Let me guide you through an easy, at-home solution for under-eye wrinkles, crepiness, and dryness—all while you enjoy your favorite TV show.
I've been there: smiling in the mirror only to see lines that seem to multiply when I laugh or talk. Instead of constantly resorting to botox, I've delved into natural, Chinese-medicine-based methods to rejuvenate my aging skin.
I’m going to break this blog into (4) parts.
1. Cause: Why does this have to happen and what is actually going on under the eyes, what’s the cause of this. Once you understand this you will NEVER forget how to treat the area
2. What and why: what tools we can use, what’s the purpose, what are we trying to achieve from a physiological perspective. This is so you won’t be sitting there thinking ‘well, this is a waste of time and is doing absolutely nothing for my under eye area.’
3. How to: The follow along technique where I show you exactly how to either massage or gua sha this area. So, practical application of the what and the why. ’
4. Bonus: If you stick around until the end and you’re after long term results you will need to do more than just massage/gua sha your under eye area particularly as you age due to not only the inherent dryness that accompanies ageing but we also lose 2 key growth proteins and there are other complex processes happening to our ageing skin.
So I will be sharing 2 DIY easy to implement tips to improve your overall health and hydration levels and this will maintain this under eye area so it looks healthy. I’ll also share with you the best in clinic treatments for the under eye area that will give you the best results.
1. What's the Cause Of Under Wrinkles, Dryness and Creepiness
Well, there are Intrinsic Factors that influence how our skin ages naturally, this is predominantly your genetics and the natural reduction of key growth proteins that occurs with ageing. And then there are Extrinsic Factors that influence how our skin ages,these are your diet, psychological stress, hydration, pollution and sun exposure.
So, it’s these extrinsic factors we have some control over.
The under eye area is affected by all of these and even more so due to the lack of fat and the thin delicate, sensitive nature of the skin under the eye.
Thin skin means that there is less blood flow to the area and this causes us significant problems as we age. Without adequate blood flow the area is deprived of hydration, nutrients and oxygen leading to dry, crepey, wrinkles skin.
If we are stressed out this affects also our hydration, our hormones plus our digestion leading to poor absorption of key nutrients and minerals leading to dry skin, premature ageing of the skin and thinner skin than what we would have if we were absorbing our nutrients optimally.
Hormones imbalances can also lead to poor digestion, poor sleep, low mood and more and all of these factors affect your skin including the under eye area.
That’s your cause of the dry wrinkly crepey skin under the eyes and that leads us to number 2.
2. What Are We Trying To Achieve, Why Are We Doing This and What Tools Are We Using
How and tools we use
One of our tools is skincare and skincare for the under eye area needs to be gentle and hydrating, products like hydrating eye mask/patches, creams and oil blends, and you may need to use all of these regularly to give you the best results.
The actual tools or devices that we use are either a gua sha tool or our own hands to massage the area. 
Here are some different shaped Gua sha tools made from different materials. I like this one for my eye area but for home use you only need one tool and these are great as you can use these over the entire face. Whatever you choose you want to be able to hold the tool comfortably and confidently so you can carry out this technique effectively.
And, what are the expected results - results are accumulative and overtime these at home treatments, along with the inner work that I will share with you in the bonus section will dramatically improve your skin.
What’s the point: Treating the SKIN to INCREASE BLOOD FLOW
Why do we care about increasing blood flow?
Red blood cells are full of oxygen - vital for life and your skin, nutrients and white blood cells.
By increasing blood flow to the under eye area we,
- Deliver nutrient dense RBC’s to the under eye area, this makes the cells healthier and full so your skin will be as nourished as it can be
- We improve hydration levels due to the oxygen, water and nutrients present in RBC’s, and this will treat the crepey dryness under the eyes
- Increase white blood cells and we care because these guys clean up debris or garbage making space for the new nutrient dense RBC’s that we have just brought to the area by either performing massage or gua sha. This will brighten under the eyes
And, you can do this whilst watching TV or listening to a podcast.
3. How to (The Follow Along Technique for Gua Sha and Facial Massage)
Because we are stimulating and increasing blood flow we want to affect more than just the under eye area. We have a muscle called the orbicularis oculi that runs around the circumference of the eye and we want to treat this muscle too. (See image below.)
This will ensure we get that nutrient dense blood flowing freely through this entire area. Remember we want to stimulate and increase the movement of blood so we need to release any tension build up that could interfere with this process.
Before massaging we want to activate the points of the muscle that are prone to tension and stimulate certain acupuncture points using acupressure.
Image Courtesy of Paula Wirth, Flickr
These are the best points for effecting a release in muscle tension and this is crucial for the free movement of blood and to bring in more nutrient rich, oxygenated blood.
Image Courtesy of Coco Leni, Pinterest
Apply your skincare product and make sure you have enough lubrication. Don’t add too much oil or product because your gua sha device or hands will just slide around and you won’t be able to treat the area as effectively.
Watch this video to follow along, start with timestamp 6:50:
4. Bonus section
Here are 2 DIY easy to implement tips to improve your overall health and hydration levels and this will help keep this under eye area looking healthy.
Now, there isn’t one miraculous product in the world that can treat your under eye wrinkles effectively and for the long term because topical cream, lotions, masks etc do not address the underlying CAUSE.
It’s great that you now know how to treat this area at home but it isn’t enough as we age to maintain the health of the skin here.
We must take a holistic approach to skincare by addressing the 3 elements of BODY, MIND & SKIN.
Small, consistent changes can drastically alter the complexion, so try these at home over the next month:
First Tip relates to the BODY
Treating the BODY via HYDRATION.
- 2 glasses/mugs when you wake up and 2 glasses before each meal. Buy a bottle and fill it up and keep it in your handbag.
- Download our drink tally list which is a PDF they can print out and tick off
Second Tip relates to the mind
Treating the MIND via MEDITATION & STILLNESS.
When we relax the mind, we trigger the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce the harmful levels of cortisol that prematurely age our skin and directly contribute to abdominal fat. (I made this up and it’s true)
At night, listen to this meditations:
Mantras and meditation will bring you back to the present.
Remember, everything is as it should be, thank you Sadhguru.
If you haven’t heard of Sadhguru I highly recommend checking him out. He is very accessible which makes him the perfect starting point if you’re interested in furthering mindful meditation practices.
Third trip relates to the skin
What is the best natural in clinic treatments for the under eye area that will give you the best results?
As we age the skin needs more collagen and elastin because these key growth proteins decrease in production and quality as we age.
So for incredible and long term results, a course of microneedling is also essential.
Needling the skin under the eyes will create a controlled micro-trauma to the skin surface and activate cellular renewal via increasing the production, quality and quantity of your 2 key growth proteins collagen and elastin.
In my clinic, I use the Dermapen 4 needling device, and this device gives incredible results to the under eye area and the entire face.
My clinic is located in Neutral Bay Sydney click here to book now to transform your skin, naturally.