How and Why do Deep Wrinkles and Under Eye Bags Form?
As we age, our skin gets thinner, more lax, and often drier. This thinning, combined with the repeated creasing of skin around the eyes, mouth and forehead as a result of changing facial expressions, can cause deep wrinkles to appear[1].
Under eye bags are another common concern in aging. It’s important to realize that there are two sorts of under eye bags, one transient, the other more permanent and age-related. The transient or temporary type is typically a mild swelling or puffiness associated with allergies or lack of sleep. Permanent under eye bags are, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology[2], caused by a weaking and sagging of the skin under the eyes and a shift of under skin fat to the lower eyelid area.
Treatments for Under Eye Bags and Deep Wrinkles
To quote Benjamin Franklin, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, and the best thing you can do is to try and prevent these fine lines, deep wrinkles and eye bags from appearing in the first place. Obviously, some of the causes are simple biology, the aging process cannot be halted, but keeping out of the sun and following American Academy of Dermatology guidelines[3] by using a good quality sunscreen are always positive choices to make for your skin. Once deep wrinkles and bags have formed, there are still some treatment options.
Professional / office treatments
With deep wrinkles and permanent under eye bags there are several treatment options. For wrinkles, a Dermatologist, or in some cases a registered Cosmetologist or Aesthetician, can inject botulinum toxin (Botox), relaxing the underlying muscle and smoothing out the skin. Dermal fillers, often collagen or hyaluronic acid injected under the skin, can also be used to “fill in” deep wrinkles, creases and folds, including the fold formed between an under eye bag and the cheek. These procedures are semi-permanent in the sense that they cannot be reversed once done, are somewhat invasive and, of course, require expert help.
Instant topical solutions
In today’s environment of online zoom calls and ad hoc video conferences, many consumers want convenient topical solutions, for example instant firming gels which target a particular area, they can apply quickly without leaving the house, knowing that the effect won’t be permanent. To meet this need, cosmetic scientists have developed easy to use topical products that provide instant firming and tightening of the skin within a few minutes of application and lasting for several hours.
How do these instant firming products work?
All instant firming products work by using ingredients that, when applied onto the skin, shrink as the water in them evaporates. This shrinking is what consumers feel as the tightening of the skin, smoothing out the deep wrinkles or bags. In actual fact this smoothing is achieved by transforming the few deep wrinkles into invisible “micro-wrinkles” using the laxity of the skin at the microscopical level.
Scientifically, there are several different types of ingredients which can be used to achieve this smoothing benefit. Some products contain “mineral” ingredients such as silicates like sodium magnesium fluorosilicate or magnesium aluminum silicate, other products, such as instant firming gels, use “natural polymers”, usually extracted from seaweed or other natural sources such as, polysaccharides or seaweed algae extract (often also called rhodophycea and carrageenan). Both of these approaches can be combined with what’s called “optical diffusers” which mattify the skin to further mask unwanted surface features.
It’s important to realize that some of these products can dehydrate the skin if used too frequently or if a moisturizer isn’t applied after removal. Some products cannot always be layered together with other lotions, creams or serums, again making them less useful on a daily basis. When looking for a product, look to see if it has moisturizing elements which will keep the underlying skin healthy and can be layered with your usual skincare routine.
Are there Long-Term Benefits to these Instant Firming Products?
The short answer is yes, there can be. Along with the instant firming these products offer, there is also the opportunity to deliver ingredients which provide longer-term benefits too, if used on a daily basis instead of the occasional-only use. The catch is that they must be used daily and not just occasionally. Of course, if the product is comfortable, can be layered, and includes its own long-term clinically proven benefits, then this isn’t necessarily a problem.
Article by Simon Craw, PhD
Dr. Simon Craw holds a PhD in Chemistry from University of Manchester and held academic posts at the University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and University of Sydney (Australia). He has over 25 years’ industry experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and skin care research and development. He began his career at Merck Research Laboratories before moving to a series of start-ups and early-stage biotechnology and skincare companies. At Lifeline Skincare, Dr Craw helped develop and commercialize one of the first and most innovative stem cell extracts used in topical cosmetics. At Rodan + Fields Dr Craw has brought a number of skincare innovations to market including Retinal MD, one of the most powerful non-prescription retinoids and Total RF Serum a breakthrough anti-aging serum powered by a patent-pending new technology targeting cellular energy, RF TriEnergy Complex.
