I hate when I don’t have make-up on and I just look like a ghost or a cancer patient. I look so pale and lifeless. An easy mistake to make, which I am sure I have made many times, is having mis-matched foundation. That the tone of foundation does not match the skin tone and we either turn out looking like a ghost with a very tan neck or a orange-faced person with a very light neck and jaw line.  My mother has sold make-up for a few years now, and one way to test the color of foundation you need, is by getting a small sample and putting it on your hands. 

That way, when you need to purchase foundation and a mirror is no where in sight; you can still find the closest match to your actual skin and no more ghost or orange face!  Now, to conceal those late nights, foundation might not cover all the areas you want fully hidden, so a concealer is a great addition to the make-up bag.  This is to be applied to the deepest part of the eye area, which is underneath the eye and closest to the bridge of the nose. Use an under-eye concealer on the outer eye and lids. This is the best way to cover up those blemishes of the face, smooth out the all over color, and help conceal those parts that aren’t quite model worthy, which we know we all have!

We all know what wrinkles are, but who knows why we get wrinkles? We know that laugh lines are a sign of a well lived and happy life. But why do those laugh lines and crows feet stay? Why does skin get more and more wrinkly the older we get? Well, this is what I have found. Wrinkles and folds form in skin areas where there has been a decrease in elastin and a decrease in underlying fatty tissue.

The presence and production of essential enzymes decrease with age as a result of enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMP’s). MMP’s are produced by the body in increasingly greater numbers, and their role is to slow down collagen and elastin from functioning normally. Eventually, the body begins producing more MMP’s than the enzymes it needs to repair and restore the skin cells. Once there is an imbalance and there is more MMP’s, that is where the skin is thinner and capillaries are more visible, dry skin, dissipation of fatty tissue in the subcutaneous layer.  So over time, after it loses its elasticity the skin gives way to folds and wrinkles, creating the laugh lines and crows feet.

Who wants beautiful eyes with no crows feet, no bags, no dark circles? I do! I do! Well, any easy way to speed up the cell turnover rate and has anti-aging affects is Vitamin A! Vitamin A provides a very important role in health and too little or too much can lead to serious diseases. 

Some of the effects of vitamin A include: Vision – if too little of vitamin A is consumed, vision will be significantly impaired; Resistance to infectious disease – vitamin A deficiency has been shown to increase the frequency and severity of a disease as opposed to one who has sufficient amounts of vitamin A; Epithelial Cells – when vitamin A is present the epithelial cells – skin, is less scaly and mucus secretion is normal; Bone remodeling is another effect of vitamin A; and last is in Reproduction – sperm production requires vitamin A and for women, vitamin A helps regulate menstrual cycles. So where can we find vitamin A? It is found in many animal tissues and is richest in the liver. Americans are not known to eat a lot of liver, but maybe we should start reliving that tradition.

I have been using protective and restorative creams under my eyes for many years and I just wanted to share what I have learned to whoever will read this.  I first thought that the best creams were the most expensive, and so expensive they could have been infused with diamonds. But anyway, when my circumstances changed and I wasn’t able to afford the extremely pricy creams, I started using the medium creams and have even tried the bargain creams. 

Now, after having used all kinds, I have found that I like the medium price range creams the best.  While they feel good to my wallet, my eyes also look and feel great, and when my eyes look and feel great, then my self-esteem gets that much needed boost while I feel the signs of aging all around me.  I have also recently seen studies where the regular, run of the mill moisturizers work even better than those expensive cream just for the eyes.  I wish I would have known that I was just throwing away money, but that is why I wanted to share my little secret.  But hey, if money isn’t a problem, then hell, buy the expensive stuff and flaunt it!

I recently saw a commercial where it showed a woman rolling a stick of caffeine under eyes to get rid of the puffiness. I had never heard of caffeine being used for that reason and I set to look into caffeine being used medicinally.  I know that studies have shown that caffeine in beverages can be helpful and harmful; helpful with migraines and harmful on intestines and other necessary organs.  I guess that’s when moderation comes in handy.

I learned that caffeine in eye creams reduces the swelling while also increasing the circulation for increased blood flow to improve and brighten dark circles under the eyes.  There are many creams out there that are made from coffee beans and green tea. So, I went to the just a common mega-store and found some, and it worked great! I was worried that because I bought a cheaper version of what I was reading about online, that it wouldn’t work as well or even at all, but I worried needlessly. So, after continuous late nights I had quite the puffy dark circles under my eyes, and I applied the cream with caffeine and after just a few days they were hardly visible.  I feel like a commercial saying this, but it really did work.

