Mapping the Face - The Eyes

Face Mapping is a revolutionary approach to skin analysis developed by the International Dermal Institute exclusively for Dermalogica. It provides an in depth understanding of the external and internal factors that influence the health of your skin and assures that your subsequent skin treatment and home-care prescription will fully address all of your concerns.

Each month I will discuss specific zone(s) of the face in order to give you a greater understanding of your skin and how you can help keep it healthy and youthful. I hope you find this information helpful.

Zones 6 & 8 - the eyes

Common concerns for the eye area include dark circles and under eye puffiness, fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation (or age spots), and milia.

PROBLEM: Dark Circles
The eyes are a window to the body's health because they're related to the kidneys. Dark circles and under eye puffiness, while often hereditary, can be made worse by dehydration and poor elimination. Coffee is a diuretic which causes you to lose the equivalent of 4 glasses of water from your body for every cup of coffee you consume. Try increasing your water intake or cutting back on the coffee and see if the dark circles improve. Inadequate or poor sleep is also a common cause of dark circles. Seven to eight hours of quality sleep is usually recommended.

CAUSES: Heredity, allergies, thinning of the skin and collagen loss, capillary "seepage", lack of proper sleep, poor elimination or dehydration, allergies to certain foods, or drugs and alcohol.

SOLUTIONS: Increase water intake, decrease coffee consumption, get more sleep if necessary,
use an eye cream that conceals and minimizes the appearance of dark circles (Dermalogica's Total Eye Care), and at night use one that promotes collagen repair and synthesis (Dermalogica's Power Rich). Try Lymph Drainage Therapy to decrease capillary load.

PROBLEM: Under Eye Puffiness
With aging, the tissues around the eyes and some of the supporting eye muscles weaken. And fluids can collect in the under eye region causing the area to appear puffy. Facial moisturizers are formulated for the skin on your face and may not be appropriate for the eye area, potentially causing irritation or puffiness, especially if they contain high amounts of "active" anti-aging ingredients. Eye creams help target the concerns that are specific to the eye area (see Eye Creams and How to Apply in next article).

CAUSES: Heredity, allergies, stress, hormonal changes, excessive alcohol intake, food allergies, product in the eyes, fluid retention, inadequate sleep, dehydration

SOLUTIONS: Apply cold compresses (save and chill your used green or white tea bags). Limit salt intake, and believe it or not, drink plenty of water. Use the right eye cream and apply it correctly.
Lymph Drainage Therapy as a stand-alone treatment, or as part of your Facial Treatment, helps in the elimination of excess fluids in the tissues.
Microcurrent for toning and firming the skin is a great solution for weakened eye orbital muscles and tissues. Done as a series, The Bio-Ultimate Age Defying Facial treatments help to "lift" the eye area and firm surrounding tissues.

PROBLEM: Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Because the tissue around the eyes is very delicate and prone to aging more quickly, photo aging (from UV damage caused by the sun) causes fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation (age spots). Wearing sports style sunglasses that wrap around, covering the entire eye orbit can help. Make sure they offer UV protection and if possible choose a style that doesn't allow sunlight to enter from above or below the frames.

CAUSES: Collagen loss from aging, photo aging caused by UV damage, dehydration, environmental factors such as cold weather, smoking, drugs or excess alcohol consumption

SOLUTIONS: Wear large sunglasses with UV protection and a broad brimmed hat. Apply an eye cream with chemical-free SPF during the day (Dermalogica's Total Eye Care), and at night use a peptide rich formula to increase natural collagen production (Dermalogica's Power Rich). Lock in moisturizer with dimethicone and use antioxidant vitamins to fight free radical damage (Dermalogica's MultiVitamin Power Firm).

PROBLEM: Hyperpigmentation
Even if you changed your ways and recently began wearing hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen, age spots caused by decades of previous sun damage may begin to show up around the eyes (and elsewhere). Daylight induced hyperpigmentation is the easiest to lighten using specialized peptides, Vitamin C, and botanical brighteners.

CAUSES: Photo aging from UV damage, hormones, trauma to the skin, heredity

SOLUTIONS: Gently exfoliate the eye area with enzymes and botanical brighteners (Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant), apply magnesium ascorbyl phosphate - (a stable form of Vitamin C) and white tea to accelerate skin brightening and strengthen the skin's defenses against future discoloration (Dermalogica's Extreme C) and use an eye cream with SPF 15 every day (Dermalogica's Total Eye Care).

PROBLEM: Milia
Milia are those little pearly white bumps on the skin that often develop in the eye area. Some people have a genetic predisposition to form milia but common causes include makeup, concealers, and makeup removers that contain mineral oil or other comedogenic (clogging) ingredients. Milia are hardened sebum (oil) but unlike whiteheads they do not form in an open pore so they can't be extracted without piercing the layer of skin that covers them. As skin cells turn over, some eventually just slough off, but this can take months or even years. Extracting milia inside the eye orbit is out of the scope of practice for licensed aestheticians and is usually referred to an opthomologist or dermatologist. The best solution is prevention!

CAUSES: Eye makeup, concealers, or makeup removers that contain comedogenic ingredients that clog and congest the skin, heredity

SOLUTIONS: Gentle daily enzyme exfoliation will help increase cell turnover and prevent the formation of milia (Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant). Consider a daytime eye cream that contains hydroxy acids to gently and safely increase cell turnover (Dermalogica's Total Eye Care). At night, antioxidants such as Vitamins A,C,and E, and green tea help prevent damage from free radicals (Dermalogica's MultiVitamin Power Firm, or Intensive Eye Repair). Use eye makeup removers free of mineral oil. Look for ingredients like Silk Amino Acids that help smooth and improve skin texture, strengthen lashes, and condition the eye area (Dermalogica's Soothing Eye Makeup Remover).