If I had a nickel for every time I hear: “Nancy, I look so tired,” I’d be a rich woman! It’s usually the first thing my patients complain about and the most difficult to treat. The eyes may be the windows to the soul but the eye area is the window into our aging process.
Why? The skin on the lids and under the eyes looks, acts and behaves differently than the rest of our skin. It’s thin, delicate and much more prone to aging. The under eyes are particularly problematic, showing issues such as dark circles (caused by pigment build up), visible blue blood vessels that show up as “shadows”, hollowness, or puffiness. There’s also fine lines, deep crows feet, sleep lines, fat bulges or displacement, lymph flow issues that cause swelling, and the list goes on. Eyelid skin is also prone to early sagging and drooping.
As one of my mentors proclaimed in a lecture I attended: “It’s HORRIBLE!” All kidding aside, the periorbital area, the skin surrounding the eye, is special and needs special care. Some people hold the belief that eye creams are not necessary and your daily all-over facial products are sufficient. But what about all of the issues of the eye area I mentioned above that are specific to the eye area? These can, and should be, addressed by special ingredients that were made for and tested specifically for eye concerns, eye skin and give this special area the extra care and attention it deserves. So, I respectfully disagree with these eye cream naysayers. The sooner you hop on the eye cream wagon, the more you will thank me later!
Ok so let’s dive into the topic of EYE CREAMS! When it comes to MY skin care- I demand the best but I could never ever find an eye cream that I was absolutely in love with. There is always a new flavor of the year but I had a wandering eye and was always looking for more, better, the Holy Grail.
When setting out to formulate an eye product for THE ROUTE, I did my due diligence. I researched, tried, tested, experimented and as my stash of eye creams grew, my frustration mounted. I wanted an eye cream that would leave my skin moisturized just enough for the day so that my makeup looked good but that was rich enough at night to lock in moisture so the skin can heal itself overnight. Then it dawned on me - we need TWO different formulations! There are specific eye concerns and natural processes during the day that are remarkably different than at night.
Each little skin cell has its own unique circadian rhythm that goes through a 24 hour cycle - it happens in our body but it also happens in the skin. The skin undergoes vastly different internal processes every single day such as changes in pH, temperature, moisture loss, antioxidant production and destruction, DNA/RNA and mitochondrial repair. As we age, these processes slow down and are much less effective, but we can use skincare as a supplement. Skincare, in its topical form, can replenish skin with antioxidants, peptides, natural botanicals and the ever-important hydrators/moisturizers to help the skin help itself. If we optimize the TIMING of these ingredients when the skin is prepared to receive them, it can utilize them best. So, I realized that it doesn't make sense to have one single formula that can be used twice a day.
Our team of cosmetic chemists led by me, developed THE SUNNY EYES™ and THE NIGHT NIGHT EYES™. Two totally different eye products that treat the vastly different needs of your day and night eye area.
THE SUNNY EYES™
- Color correcting with a universal tint that flatters everyone (skin types 1-6).
- Natural phyto-tensors that literally give your eye skin a temporary, physical lift in 5 minutes.
- Diamond powder to blur and photoshop the eyes.
- Filling technology to minimize fine lines and crepiness.
- Peptides that work on dynamic wrinkles or expression lines.
- The most stable Vitamin C on the market to provide antioxidant benefits.
- Green tea and caffeine and more peptides to address puffiness and dark circles.
- Peptides to target the root of dark circles- eye fatigue.
- Hydrating formula that works as a perfect eye primer so that makeup doesn’t just slip/drip off your face.
THE NIGHT NIGHT EYES™
- Next generation retinoid to provide rejuvenating benefits without the harsh side effect.
- A skin multivitamin with omegas and nutrients to replenish.
- Peptides for nighttime repair support.
- Melatonin balance and support.
- Epidermal skin barrier protection.
- Internal hydration boost.
- Rich deep occlusive moisturization to counteract nighttime water loss.
Lastly, both products contain the NURSE NANCY COMPLEX which provides the top 3 things your skin needs in abundance 24/7:
- Epidermal barrier support and moisture because without a healthy barrier you do not have beautiful skin.
- Comforting and soothing ingredients because inflammation is a major cause of aging.
- Antioxidant support because free radical damage is THE #1 cause of aging.
And,
Both are formulated with our Happy Phospholipid base that utilizes skin compatible lipids to enhance activity of our active ingredients AND increase happiness upon application. It’s cashmere texture has been clinically tested to boost a positive mood!
So there you have it. A tale of two eye creams!
I hope you love them as much as I do.
Now let me be Nurse Nancy and complete the loop for caring for our lids and under eye area.
Don’t forget your sunnies!! Wear sunglasses even on cloudy days! Wear them to protect your eyeballs from UVA/UVB damage by sun exposure that can lead to eye injury and illness but also wear them to protect the delicate skin surrounding the eyes. Pick large lenses to cover not only your eyes but the surrounding skin, choose polarization to reduce glare so you don’t squint and always, always choose those that block 99-100%UVA and UVB light.
Get regular eye exams to check for healthy vision and eye disease. Know your family history to look for genetic problems, use protective eyewear when playing certain sports or doing home repairs and eat a healthy diet that includes omega-3 fatty acids. My grandma always encouraged carrots for “sparkly eyes”. I would eat a carrot and run to go check my eyes!!
Give your eyes a rest. Looking at the computer for long periods of time can tire out your eyes. We blink less and expose our eyes to blue light that may increase the strain and definitely interfere with our circadian rhythm if we are on “screens” too close to our bedtimes! Do the 20-20-20:
- Take a break every 20 minutes
- Look at something about 20 feet away
- for at least 20 seconds!
I hope you learned a Nurse Nancy Nugget or two.
XOXO, NURSE NANCY
