Protecting your eyes from the modern world should be an important part of your daily skincare regime, according to one celebrity facialist.
Su-Man Hsu, owner and founder of Su-Man Skincare, has put together her top tips on how to soothe and look after the skin around your eyes with simple massage techniques and products. The brand mixes modern influences with traditional techniques derived from the Far East, where brightening and soothing the eyes is an important part of looking and feeling good.
The skincare guru has worked with the likes of Freida Pinto, Juliette Binoche and Olga Kurylenko, and launched her own range of luxury skincare products in 2011. The collection aims to bring life and energy back to the face whilst considerably improving the skin’s health and is sold in stores including Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Fenwicks and Urban Retreat.
Su-Man first peaked an interest into the world of wellbeing while growing up in a mud hut in Taiwan, where her farming family would use natural ingredients such as fruit, vegetables, green tea and water for their hair and beauty needs. This has now translated into a brand that sells products featuring natural and rare ingredients including Dragon’s Blood, Rosehip Seed Oil and Ricesilk.
Su-Man said: “Brightening the eyes is considered an important part of keeping healthy and beautiful in Chinese medicine. In the modern world, we are constantly living and working in an artificial environment. Central heating, air conditioning and staring at computers, mobile phones or other devices can damage our eyes without us even noticing.
“It is important to look after our eyes as much as we look after our skin. This can be achieved by using the right products with effective application techniques. We want to help soothe, refresh and prevent eye problems as well as maintain the wellbeing of your eyes.”
Su-Man’s top eye care tips:
1. Using both middle fingers, follow the bridge of the nose and firmly massage upwards towards the forehead until reaching the edge of the hairline.
2. Using the thumbs or knuckles, massage along the eye socket and eyebrow until the pain diminishes and the muscles are relaxed. Be firm but careful not to touch the eyes themselves. I suggest you keep your elbows on a table so you can control the strokes.
3. Have a glass of water on your desk at work – this can maintain the moisture in the room, which will benefit your eyes as well as your skin.
4. Every hour try to give your eyes a rest if you have been staring at your computer screen, reading or writing. You can do this by either closing your eyes for a minute or looking into the distance. This will soothe the eye muscles and allow them to relax.
5. Rub your palms together vigorously until they are warm then place the palms on top of your closed eyes for a minute. At the same time, move your eyes in a circular motion (with palms still over the eyes). This can help rejuvenate tired looking eyes.
6. Stand up and do some simple exercises every hour to improve your circulation and de-stress the neck, shoulder and back area. This is a great way to recharge your energy throughout the day, which also helps to calm your eyes. Simple exercises can include extending and flexing various muscles and rotating/twisting various areas such as your wrists and shoulders. You can even rotate your ankles while sitting down at your desk.
7. Try to consciously make yourself blink every now and then to increase the moisture in your eyes. This helps to avoid dryness and redness.
8. Mix a tablespoon of green tea leaves with a pinch of sea salt in lukewarm water. Dip your face into the water with open eyes for a minute. With your face submerged, move your eyes around in circular motions. This will help to relieve and refresh them.
9. Exercising your eye muscles can also help to revive and rejuvenate the surrounding eye area, stimulating muscles that don’t get used very often. Simple exercises can include turning your eyes in a full circle both clockwise and anti-clockwise, then moving them horizontally side-to-side, and vertically up and down. Finally, use your eyes like a pen to draw a diamond shape, moving them both clockwise and anti-clockwise.
