Furthermore, because the skin around your eyes is so fragile, you will not be able to hide the marks of negligence easily. Do not worry. Here’s a list of natural and simple home remedies for dealing with dry skin around the eyes.
What Causes Dry Skin Around The Eyes?
Multiple factors can be responsible for dry skin around your eyes, especially on your eyelids and the undereye area. The skin around your eyes can be dry, itchy, and flaky due to:
Weather conditions (low humidity and dry weather, especially during seasonal change) Excessive use of hot water Aging Not removing makeup properly Excessive rubbing Harsh chemicals (present in soaps, skincare, and cosmetic products)
However, other underlying health factors can also cause dryness around your eyes and make the skin itchy and flaky. These include:
Contact Dermatitis
This is caused when your skin comes in contact with an irritant in your skincare or eye care products. Sunscreen, moisturizer, face wash, mascara, and styling products – anything can irritate your skin. Avoiding the products that irritate your skin can help treat contact dermatitis.
Atopic Dermatitis
This condition is characterized by redness, itching, and scaling on your skin. It is a chronic condition and can be caused by your immune system, triggered by the environment, or may run in your family. You need to consult a doctor to manage its symptoms.
Facial Psoriasis
Psoriasis makes your eyelids turn scaly (the scales usually cover the eyelashes) and the undereye area to become dry and crusty. Visit a dermatologist if you have any of these conditions. They can assess your condition and suggest a proper remedy. However, if the dry skin around your eyes is due to general neglect or any other reason, you can show it some love with home remedies. These remedies will keep the skin around your eyes nourished and hydrated. Scroll down to check them out. Note: Please make sure that none of these ingredients go into your eyes. Also, test these remedies on the inner arm or wrist before applying under your eyes as there is a risk of an allergic reaction, and it can be dangerous around the eyes.
15 Home Remedies To Treat Dry Skin Around Your Eyes
1. Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe vera hydrates and moisturizes your skin. It also promotes collagen production by stimulating fibroblasts, thus preventing wrinkles (1). This is especially beneficial for treating dry skin around your eyes. 1 tablespoon fresh aloe vera gel
2. Almond Oil
Almond oil is an excellent emollient that can heal dry skin. It is also beneficial in managing eczema and psoriasis (2). A few drops of almond oil
3. Vitamin E Oil
Vitamin E is an excellent antioxidant. It boosts collagen production, has anti-aging effects, and reduces dark circles (3). It also keeps the skin around your eyes youthful and healthy. 2 vitamin E capsules
4. Glycerin
Glycerin keeps your skin hydrated and prevents dryness. A study found that glycerin containing cream was effective in treating atopic dry skin (4).
A few drops of glycerin 2 cotton pads
5. Vaseline Or Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly helps to prevent moisture loss from your skin (5). This property of petroleum jelly keeps your skin hydrated and prevents dryness. However, it is a bit greasy, which may be undesirable to some people. ½ teaspoon Vaseline or any petroleum jelly
6. Green Tea Bags
Green tea has skin renewal and rejuvenating benefits (6). Although there is no evidence to prove the effectiveness of green tea in reducing dryness around the eyes, applying green tea bags on your skin can help prevent puffiness and dryness in the eye area.
2 green tea bags Water
7. Avocado
Avocado oil is extremely nourishing for dry and damaged skin. Its topical application has shown to increase collagen synthesis in rat studies (7). This may help reduce the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes. Avocado pulp showed faster wound-healing properties in rat studies. A few drops of avocado oil or 1 tablespoon avocado pulp (mashed)
8. Honey
Honey has been used for healing and treating skin conditions since ancient times. Honey is extremely hydrating and an excellent emollient and humectant that keeps your skin healthy by preventing water loss and keeping it moisturized (9). 1 teaspoon organic or Manuka honey
9. Cucumber
Cucumber has a cooling effect on the skin. When applied to the eye area, it reduces dark circles, hydrates the skin, and reduces inflammation (10).
4-5 tablespoons cucumber juice (grate a cucumber and extract the juice) 2 cotton pads
10. Milk
Milk has a cooling effect on your skin. It keeps your skin nourished and hydrated. Milk contains lactic acid that can help improve skin texture and make it smooth (11).
Raw milk 2 cotton pads
11. Shea Butter
Shea butter is often used in commercial moisturizers and skincare products for its hydrating, anti-inflammatory, and moisturizing benefits (12). Hence, shea butter can be used to heal the skin around your eyes.
