Eye Beauty - by Guest Content Writer Dr. Kasandra Patam, Medical Advisor for Nikua Skin

Eye Beauty - by Guest Content Writer Dr. Kasandra Patam, Medical Advisor for Nikua Skin

With our fast-changing world, it is easy to forget to take care of ourselves.  While building careers, completing studies, caring for parents, or running after children, we often put our self-care last. One morning, you look at yourself in the mirror and see puffiness around your eyes, dark circles, or even wrinkles. Do you know that aging can start in pre-twenties, with many people seeing signs of aging as early as 30?  

Early Signs of Aging

Our skin serves not only as armor to environmental pollutants, but also as our reflection to the outside world.  When our skin is vibrant and toned, we portray an overall state of health and well-being.  Aging is a natural process, yet in today’s world, accelerated aging seems to be rampant.  The number one contributor to accelerated aging is sun exposure.  Other contributors are alcohol consumption, smoking and vaping, lack of sleep and exercise, dehydration, and unhealthy nutrition.

Problems Around the Eye Area

According to Dr. Nava Greenfield from the Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City, the skin around the eye is delicate and fragile. Through time, the skin under the eye breaks down, loses volume and elasticity due to age, sun exposure, and environmental pollution.  The under-eye area, being such a delicate part of our body, is prone to puffiness, dark circles, and wrinkles.

Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles

For an overall healthy appearance, we strive for a brighter and younger-looking face. Some of the common reasons for puffy eyes include smoking, air pollution, stress, dehydration, lack of sleep, too much salt in the diet, allergies, rubbing delicate skin around the eyes, and aging.

What happens when your eye becomes puffy?

Puffy eyes are the result of edema, swelling and mild inflammation.  Accumulation of excess fluid in tissue surrounding the eye causes bulging in the thin, aged skin around the eye.  Delicate skin around the eye can’t withstand the pressure and begins to sag.  Youthful skin is more resilient and can process the extra fluid more easily.  As we age, our skin loses its resiliency.

The same thing happens with our eyelids; they become puffy as a result of not blinking, for example when we sleep.  Fluid is trapped inside skin tissues, causing them to appear swollen.

If you experience persistent bulging of the eye, then see your medical professional to check for problems such as in Graves’ disease which may cause bulging of the eye, or for a thyroid disorder. Allergies, infection, and kidney failure may also cause swelling around the eye area.

Wrinkles around the eye area

Wrinkles are part of aging because over time our body produces less collagen and elastin that helps make our skin look firm and young. Inflammation and sagging increase the rate of collagen and elastin damage. As we age, our bodies produce less coenzyme Q10.  Coenzyme Q10 helps our bodies produce collagen and elastin.  So, as we age, enzyme production decreases and wrinkles increase. As mentioned by Dr. James Heskett, author of Well Path, itching or scratching the eye area repeatedly also causes wear and tear of the skin leading to wrinkles around the eyes.

Puffy eyes, dark circles under the eyes, and wrinkles are results of damaged or aged skin.  How can you solve these skin problems correctly and effectively?

The Right Solution to Eye Problems

Invest in your Body - Rest

Give your body the rest it deserves after a full day of work and stress. Sleeping at least 8 hours a day allows your body to recover from all the environmental and lifestyle damage it goes through day by day. It is also interesting to note that sleeping on your back protects your face from too much fluid retention and minimizes the damage to collagen and elastin that makes your face and eye area firm and young.

Maintain Healthy Skin through Nutrition

  • Drink enough water a day to avoid dehydration
  • Reduce salt consumption
  • Eat food rich in potassium to eliminate excess body fluid (bananas)
  • Consume a variety of nutritious foods

Lifestyle Choices in Moderation

Smoking, vaping, and alcohol consumption have been shown to lead to premature aging.  If you partake in these activities, do so in moderation.  Follow up with proper nutrition and hydration to minimize the effects of tobacco and alcohol.  Fresh air and exercise can also help lower stress levels.

Find the Right Eye Care Regimen

Prevention is always best, even in skin health.  The right time to start a daily skin care routine that includes caring for the eyes, is before the wrinkles, bags, and dark circles ever start!  But, if you are reading this discussion, you most likely have already discovered some unsightly fine lines and are looking for help now.  While the effects of damage and aging may not be completely reversed, they can be slowed and lessened.  Some common temporary remedies such as using ice or cucumber on puffy eyes could actually make the problem worse.

Safe and Effective Wrinkle Remedy

It is very important to invest in a safe, organic, and natural skin care regimen that not only minimizes allergic reactions but also is completely free from side effects. Nikua Skin Cooling Eye Gel is the right solution for the most common eye area problems.

Highlights of Nikua Skin Cooling Eye Gel include:

  • Contains ingredients that promote collagen and elastin production
  • Reduces the appearance of sagging skin around the eyes
  • Restores skin’s healthy glow
  • Tightens and firms baggy under-eye skin
  • Penetrates and absorbs quickly to soften wrinkles and thicken eye area skin

Nikua Skin Cooling Eye Gel contains active ingredients that serve as a natural and affordable alternative for Botox and injections. It is a unique and effective formula of peptides and plant extracts that improves eye area circulation and promotes the production of collagen and elastin for firm and healthy-looking skin. With continuous use, you will combat the signs of aging and get brighter, more vibrant skin.