I know every person can look at their face in the mirror and find flaws, but when I look at my face, I see two very noticeable flaws, and they are the dark circles under my eyes. I have wondered where they come from and why mine are so noticeable.

Some of the main reasons I have found are; it is just hereditary, allergies, stress, the lack of sleep, and even what I eat!  One main sign is from anemia, not getting enough iron in your diet.  This can easily be avoided by eating foods rich in iron like seaweed, fortified breakfast cereals, red meats, soya cabbage, dried apricots, figs, oatmeal, prunes, broccoli, asparagus, pumpkin, and many more foods.  For those who are vegetarian, it is hard to absorb the iron from non-meat sources, so eating the fruits and vegetables rich in iron but vitamin C helps.  The key is to eat items rich in iron and vitamin C in the same meal.

Now I know that my dark circles are not just from a lack of sleep.  As I am keeping a well balanced diet, I have noticed a huge difference in the dark circles under my eyes. No longer do I look like a walking zombie, but now I have life and color added to my face.

I hate the signs on my face after a late night; the dark circles under my eyes, the extra pronounced crows feet, and the puffy bags. It is so unattractive, but sometimes those late nights are completely unavoidable, so that is why I turn to exfoliation.

Exfoliation is an anti-aging treatment that through the ingredients of AHA fruit acids, Alpha Hydroxy Acids helps to dissolve the glue-like composition that holds the dead cells together on the skin. I know, that just sounds gross. I love the way my skin feels after I exfoliate, there is a huge difference in the smoothness of my skin and I just feel fresher and cleaner.

It has to be one of the best feelings ever, not to mention it gets rid of all those gross dead cells and rejuvenates my skin, leaving it healthier and younger looking.  And what is cool, is that the Egyptians were the first to have been known to exfoliate.  Leave it to those insightful Egyptians to keep us looking young, just like all those mummies!

So, those late nights can be not so noticeable and I can go on throughout my day without a trace of my lack of sleep.

The more I read, the more I realize that beauty and staying beautiful and young looking is something that never changes.  Thanks to the technologies of today’s world, we can look younger and younger everyday through proper skin care.  One of the first modern techniques for eye care came in the mid 1950’s where Helena Rubenstein formulated a new product that included emollients and vitamin A to reduce dryness and help give a lifted, more youthful look under the eyes. A face lift in a tube was born.

Today there are countless under eye products that are everywhere, in the drugstore, the superstore and the mega-stores, ranging from a few dollars to hundreds. Claiming to zap away the bags, conceal the dark circles, and magically smooth away wrinkles. My quest is to find an affordable under the eye cream that does all three.

I still remember a lady I lived by that had the worst bags under their eyes. One of my worst fears as I get older is that I don’t want bags under my eyes like hers.  Call me vain if you wish, but I know how aging and unattractive they can be. Getting older is hard enough, let alone ignoring the little preventable signs that give my age away.

One way that I am actively preventing this is by using eye creams. I have noticed a distinct difference that especially after those late nights, the bags under my eyes are barely visible.  I try not to ever miss my nightly routine of washing my face and applying my under eye cream.

I once read that the puffiness comes from water accumulation under the eyes, and some creams use caffeine to eliminate the extra moisture.  What I have noticed though, is that the caffeine dehydrates the sensitive skin under my eyes.  Now I try to get creams for the bags under my eyes with less harmful substances and I will always check the labels and make sure the creams I get do not include caffeine. I love caffeine in my soda, but that’s where it should stay, not under my eyes or in my facial creams.

There are so many eye cream ingredients out there  that it can be very difficult to track just each and every one. When browsing through the web and looking at various eye creams, it’s important to take  a close look at the ingredient lists.  You should take a hard look at the ingredients each time you examine an eye cream.  When selecting an eye cream, there are some ingredients you should look for, and a few that you should avoid.  Haloxyl, Argireline, and Hyaluronic acid are all high-powered ingredients you will find in many eye creams. It’s also extremely important you get some sort of fruit extract, such as pomegranate or acai berry extract, as they bring a high antioxidant value to the formula.

I probably don’t have to explain the value of antioxidants in skin care formulas. Most of the top wrinkle creams contain antioxidant or other healthy ingredients. This topic is well covered by the media, including Dr. Phil, Oprah, and many other programs that talk about general health and wellness.  The acai berry has been a popular inclusion in skin care formulas such as the Elite Serum and various products made by Perricone MD.

Needless to say, the popularity of the many creams that are out there can easily overshadow the things that really count. Never forget to look into the ingredients, or you might find yourself using a product that is a waste of time and money.