Our eyes deserve the care we give to our minds and bodies. Here are five things you can do to protect your overall eye health on the daily 💙.
Tip #1: Avoid fragrance, alcohol and preservatives when it comes to the eye
Fragrance, alcohol and preservatives are three ingredients that have no place anywhere near the eyes. Look out for them in anything that touches the eyelids, lashes or the skin around the eyes.
Retinol is another ingredient that should be kept away from the immediate eye area; firstly it's quite irritating, but second and more important, it's been found to kill off the tiny glands that supply oil to the tear film which is critical to overall eye health. When it comes to retinol, make sure you're avoiding the upper and lower eyelids completely.
Tip #1: Consider using tools like heat and sunglasses for overall eye health
The one tool most of us could do with is a heated eye compress, like our Heated Eye Wand.
Over 80% of adults have symptoms of dry eyes, and most of us could get this under control simply by incorporating a hot compress routine to open up the gland in our eyelids to naturally produce better-quality tears.
Otherwise, good quality sunglasses are essential - look for the UV400 rating to ensure that they're giving the best possible UVA and UVB protection.
Tip #3: Be aware of your eyes getting sensitised
Our eyes can get sensitised, just like our skin and it’s important to be aware of the changes. We get sensitised skin because of a breakdown of our skin barrier, and we get sensitised eyes because of a breakdown of our tears which are our eyes' barrier/ first line of defence.
Our tear film is working hard to keep our eyes free from bacteria, allergens and other irritants - this is why dry eyes, which is when there is a loss of balance of the tear film is such a tricky problem.
Many of those with dry eye disease first notice it when they become sensitised to a mascara or eye cream they've been using for years. It's not the mascara, it's that their eyes are now more sensitised to one of the ingredients in it like alcohol or fragrance since the tear film isn't there to fend it off.
Tip #4: Use a separate eye wash to face wash
The main reason for this is that face washes have certain ingredients that are designed to be harmonious with our skin barrier but not with our eyes.
When we close our eyes, it's not an airtight water-locked seal, we have tiny gaps in between our lashes that allow product to get in - so safely assume anything you use near your eyes will end up on the eyes themselves to some degree.
Many face washes have alcohol to break down the makeup - this should absolutely be avoided around the eyes for long term eye health. Fragrance is also still quite common in mainstream face washes and can be quite sensitising. Finally, preservatives which are helpful in extending the shelf-life of face washes, have been scientifically proven time and again to break down the cellular structure of the cornea, the front window of the eye - fine for the face, not for the eyes!
The other big reason to choose an eye-specific wash is that we need to be more gentle with our eye skin, it is very thin compared with the rest of the skin on the face and so choosing a product with more 'slip' that glides easily is key.
Tip #5: Start a separate daily eyecare routine!
This is more important than ever with our lives around screens. We think of screens like the new sugar - just like you need an oral hygiene routine thanks to sugary diets, we need an eyecare routine thanks to these modern stressors.
Starting a daily eyecare routine early will help ensure longevity of your eye health. And the good news is you can keep it simple!
DISCLAIMER:
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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