With age, skin cells start to lose their tone and firmness. That is because of the loss of collagen and elastin fibers. The epidermis thins too. Thus, the total moisture content of the skin lessens. All of these changes are most eminent in the under-eye area. That is because the skin is thinnest over here. Hence, it is vital to practice dedicated skincare to tighten under-eye skin.
Also, dark circles and under-eye puffiness is troublesome too.
There are several causes of under-eye bags. They include:
- Genetical causes
- Dietary habits (salty diet)
- Sleep patterns
- Aging
- Certain Allergies
- Stress and inflammation
- Dehydrated skin
Well! The good news is that certain ingredients can help you tighten the skin under the eyes, reduce under-eye swelling, puffiness and lighten dark circles.
Read on about all ingredients and products and how to tighten under-eye skin, relieve puffiness and fade dark circles.
Ingredients To Tighten Skin Under Eyes With Eye Creams
Hyaluronic Acid
The skin under the eyes is the first to show signs of aging. That is because your skin is thin at that point. Also, the soft tissue content is less, making it more prone to the signs of aging. Aging skin loses moisture. So it is vital to hydrate your skin to lessen the signs of aging.
Hyaluronic acid locks in skin moisture. Thus, it helps your skin look more supple and plump. It is one of the best products to tighten the skin under the eyes. Even hyaluronic acid fillers are available that reduce wrinkles under the eyes.
AnneMarie Borlind Aqua Nature Hyaluronate Eye Cream has hyaluronic acid, caffiene and marine extracts. It hydrates under the eye skin area and soothes puffiness.
Another option to opt for is Schrammek High Perfection Eye Cream with hyaluronic acid with soothing biopeptides.
Ilike Hyaluronic Time Erase Complex Eye Cream has organic hyaluronic acid with antioxidants.
Eminence Marine Flower Peptide Eye Cream is a unique combo. It combines red algae extracts with hyaluronic acid. As red algae are rich in vitamins, it fights against the signs of aging. So, get your under-eye area a supple treat with the best organic eye cream.
Kojic and Azelaic Acid
Kojic acid is a by-product that comes from fungal species. Studies suggest that it inhibits tyrosine which helps the production of melanin. Therefore, kojic acid has skin brightening effects. Also, it fights against oxidants.
Similarly, azelaic acid is effective against hyperpigmentation too. Melanocytes are responsible for the pigmentation of the skin. The under-eye skin is likely to get affected due to abnormal melanocytes laydown. To treat this, an ingredient that comes to our mind with kojic acid is azelaic acid. Eye creams with azelaic acid stop melanin production.
IBrightener Eye Cream is a blend of kojic and azelaic acid. They lighten the skin under the eyes, does wonder for dark circles. Thus, IBrightener Eye Cream is one of the best organic eye cream for dark circles. Also, it reduces the appearance of fine lines making it firmer.
Retinols
Retinols increase collagen and hyaluronic acid. As a result, they may reduce signs of aging. So, you get tighter and firmer skin under the eyes. However, they may be irritating or drying for some people. But retinol may be highly effective for malar festoons.
Ivy Extracts
Sometimes fluids accumulate around your eyes, especially the under-eye area. These are due to toxicity in the environment and aging. The skin starts to lose its original shape, tone, and texture. That can even lead to malar festoons.
Malar festoons occur to the muscles of the under eyes to lose their elasticity and stretch down to the cheek area. What Ivy extract does is that it prevents the accumulation of those fluids in the first place that can cause malar festoons. It helps improve blood circulation and removes any toxins inside the skin tissues.
You can opt for natural vitamin A with ivy extracts to give the eye area more elasticity. Phyris Retinol Eye Cream is a must to try. So, reduce under-eye wrinkles and soothe puffiness with this eye cream. Also, it combines bonus rice and soybean peptides to combat swelling.
Antioxidants Powerhouse Vitamin A, C, E, and K
Vitamins play a role in reviving the skin at the cellular level. The under-eye skin is no exception to this. We will discuss the role of each ingredient one by one and break it down for you to understand which may benefit you in a certain way.
Vitamin C
The best and the most essential is vitamin C among all four vitamins. It helps produce collagen in the under-eye area that increases the elasticity in the skin. Vitamin C helps in smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. It also hydrates and helps retain moisture.
Vitamin A
Free radicals are responsible for damaging collagen in the skin. Vitamin A equally neutralizes those free radicals. It plays a good amount of role in suppressing the oxidative stress levels of the skin.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is usually used together with vitamin C to enhance the antioxidant properties. It helps specifically around the orbital under-eye skin and helps fight wrinkles and dark circles. In addition to this, vitamin E counters the effect of damage caused by UV radiations.
Vitamin K
It provides a soothing effect to the appearance of the skin under the eyes.
These four powerful vitamins must be kept in mind while opting to use them as an under-eye cream.
Image Vital C Hydrating Eye Recovery Gel has an antioxidant infusion of vitamin C that tightens under-eye skin. It has potent vitamin K that reduces dark circles too!
Quinoa Seed Extracts
These extracts are a new emergence in skincare. They have the following effects in skin health:
- They are a rich source of vitamin E and C.
