That said, there’s no shame in wanting to minimize the lines around the eyes, and there are plenty of ways to do it for a natural-looking effect. This does require its own approach, as your regular skincare can be too strong for the skin around the eyes, which is thinner and drier than on the rest of your face. This is why we often see our first wrinkles here.
Eye skin also tends to be more sensitive, so you have to show it some TLC and choose anti-agers that are specifically formulated for this area.
With so many anti-aging eye creams on the market, how do you know which one is the best product for crow’s feet? Research! We’ve compiled the criteria for an eye cream that delivers the skin-smoothing goods. Here’s what you need to know to treat crow’s feet and lines around the eyes.
What are crow’s feet?
Lateral canthal lines, as they are known in the medical world, are wrinkles that form at the outer corners of the eyes and on the temples. They garnered the nickname “crow’s feet” because these horizontal lines fan out to resemble the shape of a crow’s foot.
They’re also called “smile lines” and “laugh lines,” since both actions cause the skin near your eyes to crinkle. Same with squinting, laughing, grimacing, and a host of other facial expressions.
Over time, the repetitive muscle movements in this area, combined with waning collagen and elastin levels in your skin, can eventually etch lines near the eyes. This can happen as soon as the early 30s, not until the 50s, or for some people, never at all. It also depends on your genetics and face shape.
What causes wrinkles around the eyes?
No one should cut back on smiling and laughing just for the sake of their skin. But there are other contributors to eye lines that you can take precautions against.
The biggest offender is sun exposure. With such thin skin around the eyes, it already has less collagen and elastin, the structural substances that make skin smooth and firm. UV exposure breaks down collagen and elastin, which weakens the skin and allows lines to form.
We love your laugh lines. But if you want to smooth them…
The skin around the eyes also has fewer oil glands, so it’s more prone to dryness. This makes lines appear more obvious.
Pollution, smoking, and chronic poor sleep can also contribute to eye crinkles. “All these elements can lead to tissue breakdown in the skin,” says Michael Krathen, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Natick, Massachusetts, and Chief Medical Advisor for Cottonball.
And then there’s just the natural course of time, since starting as early as the 20s, skin produces less collagen and elastin with each passing year. There’s even some evidence to suggest that gender plays a role. Men tend to develop crow’s feet up to 10 years before women do, and their lines are often deeper and more pronounced.
What’s the best treatment for lines around the eyes?
Elbow cream? A big toe softener? Superfluous. But a separate skincare product just for your eyes just makes sense. You need something formulated for the delicate, drier, more sensitive skin here. In fact, the labels on many wrinkle-fighting serums and face creams specifically advise not to apply them near your eyes. Heed those warnings and choose a formula that's made for this area.
“Look for a product that has proven collagen boosters and excellent hydrating properties,” says Dr. Krathen. He hails retinoids—which are derived from vitamin A—as the best ingredients to stimulate collagen and elastin production, which in turn helps firm and thicken the skin, reduce fine lines, and prevent new ones from forming.
Cottonball VX.5 Undereye Smoothing & Brightening Balm is available with prescription-strength tretinoin, a powerful retinoid that smooths and softens lines. That said, retinoids can irritate sensitive skin. In that case, a Cottonball dermatologist may instead customize your VX.5 eye balm with bakuchiol, a gentler, plant-derived collagen stimulator that’s been shown to work as well as retinol (an over-the-counter retinoid) at significantly reducing fine lines.
No matter your skin type, VX.5 also contain caffeine to soothe puffiness, hyaluronic acid to hydrate, vitamin K to help fade dark circles, and ceramides, squalene, and vitamin E to moisturize and nourish the skin.
Not to mention L-ascorbic acid, the pure form of vitamin C. "L-ascorbic acid has three benefits for the skin," says Ron Robinson, Cottonball's Chief Cosmetic Chemist Advisor. "It's a powerful antioxidant, so it protects the skin from free radical damage. It helps stimulate collagen, so it helps firm the skin and reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. And it prevents the overproduction of melanin, so it works to even out skin tone and help fade hyperpigmentation." Find out if VX.5 is right for you.
What’s the best way to apply eye cream?
Gently tap on the formula with your ring finger, which has the lightest touch. Apply it to the skin under your eyes along the orbital bone and at the outer corners. Never tug or pull at the skin here, and avoid patting the product too close to your eyes.
Can anything prevent crow’s feet?
Experts will tell you that prevention is the best treatment. To protect the skin around your eyes from sun damage, use a daily eye cream that contains SPF 30 or higher. Or you can apply a facial sunscreen that's formulated to be used around the eye area, says Robinson. In addition, wear sunglasses whenever you’re out in direct sunlight. A style with wide frames and large lenses will help shield the skin around your eyes.
All sunglasses sold at retail are required by law to indicate the level of UV protection provided by their lenses, according to the National Eye Institute. Look for a pair that offers 99 to 100% UVA and UVB protection or has a UV400 rating, which indicates nearly 100% broad-spectrum protection.
If you’re not sure how well your current sunglasses shield your eyes and skin, swing by an optical retailer. Many have a photometer, an instrument that can check the UV protection level of your shades.
And for a stealth fix, dab a bit of makeup primer on crow’s feet and undereye lines to tempoary "fill" them so they’re less noticeable. Just skip any powder makeup in this area. It can settle into crinkles and create the opposite effect, drawing more focus to the exact thing you’re trying to minimize.
With a strategic approach grounded in science—proven active ingredients, solid sun protection, and cutting out the vices that damage skin—the road to smoother, firmer skin around the eyes is well within sight.
Worried about crow’s feet or undereye wrinkles? Take this short quiz to discover if VX.5 can help.