Eye Pads

Sydney is all a buzz about a silly old thing called an iPad. The last time I saw something like that was when I was researching cuneiform script from the old testament – Maybe Moses was the inspiration!  Anyway, for those of us obsessed with everything BEAUTY I thought I would pay Homage to the ipad (which does look like fun) with a short piece on eye pads – trust me, they are not that interesting LOL!

The Original ipad sourced from New Scientist

So, the eye area is prone to sagging and bagging due to it’s  ultra-thin skin as far as bags go, girls usually get them worse than boys and the tendency to form large and dark eye bags can have a genetic component.  However, there are things that you and your cosmetic chemist can do to have things looking a little brighter and fresher under those peepers.  Here are my top 3 non product tips:

1. Drink lots of water and no, the water in your coffee doesn’t count.  Water is essential for your general metabolism and so you need a bit but a bit more will do wonders for your skin and eye health.  Water helps to flush out those toxins in your body nice and quickly giving you a fresh look.
2. Sleep is essential and we need between 5-10 hours a night on average. That is a big range so do yourself a favour and  listen to your body then take action!
3. Don’t strain.  iPads, game machines and laptops are ultra lovely and very addictive but straining over them will do your eyes no good.  All of that focus will leave you with wrinkles and a headache. Do your beauty self a favour and put it down every 20 minutes. Your eyes need to spend a few moments focusing on a far away object to relax those muscles and reduce the chances of a headache occurring.

So, that said what pads do we put on our eyes to make them SHINE?

• Cucumber is an old favourite because of it’s cooling and soothing properties. It also smells pleasantly fresh and let’s face it, when your face is full of cucumber you can’t do much else, the relaxing will do as much good as those green slices.  If you are all out of cucumber, used tea bags also do the trick.  Chemically speaking both of these things  contain a natural actives that have anti-inflamatory actions. This helps to reduce eye swelling.
• Hot gel mask. These are great for those suffering from puffy eyes and sinus problems as they contain an inert gel that can be heated up and placed on the sore area. Fab for those with allergies who want a safe and sterile  hot-pack.
• Serums can help if your eyes are dark and baggy due to poor circulation and ageing.  Eye products should be light and preferably fragrance free to avoid clogging your delicate pores.  Ingredients to look out for would be those that claim to boost circulation and general health – lots of herbs do this including Bilberry, fennel, ginger (be careful with this one), arnica, Juniper berries and Kelp to name but a few.
• Sunscreen – it goes without saying that you need to protect this area from the sun ALL YEAR AROUND. Be sure to use a light facial sunscreen and re-apply regularly as this is the best way to hold off the wrinkles.

Have fun with your eye pads – much cheaper than the iPad and far less likely to give you a headache.