- Also, they hydrate and moisturize your skin.
- Quinoa extracts are essential fatty acids, restoring natural skin barrier function.
- Moreover, they help in the production of collagen in your skin.
So, this is how to tighten under-eye skin with the skin firming effects of quinoa extracts.
Snow mushroom is an ultimate hydrating ingredient. It revitalizes skin cells by moisturizing skin to its core.
It penetrates skin cells deeper owing to its small size.
Thus, snow mushroom restores skin moisture making it firmer.
Eminence Organics Snow Mushroom Moisture Cloud Eye Cream is a wholesome eye cream to tighten under-eye skin and reduce puffiness. A unique combo of snow mushroom, quinoa extracts, and birch water tighten under-eye skin. Also, they minimize skin sagging around the eyes and lighten dark circles.
Wild Plum Extracts
As free radicals damage skin, they augment its aging process. Thus, if you want to know; how to tighten under-eye skin, look for antioxidants. Wild plum is a powerhouse of antioxidants. They help tighten under-eye skin; calm puffiness. Thus, it promotes a more youthful undereye!
Green Tea Extracts
The use of green tea extracts is very beneficial in treating puffy eyes. Green tea also has caffeine that narrows down the blood vessels and the blood flow. Thus, it helps in depuffing the eyes. Green tea extracts soothe inflammation. Thus, it helps in eradicating redness around the eyes.
To reduce wrinkles and fine lines, use organic green tea extracts in your eye cream.
Related: Surprising Effects of Green Tea Extracts On Skin!
Chamomile Tea Extracts
Chamomile tea extracts are similar to green tea extracts that reduce the effects of irritation and soreness of the eyes. It also has anti-inflammatory properties like green tea that reduces swelling. It also helps to treat dark circles.
Green tea infused with chamomile tea makes a perfect combo to combat sore eyes, swelling, redness, inflammation, and of course, to treat wrinkles and dark circles.
Eminence Wild Plum Eye Cream combines organic green tea with wild plum extracts, which fight oxidants and thus signs of aging around the eyes. Also, it combats dark eye circles and infuses skin with essential nutrients.
Serums To Tighten Under-Eye Skin
ILift Eye Wrinkle Serum
As with eye creams, hyaluronic acid may hydrate the skin around the eyes even when used as a serum too. ILift Eye Wrinkle Serum comes with hyaluronic acid along with peptides. Thus, give your under-eye a moisturizing lift, reduce puffiness and fade dark circles.
Eminence Neroli Age Corrective Eye Serum
Eminence Neroli Age Corrective Eye Serum combines coconut milk with neroli oil, organic retinol alternates, and vitamin extracts. All ingredients that make it help you tighten under-eye skin and counter dark circles.
Coconut milk improves the elasticity of your skin owing to its hydrating and skin-soothing effect. It is a gentle yet highly effective ingredient for reducing wrinkles and sag. Since coconut milk is high in vitamin C, it knocks off; free radicals.
Guinot Time Logic Age Eye Serum
Guinot Time Logic Age Eye Serum has antioxidants (vitamin C and E) that reduce visible signs of aging around the eyes.
FarmHouse Fresh Crow Catcher Eye Transforming Serum
FarmHouse Fresh Crow Catcher Eye Transforming Serum is a tried and tested formula to lessen the appearance of fine lines. It comes with potent peptides and nutrient algae that may transform your eye care routine.
Algae extracts have the following effects on the skin:
- They improve skin elasticity.
- They tone up the skin making it firmer.
- Also, they hydrate and revitalize skin cells, making them highly effective for eye care.
Eye Masks To Tighten Under-Eye Skin
Guinot Anti-Fatigue Yeux Eye Mask
Guinot Anti-Fatigue Yeux Eye Mask has horse chestnut, along with:
- Chamomile extracts
- Hyaluronic acid
- Witch Hazel extract
Horse chestnut extracts come from a plant native to southeastern parts of Europe. They have the following effects:
- It calms down inflammation and soothes skin.
- Also, it reduces the fragility of capillary walls. That prevents fluid leak and stops swelling and puffiness from developing.
- A powerful blend of antioxidants and flavinoids makes it even more potent than vitamin E.
These effects explain how to tighten under-eye skin with horse chestnut eye masks.
A Bonus Product To Tighten Under-Eye Skin!
Nelly De Vuyst CirculaLift Eye Contour Patches BioTense comes with acmella oleracea extract along with hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and glycogen.
A study shows that serum with acmella oleracea extract has powerful effects of reducing wrinkles within two weeks of treatment. The study claims it to be a safe and rapid improver of fine lines around the eyes and the mouth.
Other magic ingredients include:
- Hyaluronic acid (a very well-known moisture-locking ingredient)
- Baobab Pulp Extract (seeds and fruit native to Africa, known to have skin-calming effects with essential fats)
- Glycogen (saves the hot day out! Acts against damage caused by ultraviolet B)
- Safflower oleosomes (mighty against free radicals)
- Vitamin C (well! you guessed it right!)
