Five Natural Ways to Avoid Crow’s Feet

After a couple of decades of laughing, smiling and generally enjoying life without a second thought about wrinkles, you may notice that suddenly those smile lines around your eyes don’t disappear as quickly as they used to. In fact, crow’s feet might be starting to set up camp on the outer corners of your eyes. While crow’s feet can be reversed with Botox, there are a few natural fixes you should try before messing with your face a la injectables. Here are five ways you can prevent crow’s feet and firm skin around your eyes for younger looking skin.

Wear sunglasses any time you leave the house.

Any time you head outside sans shades, chances are good that you’ll be squinting against the sun. Squinting is the number-one cause of crow’s feet, and it’s something that can be so easily avoided! If you don’t already have a good pair of sunglasses, pick up a pair that has UV lenses and large frames — this not only protects your eyes from the sun, it also protects the skin around your eyes and prevents the need to squint all the time. If you’re going to be out in the sun for extended periods of time, a hat with a wide brim will also provide the same benefits.

Apply the SPF.

You may be sensing a theme; sun exposure can be one of the biggest causes for not only crow’s feet, but all facial wrinkles. Eliminate wrinkles before they begin by applying SPF (minimum 15, but 30 is better) every time you set foot outdoors.

Stop with the cigs.

You know smoking is bad for your bod, but it’s just as bad for your skin. Not only is it drying to the skin (which allows lines to furrow deeper), having smoke near your eyes causes unintentional squinting. Kick that habit for good.

Stop staring at the screen.

HR often warns about office hazards — like tired eyes from staring at a computer screen for hours on end — but they never warn you that tired eyes can lead to lines around your eyes. Again, squinting is the problem. Tilt your computer screen to a comfortable angle, and reduce glare by making sure that no lights or windows reflect off the monitor. Step away from the computer for five minutes or so every once in a while to give your eyes a break.

Slick on the best eye cream for anti aging you can get.

Remove your eye makeup before heading off to bed for the night, being careful not to pull on the skin around your eyes. Then, gently apply an anti wrinkle eye cream to protect your skin against future crow’s feet (look for oil-free formulas). This will keep the skin around your eyes hydrated and plump so fine lines are harder to see. You should also apply any anti aging moisturizer or anti-wrinkle cream before you get your eight hours.