The Eyes Have It

It has been said that the eyes are the window to the soul. This might explain why we always focus on someone’s eyes when making connections to other people and assessing who they are. The eye area is also extremely important when deciding a person’s age, health and longevity. It’s now time to start thinking about how we can preserve the longevity of your eye area.

Age-related skin changes around the eyes are caused by a host of factors.

Because the skin is thinner in the eye area, gravity has a greater affect on pulling the skin and muscles downward over time, resulting in an aged appearance. As the skin sags, it causes you to look tired, even if you had a full night of sleep.

As reparative energy decreases over time skin starts producing less elastin, a protein that is essential for keeping skin flexible so that it can “bounce back” into place after you make facial expressions.

Collagen also decreases beginning around age 30. Collagen is like the mortar in a brick wall. It holds your cells (the bricks) together and gives your skin structure. Less collagen means weaker skin that is more prone to sagging, wrinkles, and other cosmetic problems.

The skin around your eyes is thinner and more delicate than the skin on other parts of your body. This is because the eyelid’s main function is to protect the eyes from mechanical damage (by blinking) and to help adjust to the amount of incoming light. In addition, blinking the eyelid helps spread a liquid film of tears over the cornea. This thinner skin and constant movement is why it is often one of the first areas of the face to start aging.

Increased stress can also be a factor. Stress hormones (like adrenalin and cortisol) break down the connective tissue (especially collagen) that supports the eye area. Leaving the eye area slack and increasing crows feet.

Lack of sleep is also a factor. During REM sleep is the time when the skin repairs itself. This is why we say that applying your eye cream at night is most important because its vital nutrients and repair factors go into repair mode when you are sleeping. Sleep deprivation increases many signs of aging such as fine lines, reduced elasticity and even uneven pigmentation. The loss of skin elasticity may also contribute to the formation of bags under your eyes.

Avant-garde Ingredients to Improve Longevity of the Eye Area

Eyecare ingredients that address eye area problems should start by providing deep moisturization that will protect and promote skin resilience. But that is not to say we need to choose heavier emollient ingredients. It has been discovered that heavier ingredients consistently applied to the eye area simply weigh down the skin in this area. This increases the detrimental pull of gravity resulting in puffy eyes and a loss of tone.

Beyond hydration and protection your eyes need cellular protection that can benefit from newer, innovative ingredients that directly address the aforementioned eye area issues.

Innovative Ingredients for Eye Area Longevity

Beautifeye™

Beautify – provides multi-functional age-defying action on the sagging upper eye lids.

Beautify is an award-winning ingredient manufactured by the famed French ingredient manufacturer, Sederma. Sederma was the first company to produce cell signaling pentapeptides for increased collagen production. Beautifeye, is an extract derived from the Persian Silk Tree. This award-winning ingredient is proven to tighten and lift the eyelid and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes. It directly targets the skin of the upper eye, supporting healthier skin that’s less likely to sag or show wrinkles. Beautifeye helps to support the dermal structure of the upper eyelid by boosting elasticity while supporting the walls of blood vessels so they are less prone to leaking and sagging, helping the skin to appear more youthful.

Uplevity™

Uplevity is an anti-gravity tetrapeptide that firms, defines and sculpts facial contours.

This tetrapeptide fights sagginess by enhancing key elements to the assembly of elastin and several collagens, and overexpressing genes involved in cellular adhesion. It contributes to the organization of elastic fibers and up-regulates key genes to cellular cohesion through focal adhesions. As demonstrated in in-vitro efficacy studies, it induces the synthesis of both elastin and collagen.

Liposhield™

This Phyto-Melanin helps shield the skin from exposure to High Energy Visible Light (HEV).

Liposhield™ is the first cosmetic ingredient designed to protect the skin from damaging high energy visible (HEV) light. It is a fractionated melanin compound, and can be used as an additional environmental defense against High Energy Visible Light. It is designed to shield the skin from high energy blue/violet visible light. This novel, patent-pending antioxidant ingredient may help to prevent premature aging and hyperpigmentation from the environment.

Rubixyl®

A cell-signaling corneotherapy peptide that smoothes deep lines and wrinkles in crow’s feet area.

