When I was 19 and super into skincare, I think my friends thought I was a little coo-coo.
But now that I’m into my thirties, my friends are mesmerized with my skincare obsession. Of their questions, the biggest one I get is, “How do I get rid of my crow’s feet?” And it’s true — the skin surrounding the eyes must suffer the burden of being the most-oft moved around of the face, while simultaneously being cursed with having fewer oil glands than the rest of the face. Think: more movement + less lubrication = more wrinkles, faster.
Thankfully, there are three big classes of skincare ingredients to consider for eliminating crow’s feet:
1.) Temporary Cosmetic Fillers, Like Topical Silicones and Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid and silicones are able to temporarily draw water into the skin, reducing trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), and creating a slight swelling of the skin that reduces the appearance of wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid in particular also helps to temporarily stabilize and maintain the complex intercellular-skin matrix, which is the “glue” that holds the skin together. This gives the skin a smoother experience.
The results last up to eight hours. I personally like using hyaluronic acid-based creams in lieu of a primer, right before my makeup. Skin looks plumper, healthier, and more glowing — always a great thing!
Product to Consider: Peter Thomas Roth Hyaluronic Acid Cloud Cream. It’s not made for the undereye area exclusively, but it has a thick enough texture and the highest concentration of hyaluronic acid I’ve found in a cream, ever, at 30%.
2.) Ingredients that May Inhibit Muscle Contraction, Like Argireline, XEP-30
Before you top everything off with silicones and/or hyaluronic acid, I love to apply a treatment serum (or two, or three).
Argireline, also known as acetyl hexapeptide-3 or acetyl hexapeptide-8, works on the same muscle-to-nerve connections as BotoxTM when it is applied topically. This makes sense, given that it is a shortened peptide sequence of BotoxTM. Like BotoxTM, argireline directly blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles. The affected muscle can no longer contract, which causes the wrinkles to relax and soften. Keep in mind argireline must be used on expression lines like crow’s feet, or wrinkles like forehead lines, and frown lines. Wrinkles caused by sun damage and gravity will not respond to argireline.
On the other hand, XEP-30 is a synthetic version of a neurotoxin that is derived from a specific cone snail off the coast of Australia. The function is also similar. Once topically applied to the skin, XEP-30 is designed to inhibit some degree of facial muscle activation. In this way, creases do not form on your face, and existing lines should, over time, fade away.
The thing about inhibiting muscle contraction is that it doesn’t work for everyone. Some women swear by it; others don’t really see many results. I have a feeling it has something to do with your own personal skin metabolism, or how well your skin absorbs ingredients and how fast ingredients traverse your own individual skin. Regardless, if you haven’t tried topical muscle relaxants on your crow’s feet, it might be worth giving a four-week trial period. Use twice daily for best results.
Recommended: ERASA XEP-30 Extreme Line Lifting and Rejuvenation Concentrate with XEP-30.
3.) Wrinkle-Repairing Ingredients, Like Retinoids, AHAs, Vitamin C, Matrixyl 3000
Of course, there is also the gold standard of anti-aging: Retinoids. Now, retinoids have been shown to temporarily thin the skin and make skin photosensitive, which is why strong concentrations generally aren’t recommended for use under the eyes. Despite this, I have used retinoids under my eyes for years and don’t have any wrinkles to speak of, and I strongly believe this is one of the reasons why.
I also believe in throwing the kitchen sink at crow’s feet until they go away. Think retinoids by night, vitamin C by day, reparative peptides morning and night.
Recommended: MDSUN Med Eye Complex Cream. Think of this stuff like Skinceuticals on steroids: Infused with more vitamin C than water and packed with over a dozen peptides, ceramides, human stem cells media, and vitamin E, MDSUN Med-Eye Complex Cream is truly powerful eye cream designed to visibly promote firmness, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Bottom Line
The three big classes of skincare ingredients for crow’s feet are topical fillers, muscle relaxants, and wrinkle repairers. Fillers are temporary, lasting up to eight hours; muscle relaxants applied topically don’t work well on everyone; and wrinkle repairers take time. I personally use all three any time I start to notice lines creeping up.
Keep in mind that diet and stress also play a role in the development of expression lines. Inflammation from sugar and fried foods, puffiness from salt, and a lack of B vitamins can make the skin look tired, inflamed, wan and depleted. Since I’ve entered my thirties, I’ve dramatically upped my fruit and vegetable intake with green smoothies and substituted my beloved sushi for salads for lunch. Dinner also starts with a small salad most nights, and I upped my water intake to the full 64 ounces.
I also make sure I de-stress as much I can. Sometimes I think we all just look chronically tired as we’re getting older because we are chronically tired! The development of new expression lines may mean that you just need to calm down a little and be kinder to yourself. I personally have stepped up my meditation in the morning and I make sure I get eight hours of sleep. Sometimes this is easier said than done — I just bought a house two days ago and feel a little crazed — but I’m trying to be mindful and filling my days with self-care and love as much as I can.