Image source: Milwent.com
Crow’s feet are amongst the most complained about wrinkles on a patient’s face. And for good reason: “Crow’s-feet are usually the earliest wrinkles to appear on a woman’s face,” says dermatologist Debra Price, M.D., clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Miami School of Medicine and a dermatologist in South Miami. So what to do about crow’s feet?
Take an aggressive approach at home.
To quote Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail, “Fight, fight, fight!” Start each day off with a multivitamin that contains vitamin C and linoleic acid, which has been recently reported in a study amongst 4000 women to reduce wrinkles. Next, apply an antioxidant serum and sunscreen or moisturizer with sunscreen, concentrating on the area around your eyes. Be careful that the formulations are tolerated well around the delicate eye area. My well-touted favorites are Skinceuticals CE Ferulic ($107.00, Amazon.com) and NIA 24 Physical Sunscreen SPF 30 ($42.95, Amazon.com), but I also love the new Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 85 ($8.99, Drugstore.com) for ultima supremo sun protection (the most photostable out there, according to some reports). During the day, Dr. Perricone also recommends that you eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables (for antioxidant activity), salmon (for omega-3s), healthy fats (think almonds and olive oil), and full of water and green or white tea to keep skin glowing. After all, nutrition and skin care together have better results than skin care alone.
At night, use a retinoid cream, followed by a moisturizer with DMAE, niacinamide, or antioxidants, provided your skin can tolerate it. The retinoid treatment is easier to choose: there is 0.5% retinol in Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5 ($32.95, Amazon.com), 0.6% retinol in Green Cream Level 6 ($42.95, Amazon.com) 0.9% retinol in Green Cream Level 9 ($49.95, Amazon.com), and 1.0% retinol in Skinceuticals Retinol 1.0 ($52.00, Amazon.com). You may want to start with a lesser concentration of retinol, applied every 2-3 nights, and gradually work up to nightly use.
As for a nightly moisturizer, Dr. Nicholas Perricone recommends using DMAE, which has been found and reported in two independent studies in The Textbook of Cosmetic Dermatology and Skin Research and Dermatology to significantly firm skin in the undereye area. A product with a high concentration of DMAE is NV Perricone Vitamin C Ester Amine Face Lift ($95.00, Sephora.com), and another designed for around the eyes with slightly less DMAE is NV Perricone Advanced Eye Area Therapy ($95.00, Sephora.com). (P.S.: Free shipping is also available for a limited time on orders of $50 or more from Sephora with the code SHIPPING50 at checkout!)
If DMAE is too harsh for your skin, niacinamide and antioxidants have also been found to have beneficial effects against wrinkles, in various studies. My favorite moisturizer with niacinamide is Olay Regenerist, while my favorite antioxidant moisturizer is RevaléSkin Night Cream.
Once a week, in lieu of your usual nightly routine, use a glycolic acid treatment, provided again that your skin can handle it. (Consult your dermatologist if you are unsure.) Two of my favorite glycolic acid peels are MD Skincare: Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel ($75.00 for a thirty-day supply, Sephora.com) and Peter Thomas Roth UnWrinkle Peel Pads ($45.00, Amazon.com). Click here for a full review of the Dr. Dennis Gross peel; click here for a review of the Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads.
Then go see your dermatologist to look even better.
In the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, amongst many other sources, Botox injections have been found to make a dramatic difference in wrinkles. According to Dr. Jeffrey Benabio, M.D., in this month’s Oprah magazine, Botox injections partially paralyze the orbicularis orbis muscle to prevent it from contracting, which causes further wrinkling (and shows off the wrinkles you already have).
Benabio also recommends injectable fillers, like Restylane, to fill up the lines. Injections generally last 6-12 months, and are usually redone every 6 months. The cost is generally upwards of $500 per injection, but this varies by practitioner.
Last but not least, Benabio recommends dermatologist-strength chemical peels and lasers to stimulate collagen production, keeping the skin firm and crow’s feet production down in the future.
Yes, you can do it!
Always keep in mind that dermatology today is a lot more powerful than in years past. You can improve and prevent wrinkles, but, like everything else, it takes time, patience, knowledge, funds, and dedication. 
Let me know what works for you! I love hearing feedback!
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April 23rd, 2008
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futurederm |
Anti-Aging Treatments, Antioxidant Treatments, Best Products, Best Products, Eye Creams, Firming Treatments, General Cosmetic Dermatology, How to Get Rid of..., Spotlight On..., Wrinkle Treatments |
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Every once in a while, a product comes along that just looks so cool, you know it’s going to be a hit. That’s the case with Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer ($34.99 on sale, Kohl’s.com). Complete with side-by-side jars for day and night creams, your eyes never have an excuse to be without treatment.
But how effective is Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer? The product seems to be loaded with lots of ingredients — nearly 100 between the two formulations — and both have a low concentration of firming peptides (palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 and acetyl hexapeptide-8 in the day cream, palmitoyl oligopeptide in the night cream). The day cream appears as though it will hydrate and make dark circles appear less visible, while the night cream will hydrate, fight dark spots, and firm the skin somewhat. Still, how effective is each cream really? Read on to find out…
Will it reduce dark circles?
Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer will temporarily reduce the appearance of dark circles, with silica, amethyst, quartz, and zinc to create a bit of a shimmer that keeps the light reflecting ever-so-gently from your skin. It also contains glucosamine, which will reduce the appearance and lessen the worsening of dark circles that stem from hyperpigmentation. However, if the cause of your dark circles is blood pooling around the eyes, this product seems as though it will only help them cosmetically.
The most effective formulation for dark circles from hyperpigmentation and blood pooling (that I can find, anyway) is retinol and vitamin K, which are not in this cream. According to this study in Dermatologic Surgery, treatment of laser with retinol and vitamin K resolves purpuric discoloration of the skin faster than laser alone. Retinol and vitamin K were also reported to lighten dark circles in the journal Clinics in Dermatology.
Day Balm: Sweet almond seed hydrates quickly
Sweet almond oil is the most commonly used massage oil, and for good reason: it absorbs quickly into the skin, and leaves skin feeling soft and hydrated, according to the journal Palliative Medicine. The ingredient has antioxidant properties as well.
Day Balm: Yeast hydrates further
The yeast in Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer has long been rumored to be a home remedy for eczema. While there isn’t a lot of independent scientific research backing this claim, so long as a patient does not have an allergic reaction to yeast, the ingredient should only have hydrating and some soothing effects for the skin. (If anyone has more information on yeast in skin care, please, contact me! )
Night Balm: Soybean stimulates collagen production
The soybean in the Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer night cream is probably my favorite ingredient in both formulations. Soybean extract has been found to increase collagen production, stimulate hyaluronic acid production of keratinocytes in cell culture, and to reduce hyperpigmentation. Again, this should help with the lessening of dark circles that result from excess melanin production, although it may not help dark circles stemming from excess blood pooling around the eyes.
Night Balm: Glycosaminoglycans…
Glycosaminoglycans are probably the “newest” ingredient in Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer. Unfortunately, adding glycosaminoglycans to the skin in the form of a cream is like adding collagen to the skin. It’s a nice idea, but research has not yet shown that applying glycosaminoglycans to the skin has any effect. This is just like collagen: research has never shown that applying collagens to the skin stimulates collagen production. Collagens in skin cream only hydrate, and glycosaminoglycans are likely to be the same way, although research in stimulating GAGs is fairly new.
What are glycosaminoglycans? Glycosaminoglycans are found primarily in the dermis of the skin. The major purpose of GAGs is to defend against water loss, as they bind large quantities of water, up to 1000 times their volume. For this reason, GAGs are also known as “natural moisturizing factors,” or NMFs (for more, see here). Most studies show that GAGs, such as hyaluronic acid and dermatan sulfate decrease with age; however, some studies found no change in the amount of GAGs in aged skin. If in fact the majority of research is correct and GAGs do in fact decrease in aged skin, then changes in skin due to loss of GAGs may include decreased elasticity, decreased turgidity, and wrinkling.
How can glycosaminoglycans be stimulated? Research from L’Oréal has demonstrated that application of a sugar molecule called xylose can stimulate glycosaminoglycan production. For this reason, L’Oréal has incorporated xylose in Shu Uemura Phyto Black Lift products, Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra Lift, and L’Oréal Skin Genesis products.
Personal Use
Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer feels like a lip balm for the eyes. It feels very light, despite the very long ingredients list (excerpted below!). The day balm leaves skin with a nice shimmer that ever-so-lightly reflects the light, giving the undereye area a refreshed, younger appearance. On the other hand, the night balm leaves a shinier finish. Both feel very nice around the eyes, and despite all the ingredients and my sensitive skin, it left my eyes looking smooth and refreshed.
Overall Opinions
I personally do not use Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer, because I feel that there are eye creams with higher concentrations of potent ingredients. However, besides the lack of sunscreen in the day cream, there is absolutely nothing “wrong” with Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer, per se. For me, it’s like that nice co-worker who tells you about her bus ride every morning: I like it, certainly don’t mind it, but I wouldn’t want to take it home and live with it everyday.
With that said, Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer reduces the appearance of dark circles and helps to eliminate dark circles that result from excess melanin production. Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer also hydrates the skin, and the day balm slyly disguises your imperfections, so you may need less concealer. Overall, a good, solid product. Product rating: 6.5/10. (High concentration of proven ingredients: 1.5/3. New technology: 2/3. Value for the money: 3/3, because peptides are usually found in more expensive formulations. Sunscreen: 0/1).
Partial ingredients list: Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer Day Cream
Water, butylene glycol, methyl gluceth-20, glycerin, dimethicone, polybutene, yeast, dipropylene glycol, quercus silver bark, sweet almond seed, algae, hersperidin methyl chalcone, cucumber, green tea, grape seed extract, barley, passiflora incarnata extract, sunflower, sea whip, palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7, acetyl hexapeptide-8, dipeptide-2, tocopherol, sucrose, sorbitol, caffeine, linoleic acid, amethyst, quartz, zinc..
Partial ingredients list: Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer Night Cream
Water, butylene glycol, shea butter, cetyl esters, hydrogenated polybutene, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, polybutene, methylheptyl polyethylene, passiflora, sweet almond seed, soybean extract, glycosaminoglycans, palmitoyl oligopeptide, caffeine, sodium hyaluronate, bifida ferment lysate, acetyl glucosamine, silica, chamomile…
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April 18th, 2008
Posted by
futurederm |
Anti-Aging Treatments, Antioxidant Treatments, Eye Creams, Product Reviews |
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