Rubixyl® changes gene expression of inflamed cells back to their normal state. Inflamed cells produce high amounts of free radicals that contribute to aging skin. Rubixyl fights against signs of aging, and leads to smoother skin, reduction of wrinkles, and better hydration. This product is especially recommended for eye care products, products for the treatment of expression lines and anti-aging products for the reduction of deep wrinkles.

Niacinamide

Niacinamide orchestrates improved barrier function and energizes cells to improve skin tone.

One of the biggest appeals of this B vitamin is its long list of benefits for the skin, not to mention how well it cooperates with both your own skin and other ingredients. Niacinamide works with your skin’s natural chemistry to improve overall skin texture by rebuilding a protective lipid layer, minimizing the appearance of pores, and preventing UV damage and inflammation as an effective antioxidant.

Carob Seed Extracts

Phyto-repair molecules that accelerate the recovery capacity of damaged skin cells.

Avoiding the sun and using moisturizer is important, but P&G went further and identified a specially prepared extract from Carob Seeds that are rich in amino acids and peptides. When formulated into skin care products at 3%, this carob seed extract improves the appearance of crow’s feet, as well as under-eye lines and wrinkles. The carob seed extract stimulates new cells to migrate to the surface which helps reorganize and repair damaged skin.

Mung Bean Sprout Stem Cells

Protects collagen & other dermal components from environmental aggressors and photo-damage.

MMP enzymes have been identified as particularly damaging to the skin’s extra-cellular matrix. Mung Bean Sprout Stem Cells protect collagen and the extra-cellular matrix from MMPs. The stem cells repair UV-damaged fibroblasts and reduce photo-induced inflammation that eventually leads to skin sensitivity and loss of elasticity.

The Right Formula

Choosing a formula that contains these great actives along with lighter emollients and deeply moisturizing humectants should be your eye care goal. Choose an eye serum that one can apply all the way around the eyes. I recommend that you start with a pearl size amount. Gently rub in circular movements over the crows feet then swing the remainder completely around the eyes including the upper lid. I mention an eye serum because serums tend to have higher doses of active ingredients and include excipients which are ingredients created to carry the actives deeper into the skin.

SPA EYE TREATMENTS

Your eyes deserve special treatment that a skincare based spa can provide. Along with including some of the innovative actives I mentioned there are skincare modalities that work extremely well if you have tired, dry or maturing eyes that want a little boost. Elizabeth Renee’s Eye Therapy is one of those treatments you definitely deserve to experience.

EYE EXFOLIATION

Gentle exfoliation under the eyes reveals the moist, smooth, more light reflective skin underneath. One has to be careful about the choice of exfoliating techniques used. Proteolytic enzymes (enzymes that dissolve dead protein) are the natural choice as they avoid harsher exfoliating acids that should not be used on sensitive skin, which includes the delicate skin around the eyes.

NANO NEEDLING

Nano is a non-painful, gentle but effective way to separate the surface cells of the stratum corneum so that important actives can travel past this barrier and get deeper into the skin. We like using exosomes from mesenchymal stem cells as a superior way to jumpstart repair of all the components of your epidermis during an Eye Therapy treatment.

MICROCURRENT

Microcurrent uses a mild electrical current to help lift and tone the muscles around the eyes. This gives the eye area a noticeably youthful look. At the same time it is great for increasing skin’s cellular energy as well as penetrating powerful humectants like hyaluronic acid in to deeply moisturize the skin.

EYE MASK & CRYOTHERAPY

Eye masks saturated with hyaluronic acid are effective when paired with an occlusive covering that increases penetration of moisturizing humectants into the skin. Cryotherapy is then used featuring cold ultrasound to calm and smooth the skin leaving it feeling well hydrated and refreshed.

Elizabeth believes in “Longevity Skincare”, the idea that beautiful skin can endure throughout one’s lifetime when utilizing the best that science and nature has to offer. LONGEVITY is a science-based skincare line that appreciates skin of all ages. LONGEVITY by Elizabeth Renee provides hydration, nutrition and protection from environmental aging. Your skin will receive high performance ingredients to help energize and repair its cells, resulting in a healthy skin with an enduring, vital glow.