DORÉ

Eyes are so fragile! It feels like, if I don’t really take care of them, I pay for it with serious redness, bags, puffiness, and all of those lovely things.

So, it’s important to take care of them. (Especially in a world where we’re constantly staring at screens!) I wear glasses and have really dark, hereditary bags (thanks, dad!), so I really think about eye care – and follow a few simple rules…

This is a two tier system: face cream with SPF in the morning and anti-puffiness eye cream overnight. Right now, with spring here, it’s when your skin is most vulnerable to sun damage – so it needs protection during the day. I’ve been using this great, lightweight face moisturizer from Nivea. Lately, I’ve been wearing a Lancôme Génefique anti-wrinkle and anti-puffiness eye cream overnight and it works. 

When you apply cream to the eye, you want to really coat the area under the eye and on the outer corners, but make sure you avoid the actual eye!! (That will really have the reverse effect.) For the overnight cream, I apply most generously to the corners, extending about half an inch out from the eye – I love how it’s cooling on my eyes after a long day.

From the screen. Or screens, multiple. I spend my days going from computer to phone, to TV to movie screen, to… For I don’t know how many hours, but it’s a lot. It’s affecting our sight and makes our eyes bloodshot, so experts recommend taking a couple of minutes away from the screen at least every twenty minutes. (And no, closing Instagram and opening Snapchat doesn’t count as “looking away”.)

This one is pretty obvious, but it’s worth noting. You’ll damage your vision and squinting creates lines. Crazy fact: Isaac Newton looked at the sun with only one eye until he lost the color vision on that side. Moral of the story: don’t look.

Ok, this is the only time you can look at the sun (if your glasses have UV protection). It also helps to shield the area very close to your eye, so delays lines. They also hide sleepy or puffy eyes.

Yep, you need to let those peepers rest. Sleep will diminish puffiness, bags and redness. (Concealer also helps!) But, be careful because oversleeping causes the same effects. Try for an even eight hours when you can. I have a crazy sleep routine, where I spray lavender scent on my pillow and wear an eye mask. My boyfriend is not a fan (the mask looks kind of creepy), but it helps!! You’re meant to sleep face up and never move, but I face dive into my pillow every night… and I think it might be too late to change my sleeping routine to avoid a few wrinkles – it’s too comfy!

Having a balanced lifestyle and diet helps with clarity of eyes (make the white area more white), delays lines, improves vision and gives you a better outlook on life! It’s really your typical “power foods” that do the most. Fish and seafood are good for sight and delay any macular degeneration, kale and spinach stem the development of cataracts, eggs help with eye dryness, nuts boost general eye health, and, yes, carrots really do help your night vision.

There are so many things you can do… I use ice cubes sometimes when I’m desperate, or if I’ve been crying and the puffiness and redness is really bad – but your face freezes! A damp face towel over closed eyes is also soothing. I haven’t tried cucumbers or cold tea bags, but I hear they work… Along with a million other ideas that are out there, but not sure if all – or any of them – are effective…

Do you have special tips for taking care of your eyes? I want to hear them!