What makes us look older? We know all the obvious ones, from lines and wrinkles to sagging and age spots – but there’s another, more surprising, tell-tale sign, and it’s all in the eyes. You may not realise it, but red, gritty eyes don’t just feel uncomfortable – they can also add years to your appearance.
The good news? You really can do something about eye redness, both from an aesthetic and comfort point of view.
Redness and loss of natural ‘brightness’ are small yet significant ‘tells’ when it comes to ageing, explains Nicola Alexander-Cross, optometrist and co-founder of Peep Club. ‘As we age, our eyes naturally become a little more red, a little less white, sometimes transforming to be slightly grey or yellow toned,’ she says. ‘These are subtle cues that give away our age when speaking with someone.’
Even the world’s most beautiful women, such as Nicole Kidman and Michelle Pfeiffer, look tired and older when their eyes are slightly bloodshot, despite their skin looking younger than their years.
The ageing impact of redness is compounded by a loss of sparkle, both of which are due to the natural degradation of our tear film with age. The tear film is the eye’s equivalent of the skin barrier and, in a similar way, it tends to weaken, dry out and become more irritated with age.
‘Youthful eyes have a perfect tear film, where you can see reflections glimmer really nicely and symmetrically,’ says Nicola. ‘When your tear film is very dry, these reflections start to get a bit distorted, which makes eyes look tired and old. Dryness is also a cause of redness. While this doesn’t look great, it also means that your eyes won’t be feeling great.’
What should I do about redness?
Nicola emphasises that eye redness should always be checked out first with a visit to the opticians. ‘Red eyes can mean a lot of different things, from just a sign of being tired to an early sign of sight-threatening eye diseases such as glaucoma,’ she says. ‘If your red eyes are accompanied by any other eye symptoms – for example pain, blurred vision, sensitivity to light or if it seems to be affecting one eye more than the other – go get your eyes checked out.’
If it’s just minor low-level redness, ‘the usual culprits are tired eyes, dry eyes, allergies or sensitivities,’ she says. ‘The reason our eyes get this low-level redness (or ‘minor hyperaemia’) in all of these cases is because the blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the front of the eye are having to work overtime, because the body thinks the front of the eye needs support.’
It’s like ‘a cry for help’, she says. ‘But the amazing thing is how transforming your eyes back to their whitest and brightest self can make a huge difference in looking and, I think even more importantly, feeling more youthful.’ Here’s how.
Seven steps to whiter, brighter eyes
Deal with any triggers
In some cases, redness is a short-lived issue seen after a bad night’s sleep or being in a smoke-filled room, says Nicola. Or it could be a sensitivity or allergy. ‘If so, you need to identify and remove that allergen – the most common eye allergens are preservatives, alcohol and fragrances,’ says Nicola. ‘Even if you don’t have an actual allergy to these common eye irritants, avoid them when you can for brighter and whiter eyes.’
Blink more
‘For most of us now, it’s environmental factors that are causing dry eyes, not just the innate factors such as hormonal changes, although those are still a big part of it,’ says Nicola. ‘We’re all in air-conditioning or central heating, sat in front of screens all day long, not blinking as much as we should.’ So help your tear film out by taking regular screen breaks and making a conscious effort to blink regularly.
Cleanse lash debris
Our lashes accumulate all sorts of debris during the day, so cleansing lids and lashes scrupulously every night is vital, says Nicola. ‘Lash debris then gets on to our eye surface, and just having the lashes and lids really clean overnight can make a huge difference to the whiteness of the eyes.’ She advises choosing a gentle eye makeup remover, and making sure you use a cotton pad or cloth rather than just your fingers to ensure your lid margins are squeaky clean.
Rethink your makeup
It’s helpful to choose cream-based eye makeup, such as eyeshadow sticks, rather than powder eyeshadows, which is less likely to drop, get blinked on to your eye surface, and cause irritation, says Nicola.
Rebuild the tear barrier
Quality, preservative-free hydrating eye drops are like anti-ageing serum for your eyes. ‘The tear film is your eye’s first line of defence against the outside world – allergens, bacteria, pollutants – so just fortifying the tear film is enough to help most people get brighter, whiter eyes,’ says Nicola. ‘An easy way to do this is to incorporate a gentle preservative-free eye drop or spray into daily routine, like our Peep Club Instant Relief Eye Spray.’
‘Hydrating and restoring the eye barrier is one of the best aesthetic things you can do to help rejuvenate your overall appearance,’ adds Nicola. ‘We have literally hundreds of customers who tell us that after using our spray for a few months, their eyes are whiter and the colour is more vivid.’
Peep Club Instant Relief Eye Spray
Be consistent
Like any skincare regime, you can’t expect to use eye drops or sprays once and see instant results. ‘Two to three months of consistent use (alongside the lifestyle recommendations), and you really should see noticeable improvements and, of course, feel them, too,’ says Nicola. ‘Normally after two weeks of a consistent routine, you’ll begin to notice that your eyes are feeling much more comfortable and start seeing initial aesthetic results.’
Beware whitening eyedrops
While these might sound like the obvious shortcut, they are ‘the exact wrong thing to use’, says Nicola. ‘While these are okay occasionally – read about once a month, before a big event – if used regularly, they can cause ‘back-lash’ hyperaemia, which is a kind of resistant redness that is extremely difficult to get rid of.’
These types of drops typically work by constricting the blood flow to veins, ‘but since this blood supply is a cry for help, it will persist to find a way to get the nutrients to the eye,’ she warns. ‘Eventually, you’ll just have permanently bloodshot eyes as the blood supply tries to power through. They’re also typically packed full of preservatives that have been shown to wear down the cornea, the front surface of the eye.’
Save them for emergencies, and approach brighter eyes as you would a good anti-ageing skincare regime – slow, steady and consistent equals long-term results.
