anti aging The Ultimate Guide to Dealing With Crow’s Feet

The presence of fine lines and wrinkles in the under-eye area — widely referred to as crow’s feet — is a good indication of one’s age. That’s because the delicate skin around the eye area is often one of the first places to show signs of aging. For many people, crow’s feet wrinkles are an inevitable part of getting older but it doesn’t have to be your fate if you use the right skin care ingredients and take the proper precautions. 

Whether you’ve noticed fine lines forming or you’ve been dealing with them for a while, you may be wondering how to get rid of them, or at least how to reduce their appearance. While you can’t snap your fingers and make crow’s feet disappear instantly, if you’re looking to diminish their appearance, there are a few helpful steps you can take as part of your skin care routine, like using the right eye cream. So, we’re sharing everything you need to know about crow’s feet, including a breakdown of what causes crow’s feet, how to prevent crow’s feet and the best makeup and skin care products to reduce their appearance. 

What Are Crow’s Feet?

Crow’s feet are tiny wrinkles that appear at the outer corners of your eyes. Their name comes from their similar resemblance to the shape of a crow’s footprint. Crow’s feet are a common sign of skin aging that can begin to appear as early as your mid or late 20s. As you get older, you may notice crow’s feet becoming more visible and that’s because your skin begins to lose its natural oils, which makes the wrinkles around your eyes appear more noticeable.

Additionally, the skin around the eyes is structurally very thin, so it’s more prone to becoming dry, which leads to, as you guessed it, wrinkles. What’s more, normal facial expressions such as squinting contribute to the development of crow’s feet wrinkles, too. 

What Causes Crow's Feet?

Crow’s feet are a very common skin concern that many deal with. Here are two main causes that lead to their appearance.

Age

We’ve drilled into the fact that aging can lead to crow’s feet, so let us get into the science behind why. According to the Cleveland Clinic, two proteins that help skin retain its plump, youthful appearance — collagen and elastin — naturally decrease as you age. The reason is because the body’s natural collagen and elastin production slows rapidly with age, which weakens and thins the skin. 

This leads to the formation of wrinkles and fine lines, because the skin surrounding your eyes is the thinnest on your face. The skin’s natural oils also deplete with age, which can also make fine lines and wrinkles more prominent. 

Sun Damage

Sun damage can lead to visible signs of aging, such as dark spots, uneven skin tone and crow’s feet. If you’re not diligent with SPF, you can experience these signs of aging much earlier and this means they’re only going to get more noticeable as you get older.

3 Ways to Prevent Crows Feet

While crow's feet are an inevitable part of aging for many, there are a few things you can do to slow down their formation. Here are three easy practices to adopt in your daily life to prevent their formation.

Wear SPF

As we mentioned, sun damage can increase the visibility of crow’s feet so it only makes sense that in order to prevent crow’s feet from forming in this way you must be diligent with sunscreen use. That means applying it in the morning at least 15 minutes before you go outside and reapplying every two hours. 

For this, we suggest adding the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Invisible UV Fluid to your daily routine. It’s a lightweight sunblock with UVA and UVB filters to protect against the sun’s rays that contribute to aging and burning. 

Protect Your Eyes with Glasses and a Wide Brim Hat

Besides the obvious sunscreen, UV-blocking sunglasses and a wide brim hat can help to keep your eyes (and the skin around them) shielded from the sun, which can help to prevent crow’s feet. 

Manage Stress

Stress and emotions like anger and anxiety can lead to facial expressions that contribute to crow’s feet, such as scowling and squinting, per the Cleveland Clinic. Learning how to reduce these facial expressions (perhaps through reducing stress) can help to inhibit the formation of crow’s feet and other wrinkles on your face.

How to Get Rid of Crow's Feet

If you’re already dealing with wrinkles in your eye area, it’s possible to get rid of crow’s feet with the help of active ingredients and effective procedures. Here are three options to consider.

Retinol Skin Care Products

Per the Cleveland Clinic, topical retinol stimulates the collagen and elastin that decrease with age, which can help to slow down the skin aging process while giving your skin a youthful appearance. Consider adding a retinol serum, like the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives Night Serum, 0.3% Pure Retinol, to your nightly skin care routine to boost collagen production and reduce signs of aging.

Chemical Peels

Chemical peels can exfoliate dead skin cells that exacerbate the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. When your skin is exfoliated, this can help to reduce the appearance of deep set lines and the texture of crow’s feet. Talk to your dermatologist to see if you’re a good candidate for a chemical peel. 

Botulinum Toxin Injections

Botulinum toxin injections paralyze the muscles that wrinkle when you squint your eyes, which can prevent the formation of crow’s feet, per the Cleveland Clinic. If you want to explore this option, talk to your doctor, as you should not attempt to do these injections yourself or allow anyone other than a professional to perform this type of procedure on your face. 

The Best Eye Creams for Wrinkles and Crow’s Feet

To tackle crow’s feet with your skin care routine, look for an eye cream that includes active ingredients that work to reduce fine lines and minimize visible signs of aging. Take your pick from the following eye creams for under-eye wrinkles and crow’s feet, below.

