You know that moment in the morning when you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror? Yeah, I've been there too, noticing those little under-eye wrinkles greeting me.

After all, the eyes are the window to the soul. So, it's no wonder we pay so much attention to them, both for how beautiful they are - but for also how they often betray us (tired, stressed, over-worked, etc.).

Why do those wrinkles pop up in the first place?

Wrinkles are a natural part of the aging process, but that doesn’t mean that they have to be inevitable. Understanding a little more about what causes them can help you more effectively reduce their appearance.

There is definitely a genetic component behind both how soon and where wrinkles develop. The good news is that this plays an incredibly small role in your overall ability to combat them.

While there is no single gene that impacts the skin, the combination of genes that do affect the skin can do so in a major way. They control things like collagen, melanin production, and expression, so they definitely impact what is visible on the skin on the face.

Your genes, however, are much more likely to impact bigger skin-related issues like the overall color of the skin and skin type, as well as genetic skin disorders like rosacea and psoriasis.

So, what factors can we control?

Number one is sun exposure. Yep, those UVA rays are the real culprits here. They cause free radicals, which are the atoms that create oxidative stress in our bodies. This stress speeds up aging, causing wrinkles and things like grey hair and memory issues. That's why antioxidants, which you find in many skincare products, are so important – they fight off that stress.

UVA rays are especially powerful because they can penetrate deep into the skin, causing collagen and elastin to break down. That's why wearing sunscreen and sunglasses is critical, even if you are not concerned with aging skin. They really can make a huge difference.

Other factors?

Our facial expressions. Every smile, frown, or squint affects our skin. Over time, these repetitive movements create grooves below the surface that lead to wrinkles. This repetitive movement combined with the lose of collagen and elastin is what ultimate results in crow's feet, laugh lines and forehead creases.

But for crying out loud – please don’t stop smiling!

Other things contributing to under-eye wrinkles include smoking, not drinking enough water, being rough with your skin, sleeping in the wrong position (you should be on your back), and not getting enough vitamins and minerals.

So, making some lifestyle tweaks can help in the long run, alongside using the right skincare products.

Product choices...

Essentially Haitos has two products specifically targeting the delicate skin around your eyes: Coffee Lover’s Eye Serum and Revive Eye Contour Gel-Cream.

Coffee Lover’s Eye Serum contains so many natural goodies (coffee infused, argan, and moringa oils), but the star ingredient is Bakuchiol, a natural, plant-based alternative to retinol (without any of the retinol downsides). Bakuchiol has a range of anti-aging benefits for your skin including:

• reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles,
• helps restore firmness,
• refines skin texture, and
• evens out skin tone.

You can find Coffee Lover’s Eye Serum here – and see what our customers have to say about their results.

And there's one more! And this one is a secret (i.e. not on a public page on the site) – It was originally designed and made for our SKN.VST.MNT subscription box subscribers and they loved it so much that we made a few available to our existing customers. It’s designed to reduce dark circles and puffiness with Ajurana extract and to reduce fine lines and wrinkles with a blend of rice and soy peptides. You can find Revive Eye Contour Gel-Cream here (for as long as it is available).

In summary, you don’t have to feel like what happens to your face is beyond your control, and understanding why wrinkles happen can help you to take your power back!

So, here's to embracing every part of our beauty journey, wrinkles and all. Remember, with the right care, both inside and out, we can all shine at any age. Keep glowing!