverage to allow you to skip your foundation.

Handy Makeup Hacks

All the skincare products I mentioned work wonders, but like any real solution, it takes time for them to work their magic. In the meantime, you don’t have to walk around looking like a raccoon because of your under-eye circles.

There are some makeup hacks you can use to cover up signs of aging around your eyes. For example, it was a lifesaver when I learned to apply a V shape of concealer under each eye and blend it in. This covers dark circles far better than trying to apply the concealer in a half-moon shape under the eye because it blends your lower eyelid with your cheek.

You can also use tricks to make your eyes look more open if your upper eyelids sag as mine do. Apply dark eyeshadow to the outer third of your upper eyelid and focus it on the bone just below your eyebrow.

Blend it with lighter colors of eyeshadow on the inner two-thirds of the eyelid. Voila: your eyes look larger and younger without looking shadowed and sunken-in.

Reclaiming the Eyes of Your Youth

When we look at someone, our sight is immediately drawn to their eyes because that’s where we make a human connection. When you’re unhappy with how old those eyes look, every social interaction turns into an uncomfortable, self-conscious situation. I know this first-hand.

Thankfully, I also know first-hand that there are ways to turn back the clock on your eyes. The tips and tricks above have allowed me to step out for a night on the town looking like the youthful and energetic gal that I am.