L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid + 1% Caffeine Eye Serum

This eye serum has a formula fueled by plumping hyaluronic acid and depuffing caffeine. It  boosts hydration while it visibly replumps the under-eyes and reduces crow’s feet and fine lines. It also enhances brightness by reducing dark circles that become more noticeable with age and the lack of a good night’s sleep. The added bonus is the triple ball applicator, which allows it to apply like a massaging treat for your under-eyes. 

L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Eye Treatment

With age, skin can start to look and feel less firm and fine lines and wrinkles can appear more visible. As we mentioned, the delicate eye area is particularly susceptible to the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles because the skin is thin. In response to that, this eye cream includes Pro-Retinol, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C to hydrate the under-eye area while reducing the appearance of crow’s feet, dark circles, and puffiness with continued use over time.

L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Anti-Aging Eye Cream Treatment

As you age, you may notice a decrease in the overall plumpness of your skin, especially around the eye area. That’s where this eye cream comes into play because it has a powerful, skin-renewing formula, that tackles dark circles, bags, puffiness, lines and crepey lids. Immediately after application, the eye area is hydrated, while with continued use, crow’s feet are smoothed, dark circles are visibly minimized, eyelid crepiness is reduced and the skin has an overall more youthful appearance.

L’Oréal Paris Wrinkle Expert 55+ Anti-Wrinkle Eye Treatment 

The skin has evolving anti-wrinkle needs as it ages. Starting in your 50s, skin loses vital nourishment, which can lead to an increase in the appearance of wrinkles like crow’s feet. This eye cream formula with calcium helps to improve skin smoothness and visibly reduce the look of crow’s feet, dryness and skin texture, with continued use over time.

3 Tips for Your Skin Care Routine to Prevent Crow’s Feet

The proper skin care routine can play a big role in reducing the appearance of crow’s feet. Here are three tips to consider.

1. Always Wear SPF

We’re mentioning this again because it’s so important — apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or greater, like the aforementioned Revitalift Derm Intensives Broad Spectrum SPF 50 Invisible UV Fluid, daily. Along with diligently wearing and reapplying SPF, you should also limit your amount of time in the sun (especially during peak hours between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.), seek shade when you’re outside and cover up exposed areas. To protect your eye area in particular, make sure to wear UV-blocking sunglasses and a wide brim hat.

If you forget to apply sunscreen every morning, try a moisturizer with SPF, like the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Day Lotion SPF 30. Formulated with SPF 30, Pro-retinol, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, this day cream serves to reduce wrinkles, hydrate firm and brighten the skin on your face while it protects against the sun’s rays.  

2. Use a Plumping Eye Treatment Daily

A plumping eye treatment, like the aforementioned L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid + 1% Caffeine Eye Serum can help to diminish the appearance of crow’s feet, thanks to ingredients like hyaluronic acid (which plumps dry skin and locks in moisture) and caffeine (which depuffs and brightens the under-eyes by increasing bloodflow). Apply it every morning and night, especially before doing your makeup to smooth and prime your under-eyes.

3. Apply Eye Cream Gently

In addition to taking proper sun protection measures, those with crow’s feet need to pay extra attention to the way they apply their eye cream. Lightly dab your eye cream using your ring finger since it’s the finger that naturally has the lightest touch. Avoid tugging and pulling on your fragile under-eye skin because this can also lead to crow’s feet.

How to Conceal Crow’s Feet With Makeup

Using an eye cream isn’t the only step you can take to address the appearance of crow’s feet. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, sun exposure with no UV protection is also a cause of early skin aging. So, make sure you take sun protection measures daily — whether or not you have crow’s feet.

Crow’s feet are harder to conceal than dark spots but the right routine can help to smooth and minimize their appearance. Here are three key steps to follow. 

Step 1. Apply a Face Primer to Your Eye Area

After your sunscreen and eye cream dries you can begin your makeup routine. Start by priming your skin and eye area with the L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Pore Minimizer because it has a blurring effect that smooths the skin. It also helps to extend your makeup wear for up to 24 hours.

Step 2. Layer On a Hydrating Concealer

Fine lines like crow’s feet are exacerbated by dryness. To avoid this, make sure that you’re using a hydrating under-eye concealer, like the L’Oréal Paris True Match Eye Cream in a Concealer, 0.5% Hyaluronic Acid. This concealer contains hyaluronic acid to mimic the benefits of your favorite eye cream and pigment to offer coverage — it’s the perfect way to mask dark circles without calling attention to crow’s feet.

Step 3. Lightly Dust On Face Powder

Face powder is used to mattify the skin, which means it adds dryness and can emphasize texture and fine lines when you apply too much. To avoid this, look for a lightweight formula that has a translucent finish. Use a fluffy brush to lightly dust it on your face. 

Next: The Skin Care Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid

Photographer: Chaunte Vaughn, Senior Art Direction: Melissa San Vicente-Landestoy, Senior Visual Designer: Hannah Packer, Associate Creative Producer: Becca Solovay, Makeup Artist: Jonet Williamson, Hair Stylist: Akihisa Yamaguchi, Wardrobe Assistant: Victoria Ochoa, Digital Tech: Kyle Thompson, Model: Roxanne Hancock