No matter how much moisturizer you lather on, wrinkles are inevitable. Although you can’t stop the hands of time, there are certain steps that you can take to delay fine lines and crows-feet from showing up around your eyes. We’ve rounded up the top five causes of eye wrinkles—read below to find out which everyday habits are adding to your fine lines and how you can prevent them.
1. Forgetting Your Sunglasses at Home
Always keep a pair of extra shades in your purse or glove box. Sunglasses will help you ward off premature wrinkles in two ways; first, they keep you from squinting, which like any other facial expression leads to wrinkles when repeated frequently, and secondly, they also protect your peepers from the sun’s harmful and line-inducing UV rays.
2. Wearing Contacts
Your eye area is the most delicate zone of your face, so treat it gently. Aggressively tugging at your eyelid to insert and remove your contact lenses could be damaging to the skin underneath your eyes. Instead, gently pull your eyelid down with the tip of your finger, making sure that you don’t stretch too much. Believe it or not, contact lenses can be inserted into your eye without extending the eyelid so far down.
3. Eyebrow Waxing
First, you smear hot wax all over your delicate skin and then, once it has settled deeply into all of your follicles, you rip it off, pulling your sensitive skin with it. When it comes to grooming, opt for a more gentle hair removal method, such as threading.
4. False Eyelashes
Fake lashes should typically be reserved for a night out or a special occasion, but once you see their transformative abilities—eyes instantly double in size and you look more exotic—it’s easy to get addicted and overuse them. Removing your eyelashes at the end of the night involves rigorous ripping and pulling. Try to minimize how often you sport them, and on the days that you do, opt for an eyelash glue remover instead of tearing them out.
5. Applying a Facemask to the Under-Eye Area
Not all areas of your skin have the same concerns. Why would you apply a purifying facemask intended for your oily T-zone on your sensitive and dry under-eye area? Take heed of multi-masking, and tailor a suitable facemask for your skin. Avoid the under-eye area when applying your product and opt for a moisturizing cream or eye sheet mask instead.
—Khaoula Ghanem
Homepage image: Photographed by Karim Sadli, Vogue, December 2014
