What is Eye Contour and What is it for? [What to know]

The eye contour is one of the most delicate and visible areas of our face, which is why it is vitally important to take care of it properly.

We can also refer to the eye contour as the cosmetic that is used in this area to take care of it and make it always look radiant and in good condition.

Knowing the different products to care for the eye contour is going to be essential, especially for those professional makeup artists who dedicate their working lives to this recognized profession.

In this article, we are going to see what eye contour is, what products are used for it, what types of eye contour exist, and what each of them is for.

All this with the aim of being able to take care of this delicate and important area of ​​the new face.

What is eye contour?

The eye contour is the delicate area of ​​very thin skin that is around our eyes.

In a more specific way, if we draw a circle around our eyes centered on them, the area of ​​skin that remains within these circles would be the eye contour.

The skin in the area that forms part of the eye contour is very fine and delicate, so we must treat it as a much more sensitive area than the rest of the skin on our face.

This is because the eye contour contains hardly any sebaceous glands or adipose tissue, and this makes it more vulnerable and exposed to external environmental factors.

The skin around the eyes is so thin that it does not measure more than 0.3 mm in that area.

It also has far fewer collagen and elastic fibers than other areas. We have less fat in this area and blood and lymph circulation is also much less.

It is for all these reasons that cosmetics for the eye contour area are going to be different and specific due to their specific needs.

Eye contour problems

The eye contour has a greater tendency and ease for lines of expression and wrinkles to appear in the area, and even the dreaded dark circles, affecting the color of the skin.

Let’s remember that dark circles are caused by environmental dryness, excess sunlight, lack of sleep or the fact of following unhealthy diets that will favor the appearance of signs of aging.

If we continue talking about the problems that the eye contour supports, we should know that it has a high daily activity because we blink up to 10,000 times a day, in addition to the gestures we make with our face.

For all this, if we want to maintain the youth of our gaze and its impact on others, it is important to take care of and keep expression lines away from the eye contour area with specific cosmetics, which we will see later.

We cannot forget that beautiful eyes are going to attract attention and flatter the face, and the skin around them must be consistent with them so that not one iota of sliminess is lost in our eyes.

Eye contour products

We now focus on the cosmetic products that are used for the eye contour, and we leave aside their physical description.

We can say that an eye contour is that cosmetic in a fluid form, such as a cream or a serum, which has a specific composition for the skin found in this area.

Thanks to this, it will hydrate the eye contour effectively, without excess or defect, making it look much firmer and healthier.

How to use the eye contour

There are still many doubts about how to use the eye contour. The truth is that we must apply it very carefully, delicately and trying not to apply the product near the eye, but all around it.

A good reference to apply the eye contour is to help us with the natural volumes that form the bones of our face.

We must not forget the fact of applying it also on the upper, lateral area and between the eyebrows

With this we will achieve several things:

• Control the wrinkles between the eyebrows that appear due to angry expressions.
• Keep at bay the dreaded crow’s feet that appear around our eyes.

These two elements greatly affect the appearance of our face, making it age and lose delicacy.

And how are we going to apply the eye contour? Here it will depend on the type of contour that we are going to apply.

• In eye contours that need to activate circulation, it will be convenient to apply it with small touches on the skin with the ring finger, although any will do as long as we are careful with the pressure we exert.
• On the other hand, in people who retain liquid around the eyes, it is better to make a dragging movement, from the center of the eye to the temple, favoring lymphatic drainage and the evacuation of liquids, and with this we will eliminate good part of the bags under the eyes.

When to use the eye contour

When to use the eye contour throughout the day is a topic that has always given rise to a great debate.

The first thing we should know is that it all depends on the person themselves, and the frequency they want to apply in their treatment based on their needs and the contour product that is going to be used.

For example:

An eye contour that contains vitamin C can be very valid to be used in the morning, since thanks to its composition it will increase the luminosity of the contour.

On the other hand, an eye contour that has a small amount of retinol in its composition will be more valid to be applied at night, since retinol is photosensitive and its functions will be carried out more effectively repairing the skin in its night renewal cycle.

How many times a day do we apply it? The ones we want, but with logic. In general, experts recommend applying it in the morning and at night, so it will be good to have two specific eye contours for each moment.

About whether we put the eye contour before or after makeup, we can see the following.

The first thing is to know how to differentiate between a cosmetic treatment for the eye contour, and a concealer.

• The first cosmetic is the one we are talking about in this article, so obviously we must apply it before makeup.
• The second is the cosmetic with which we try to hide bags, dark circles and wrinkles. That is, a makeup product, such as a base or translucent powder.

Is the eye contour necessary?

We may come to think that the eye contour is not a necessary product, unless we have problems in this area of ​​our face. However, this idea is not going to be true.

The eye contour is an area that, having such different specifications from the rest of the facial skin areas, will inevitably need to be treated with specific creams and products for that area, and different from the moisturizing creams we usually use.

Let’s not forget that one of the main functions of an eye contour is to hydrate the area, and thereby keep the skin free of roughness. This will prevent wrinkles from appearing as a result of this dehydration.

Age to use the eye contour

When it comes to using the eye contour, there will not be an age from which it can be said that it is absolutely necessary to use it.

In any case, and as always, it will be better to be safe than sorry, and try to keep our eye contour healthy while it is still healthy.

If we want to mark a specific point, we can say that the aging of the skin begins to be stronger, and especially in the eye contour area, from 28 to 30 years of age.

It will be from this age when our main objective is to prevent.

We will opt for moisturizing products, with hyaluronic acid or niacinamide, which will keep the area perfect.

In cases where we are approaching the threshold, or passing it, of 40, 50 or 60 years, we should look for eye creams that include very effective anti-aging ingredients.

Ideas and concepts about the eye contour

Now we are going to see some ideas related to the eye contour, some of which will be true, while others will be wrong, contrary to what many people believe.

• The eye contour is used only on mature skin: it is a misconception. Furthermore, since the skin is much thinner than that of the rest of the face, another type of product and more intense specific care are needed.
• The eye contour is used to remove dark circles: in this case it will be true and false at the same time. We must be clear that it is not a product designed for a specific function, and that it fits into many categories and types, and more depending on its specific composition.
• The eye contour should be rubbed for dark circles: this statement is false. As we have already said, light touches should be made with the ring finger, looking for the bone that surrounds the eye and the temples. We will only rub when it is a specific product for bags and dark circles. If not, the fact of rubbing will favor the appearance of wrinkles.
• Cold and metallic applicators are good for the eye area: this is a good idea. The cold reduces swelling and decongests the eye area.
• To remove bags around the eyes, we must apply it from the outside to the inside: another true phrase. This, as we have also said, will facilitate drainage in the area towards the closest nodes.

Which eye contour is better by age

We end up looking at the types of eye contour we have, and which one will be more appropriate based on our age and goals.

From 28 to 30 years of age: the goal is to maintain skin hydration in the eye contour area, thereby maintaining luminosity for longer and delaying the appearance of dreaded wrinkles. We should look for eye contours with hyaluronic acid.

From the age of 35: we are interested in erasing the signs of age and fatigue that will inevitably appear on us. Elements such as dark circles, bags and crow’s feet will begin to make an appearance, and we must stop them. We can turn to vitamin C to illuminate the area and erase sleepiness, and start incorporating anti-aging ingredients.

From the age of 50-60: now is the time to opt for contours with retinol. The main objective will be to blur wrinkles and expression lines. Retinol favors the activation and production of collagen and elastin that it causes, avoiding droopy eyelids and lack of density in the skin, managing to strengthen it.