Active and Naturally Effective Ingredients of Cooling Eye Gel

Peptide Growth Factors

Peptide growth factors help with healing to stimulate the renewal and growth of damaged skin cells around the eye.  Faster healing and growth of new skin cells leads to younger more vibrant skin.  Among the peptide growth factors included in Nikua Skin Cooling Eye Gel:

  • Palmitoyl Tripeptides 1, 5, and 7
  • Amino acids Alanine, Arginine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, and Phenylalanine.

Hyaluronic Acid

Naturally, hyaluronic acid acts to support the extra cellular matrix surrounding cells in the body. It is popularly known for its great application for beauty and accelerated healing. Hyaluronic acid is useful to prevent aging caused by sun exposure with its moisturizing capabilities by retaining water and fast healing properties.

MSM/ Methylsulfonylmethane

MSM or Methylsulfonylmethane works side by side with the natural keratin component of skin to reduce inflammation and strengthen skin structure.  MSM helps reduce inflammation, which alleviates further damage to the skin cells.  MSM also helps with redness, swelling, and serves to increase hydration.

Ceramides

Ceramides are a premium skin care ingredient, composed of lipids which are naturally occurring in the skin’s Natural Moisturizing Factor - NMF, needed to preserve barrier function.  NMF is made up of 50% ceramide, and yet NMF and ceramide levels are lower in aged skin as well as skin suffering from eczema, rosacea, and acne.  Ceramides protect the skin from environmental toxins by preserving essential barrier function for your skin.  Good barrier function retains moisture, keeping skin smooth, firm, and plump.

Coenzyme Q10

Coenzyme Q10 is a life-saver for aging skin.  We naturally produce less of this essential enzyme as we age.  Coenzyme Q10 alerts the body to produce collagen and elastin.  Aged or damaged skin needs the supplement of Coenzyme Q10 to boost collagen and elastin production.

Plant-based Active Ingredients to Reduce Inflammation and Puffiness

Unlike most eye creams on the market, Nikua Skin Cooling Eye Gel contains many active ingredients.  All the active ingredients are naturally occurring, which means no side effects, just effective solution for dark circles, puffiness, and wrinkles around your eyes.

The herbal extracts in Cooling Eye Gel help reduce inflammation, promote skin healing, increase skin cell growth, brighten skin, and reduce redness.  Each with unique properties and mechanism of action.

Therapeutic plant ingredients include:

  • Organic Licorice Root Extract (glycyrrhizic acid)
  • Organic Gotu Kola
  • Horsetail Extract
  • Wild Geranium Extract
  • Organic Dandelion Extract
  • Periwinkle Extract
  • Sea Cucumber Extract
  • Green Coffee Extract
  • Calendula Extract
  • Grapefruit Essential Oil

Written by Dr. Kasandra Patam, Medical Advisor Beauty Leaf Inc.

Medical Advisor & Content Writer at Beauty Leaf Incorporated 

Doctor of Medicine – MD, Graduated in 2018 from the University of Perpetual Help
Dr. Jose G. Tamayo Medical University, Calabarzon, Philippines in General Medicine

Blog posted by Daniel Shafer, CEO Beauty Leaf Inc.

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Stern R1, Maibach HI., Hyaluronan in skin: aspects of aging and its pharmacologic modulation. Clin Dermatol. 2008 Mar-Apr;26(2):106-22. doi: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2007.09.013.

 

Saranraj, P. & Naidu, M.A.. (2013). Hyaluronic acid production and its applications-A review. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biological Archive. 4. 853-859.

 

Gröber, Uwe. (2019). Vitamin A (Retinol). Zeitschrift für Orthomolekulare Medizin. 17. 44-49. 10.1055/a-0920-2443.

 

Salaritabar, Ali & Darvish, Behrad & Hadjiakhoondi, Farzaneh & Manayi, Azadeh. (2019). Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). 10.1016/B978-0-12-812491-8.00012-6.


Schagen, S. K., Zampeli, V. A., Makrantonaki, E., & Zouboulis, C. C. (2012). Discovering the link between nutrition and skin aging. Dermato-endocrinology4(3), 298–307. doi:10.4161/derm.22876

 

Berardesca E1, Cameli N, Cavallotti C, Levy JL, Piérard GE, de Paoli Ambrosi G.(2008) Combined effects of silymarin and methylsulfonylmethane in the management of rosacea: clinical and instrumental J Cosmet Dermatol. 2008 Mar;7(1):8-14. doi: 10.1111/j.1473-2165.2008.00355.x. evaluation.

 

University of Rochester Medical Center Health Encyclopedia. 2020. URL: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=19&contentid=Licorice

 

Medical News Today. 2020. What are the benefits of licorice root?. Medically Reviewed: Katherine Marengo LDN.R.D. URL: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323761.php#benefits-of-licorice

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