Dr. Teo Wan Lin is an accredited dermatologist practising at TWL Specialist Skin and Laser Centre in Singapore. She has collaborated with LANEIGE for this series of educational articles and digital skincare masterclasses. In her first masterclass on the relevance of a day skincare routine, she shares about the science behind the botanical ingredients in the Perfect Renew Youth Regenerator and how they function to produce anti-ageing benefits to achieve radiant skin. She elaborates on the relevance of pure retinol as the gold standard in anti-aging skincare in her podcast Dermatologist Talks: Science of Beauty, available on Spotify, Apple and Google podcasts.
In part two of the digital skincare masterclass, she touches on the science behind skin ageing of the periorbital area. She also shares how effective dermocosmetics ingredients in your eye cream can treat and prevent skin laxity, hyperpigmentation and wrinkles in the delicate eye skin. Hence, maintaining healthy, refreshed and radiant skin.
Understanding eye ageing
There is a scientific reason as to why it’s often said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. The movements of the muscles around our eyes are part of what psychologists consider microexpressions. These are actually very subtle facial expressions, manifesting as lines or movements of the skin around the eyes. These cue us to authentic emotion. Additionally, it is sometimes the reason we judge an individual as being genuine or honest, and hence likeable. There is one key difference between aged and youthful, radiant skin. Aged skin demonstrates static wrinkles. This means that the lines are still present even when you are not making the facial expression. Whereas normal skin exhibits dynamic wrinkles, which is natural and beautiful, and also communicates genuine emotion and personality.
Periorbital Skin Science
This is the reason why in Dr. Teo’s dermatology practice TWL Specialist Skin and Laser Centre, she personally advocates skincare as the main preventive treatment for the skin around the eye area. This is as opposed to injectables, which paralyse the muscles. The key is to restore elasticity and fullness to the skin around the eyes, known as the periorbital skin – minimising static wrinkles. At the same time, maintaining dynamic wrinkles for a natural-looking result.
Why do we develop eye wrinkles?
The development of periorbital wrinkles is due to thinning of the dermis as one ages. This is the layer above the fat and muscles around the eye area. Not because you are using the facial muscles too much when you are smiling or laughing. The skin around the eyes, known as periorbital skin, is thinner. Hence, they show signs of ageing much more quickly than other areas of the face do. This thinness makes it more susceptible to barrier dysfunction. It is the breakdown of the outermost layer of the skin, and development of fine lines and wrinkles with age.
What makes up an ideal eye cream formula?
The formulation of your eye cream is important. It should have 3 main components: the moisturising function to restore and repair the top layer of skin, antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress, and actives that stimulate collagen production to minimise skin wrinkles. Above all, it has to be well tolerated by the delicate undereye area.
The Perfect Renew Youth Retinol Eye Cream has been perfected by LANEIGE’s parent company, the Amore Pacific R&D group to attain the ideal cosmetic formulation for a non-irritating eye cream that is also effective for reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, and improving the appearance of the periorbital skin. A moisturising phytoceramide formula forms its base. Phytoceramides refer to plant-derived naturally occurring fats. In this case, shea butter, which replenishes and rehydrates the skin barrier, promoting radiant skin.
The eye cream contains acerola, a potent antioxidant with effects comparable to vitamin C in terms of protecting the skin from skin damage from pollution or sun exposure – but without the irritation. Additionally, the formulation incorporates glutathione. Glutathione is an antioxidant that engulfs free radicals, generated by a process known as oxidative stress, which leads to signs of ageing. It also suppresses pigment or dark spot production in the skin known as melanogenesis. It does this by blocking the enzyme tyrosinase that is involved in pigment production. Finally, the eye cream also contains adenosine which has significant anti-wrinkle properties, demonstrated by other independent studies to improve the appearance of crow’s feet by stimulating collagen production.
What are some lifestyle tips for maintaining bright and radiant skin around the eyes?
Here are some additional lifestyle tips for care of your undereye skin. Constantly tugging and pulling the lids, such as when wiping off heavy eye makeup, mascara or if you wear contact lenses over many years. These can worsen the undereye wrinkles and skin laxity – which refers to the loss of skin firmness and structure. Avoid that, avoid excess friction on the skin area under your eyes. Also bear in mind that lifestyle factors can increase susceptibility to free radical damage and fatigue. These include a lack of sleep, eye fatigue from prolonged periods of looking at computer screens as well as smoking Photoaging caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays also causes oxidative stress that contributes to wrinkle formation as well as increased appearance of signs of ageing around the eye area.
This masterclass episode is sponsored by LANEIGE as a joint collaboration to create scientific educational content relevant to skincare and dermatology.Images produced as part of editorial collaboration consistent with site policy.