1 teaspoon raw shea butter 1 vitamin E capsule (optional)
12. Olive Oil
The topical application of olive oil has an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin. It reduces oxidative damage, heals your skin, and promotes dermal reconstruction (7). A few drops of cold-pressed olive oil
13. Yogurt
Yogurt is often used in facial masks or applied on its own for its moisturizing benefits. It brightens your skin, calms it down, and improves its moisture levels (13). 1 tablespoon plain yogurt or curd
14. Milk Cream
Milk cream is a popular home remedy used for its moisturizing effects. It helps to keep the skin moisturized and youthful and leaves it feeling soft and smooth. 1 teaspoon milk cream or malai
15. Rose Water
Rose water rejuvenates your skin. It has an anti-inflammatory effect on your skin and helps reduce redness, puffiness, and inflammation (14). It may not prevent dryness, but it can help to keep the skin calm and rejuvenated. You can easily prepare rose water at home. Rosewater prepared at home is more beneficial than commercially available ones.
2 tablespoons rose water 2 cotton pads
Preventing dryness around your eyes is not a difficult task. Follow these remedies to take care of the skin around your eyes. Also, being a little careful with how you treat your skin and eyes can keep them healthy for long. Take a look at the precautions you need to follow to prevent dryness on the skin around your eyes.
How To Prevent Dryness Around Your Eyes – Tips To Follow
1. Keep Yourself Hydrated
Drinking water helps maintain the moisture balance in your body and prevents dryness.
2. Avoid Harsh Face Washes
Always opt for soap-free, hypoallergenic, and mild face washes. Such face washes don’t strain your skin or dry it out.
3. Keep The Eye Area Moisturized
Use a good eye cream to moisturize your eye area. Your regular face cream will not work on the delicate eye area; it needs specific products to stay healthy.
4. Avoid Rubbing Your Eyes
Since the skin around your eyes is delicate, rubbing it too hard or excessively can damage the capillaries and make your eyes look swollen and bruised.
5. Limit Your Sun Exposure
The harmful UV rays of the sun can cause fine lines, dryness, and wrinkling of the skin around your eyes (15). Always apply sunscreen on the area to keep it protected and wear sunglasses when you step out.
6. Remove Makeup Every Day
If you apply makeup on or around your eyes, make it a point to remove them properly every night before going to bed. Also, while buying cosmetics, make sure you are not allergic to them.
7. Avoid Certain Ingredients In Your Products
Avoid putting any product on your skin with parabens, lanolin, formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing agents, and fragrances. These often cause skin irritation and may lead to dryness around your eyes.
8. Avoid Scratching The Area Around Your Eyes
If your skin feels itchy and dry, do not scratch it. This may worsen the condition. Apply anti-itching cream or a hot or cold compress to reduce irritation. Apart from these precautions, you also need to take care of your diet to improve your skin and overall health.
What To Eat And Avoid To Treat Dry Skin Around The Eyes
1. Consume Probiotics
These improve the overall health of your skin (16). Try including probiotics, such as fermented foods, yogurt, and sauerkraut, in your diet.
2. Follow A Balanced Diet
Following a balanced diet helps your body deal with a variety of health and skin conditions (17). Include fish, eggs, meat, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains in your diet. These foods are loaded with antioxidants that help in repairing damaged skin cells and improve your skin quality.
3. Include Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids protect the lipid layer of your skin and prevent it from drying out (18). That is why it is better to use unhydrogenated vegetable oils while cooking. Include canola oil and olive oil in your diet.
4. Consume Fiber-Rich Food
Fiber helps flush out the toxins from your body that have accumulated from environmental factors, such as dust and pollution. Eat foods such as whole-wheat bread, corn, kidney beans, apples, and Brussels sprouts to meet your daily fiber requirements. Additionally, try to avoid processed, fried, and spicy foods. If your body is healthy from within, it shows on your skin. Check out the infographic and pick one that you can apply at a moment’s notice. Can allergies cause dry skin around the eyes? Yes, they can. Consult a doctor and get yourself tested for allergies. You may get allergies from any topical ingredient or food. How to soothe irritated skin around eyes? Follow the home remedies, use topical ointments, and develop a good skincare routine, especially for the skin around your eyes. What deficiency causes dry skin around eyes? Vitamin D deficiency and deficiency of minerals like zinc and iron can cause dry skin around the eyes. Is Vaseline good for dry skin under the eyes? Yes, it is a tried and tested method to keep the skin around the eyes soft and to lock in moisture to rejuvenate dry skin.
