As your body gets older, your skin starts to reveal visible signs of aging. Eye skin is very thin, so wrinkles, fine lines and crepiness are most noticeable there. When skin turns crepey, eyelids look loose and saggy -- but you don't need to sit back and let change just roll over you. Your drugstore is packed with anti-aging creams and solutions, but a select few work well for crepey skin by helping to plump it up and make it look soft and smooth.
Stop or cut back on smoking if you currently use cigarettes. Smoking makes wrinkles and crepey skin look even worse by dehydrating skin and producing free radicals that age your body faster than normal.
Treat wrinkled skin daily with a topical antioxidant which can help to repair damage caused by free radicals. Look for a product with vitamin A, vitamin E, fat-soluble vitamin C, boron nitrite, green tea extract, pentapeptides or coenzyme C-Q10.
Smooth a little bit of eye cream containing hyaluronic acid over the skin surrounding the eyes. Apply this cream each evening. Hyaluronic acid hydrates wrinkled skin and boosts collagen production -- your skin needs collagen to look plump and firm.
Apply a small amount of 2-percent BHA liquid to the skin surrounding the eyes. Apply the liquid with a cotton swab and blend it away from your tear ducts. The BHA helps smooth out crepeyness, but it may also irritate some people's skin, so only use a tiny amount.
Apply a pea-sized amount of a cream containing cyclomethicone to the skin around your eyes. Use this cream at night before bedtime. This ingredient seals in the spaces between cells, so it can make skin look smoother.
Smooth a dab of petroleum jelly over eyelids and the area surrounding the eyes when the skin feels dry. Petroleum jelly hydrates skin and keeps it looking and feeling soft.
Chill a container of petroleum jelly in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, if desired -- the coldness soothes swelling or inflamed skin. Peel a banana and chop it into a small bowl. Use a spoon to scrape the white fibers from the inside of the peel, then add them to the bowl. Put a quarter-sized amount of the petroleum jelly in the bowl, then mix well. Smooth a bit of the banana mixture into the skin surrounding the eyes. After five minutes, remove the mixture with a wet cloth and cold water.
Tip
Your makeup choices can minimize crepey skin -- or make it look worse. Avoid putting foundation on your eyelids, as it makes crepiness more noticeable. Instead, dust face powder on each eyelid with a velour puff. Use matte eye shadows in colors such as brown, gray, nude and lavender. Stay away from shiny or shimmery shadows.
Wear sunglasses when you're outdoors to shield delicate eye skin from UV rays. For extra protection, apply mineral-based sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher to the skin surrounding the eye.
Warning
If your skin becomes irritated or red, consult your doctor.
References
Writer Bio
Melissa King began writing in 2001. She spent three years writing for her local newspaper, "The Colt," writing editorials, news stories, product reviews and entertainment pieces. She is also the owner and operator of Howbert Freelance Writing. King holds an Associate of Arts in communications from Tarrant County College.