So, that’s an approach, how to tighten under-eye skin with these five-minute eye patches!
Under-Eye Skin Tightening Home Remedies
Yogurt
Yogurt is a wholesome probiotic. Probiotics help your skin microbiome to stabilize. Also, studies suggest that probiotics help with:
- Skin allergies and eczema
- Soothes and calms UV damaged skin
- Reduces breakout frequency
Take two tablespoons of yogurt and add a few lemon drops to it. Add a few drops of olive oil or put some honey to it. Massage a few minutes rinse nicely. Use it three times a week.
Banana
Banana is a fruit rich in antioxidants. Thus, it may reduce the effects of aging by combating free radicals. Take half of the banana to make it a paste. Apply under-eye area.
Aloe Vera
Studies suggest that aloe vera extracts boost cells that produce collagen and elastin. Also, aloe vera extracts hydrate your skin. Thus, they help reduce under-eye wrinkles and fine lines.
Extract some gel from a fresh aloe plant. Mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and combine well.
Almond
Soak a few almonds overnight. Remove their skin in the morning and bring them to a fine paste. Add some coconut water to it. A hydrating rejuvenating mix is ready to fight your wrinkles.
A Few Home Remedies For Dark Circles
Apply cold compressors
Dilated blood vessels under the eye may darken this area. Cold compressors help constrict the blood vessels. Also, they reduce the appearance of eye fatigue.
Use Teabags
Soak them in warm water for a few minutes. Next, refrigerate it for about 15 minutes.
Place them on each eye. After about five minutes, remove and rinse your face.
The idea for tea bags to work is caffeine. Caffeine is well known to constrict blood vessels.
Place cucumber slices
Place a chilled cucumber slice on your eyes. They reduce under-eye puffiness and give a hydrating effect. Try the remedy for tired-looking eyes too.
How To Tighten Under-Eye Skin With Exercises?
Exercise 1
Place each finger under the orbital bone. Leave a gap of one finger in between. Now pull lower eyelids slightly down. Don’t over-stretch it. Roll the eyelids up. Blink five times while the eyeball is looking slightly diagonal up and repeat. Blink five times while looking slightly diagonally down. Repeat the same process diagonally left and right as well. That will reduce the eye bag fluids.
Exercise 2
Place fingers on orbital eye bone. Now stroke three fingers of the upper hand and gently massage it against gravity 5 to 10 times.
That will help to reduce the sagging due to aging skin.
Alternatively, use Sothys Anti Puffiness Energizing Roll-On. The roller balls instantaneously reduce puffiness with their cryo effect. Improve skin firmness and diminish dark circles at the same time too.
Under-Eye Skin Tightening Procedures
How to tighten under-eye skin with cosmetic procedures? There are some invasive and non-invasive ways to tighten the skin under the eyes.
First, let us see how to tighten the skin under the eyes without surgery.
Fillers and Botox
Botox is a substance taken from bacteria that helps relax muscles. Thus, they reduce the appearance of something called dynamic wrinkles.
Your skin shows two types of wrinkles. One is due to a lack of collagen and moisture, producing fine lines on the face.
The other one is dynamic wrinkles. You have them in between eyebrows (frown lines), around eyes (crow’s feet), and corners of the mouth.
They get pronounced with muscle movement.
Botox relaxes muscles around the dynamic wrinkles.
On the other hand, fillers use injectables with things that stimulate collagen.
As aging and sunlight damage leads to a decrease in collagen, intradermal fillers with hyaluronic acid stimulate collagen synthesis.
Chemical peels
Chemical peels, as you may know, act as exfoliators. That is, they remove dead skin cells, allowing newer ones to rejuvenate your skin. However, the under-eye area is already thin and delicate. Thus, most chemical peels are not suitable when used under the eye.
But now we have procedures that help tighten under-eye skin with peels suitable for this purpose.
Examples of such peels may include:
- 15% Lactic acid peel
- 3.75% Trichloroacetic acid
These ingredients exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin cells. This combination also reduces dark circles around the eyes effectively, the study claims.
Tighten skin under eyes with Lasers
Lasers are devices that emit infrared radiation. They resurface skin structure. They emit heat which in turn constrict collagen, making your skin firmer. That also stimulates new collagen synthesis and tightens skin under the eye with lasers.
That is how to get tightened under-eye skin area with procedures without surgery. But with a sag that may not get firmer with these procedures, eyelid-lift surgery may be an option.
Blepharoplasty or Eyelid-lift surgery
You may consider this surgery if you have:
- Prominent bags under the eyes that do not respond to other procedures
- Drooping eyelids with ptosis that interferes with vision
- Sagging eyebrows
- Cosmetically bad wrinkles
The procedure involves removing excess tissues such as skin, fat, and muscles. Thus modifies under the eye area, improving its appearance.
The Takeaway
- Use Organic Eye Creams
- Treat Your skin with Serums
- Apply Face Masks
- Try Some Remedies straight from your kitchen
- Do Exercises that reduce under-eye sags
If you still experience under-eye wrinkles and puffiness, you may need to consult a dermatologist; for skin-tightening procedures.
