Because we cannot see inside the body, the skin often provides the first obvious marks of aging. It is a known fact that as we age, our skin becomes less resilient, resulting in dry skin and wrinkles and slower healing. Often, the first place this is visible is around the eyes. Yes, I’m talking about the dreaded crow’s feet.
Diet plays a huge role in how our skin looks and feels; however, there are ways to create a beautiful glow and fewer wrinkles (including less visible crow’s feet) using natural remedies like this homemade eye cream with frankincense essential oil and shea butter.
Aging Skin is Complicated
While it would seem that the best solution is to replace the oils that we lose due to aging and free radicals from environmental toxins, it simply isn’t that easy. As reported by the journal Dermato Endocrinology, skin aging is a complex biological process influenced by a combination of factors, such as genetics, cellular metabolism, hormone and metabolic processes as well as chronic light exposure, pollution, ionizing radiation, chemicals and toxins. These factors together lead to the progressive changes in each skin layer as well as changes in the appearance of the skin, especially sun-exposed skin areas. (1)Reduced collagen type VII, often caused by sun-exposed aged skin, may contribute to wrinkles by weakening the bond between the dermis and epidermis as we get older. And because of a loss of collagen, older skin begins to look irregular and disorganized as wrinkles increase and skin becomes less firm, especially on the face and around the eyes.
The overall collagen content per unit area of the skin surface is known to decline approximately 1 percent per year. Three primary structural components of the dermis — collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) —have been the focus of most anti-aging research pertaining to the skin to include anti-wrinkle creams and various filling agents that you may find at the dermatologist.
Why Natural Remedies?
So, what does help reduce wrinkles around the eyes? Ultimately, the basis of any natural skin care routine is to achieve healthy, smooth, blemish-free, translucent and resilient skin. To help achieve the best results and to avoid toxic chemicals found in most commercial products, consider making a homemade eye cream.
Because natural oils are pure and do not contain toxic ingredients, they can be absorbed safely and effectively —helping your skin and the areas around your eyes retain moisture and, therefore, reducing the appearance of wrinkles. It works by allowing the nutrients and proteins in essential oils like frankincense oil to encourage cell-regeneration. Try this homemade eye cream today!
Homemade Eye Cream with Frankincense & Shea Butter
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 30 uses
Ingredients:
- 10 drops frankincense essential oil
- 1 ounce pure aloe vera gel
- 1 ounce unrefined shea butter
- 1 ounce unrefined coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon vitamin E
Directions:
- Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- If needed (for colder months when the coconut oil is solid), you can gently heat the shea butter and coconut oil in a small pan, then add the rest of the ingredients so that it blends easier.
- Once well blended, transfer into a glass jar.
- Use every morning and night around the eyes.
SOURCES
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3583892/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/228464-what-are-the-benefits-of-rose-hip-oil-on-the-face/
http://draxe.com/homemade-eye-cream/