Taking care of your eyes not only means getting regular eye exams, and updating your glasses and contacts prescriptions as needed, it also means keeping the area around your eyes healthy with a good skincare routine.

As it’s the thinnest and therefore the most sensitive part of your face, your eye area needs some extra care. You might also notice your age showing around your eyes first because of this. To help keep your eye area looking healthy and bright, read on for easy tips to add to your routine. With consistency, you’ll find that these simple habits go a long way in maintaining your skin.

Be gentle when removing makeup and washing your face

As tempting as it is to scrub your eyes clean, it’s best to be gentle around that area when washing your face. A light sudsing across your eyes is enough to remove any dirt, oil and grime and when toweling off, just pat your eyes dry.

If you’re removing eye makeup, avoid vigorously rubbing your eyes. Instead, let makeup remover sit on your eyes for 30 seconds to break down the makeup before wiping it away. Alternatively, an oil-based cleanser may be an even more gentle way to get rid of stubborn or waterproof eye and face makeup. After gently massaging it into dry skin, rinse it off with water, then follow up with face wash to get rid of any remaining residue.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

Simply keeping your eye area moisturized can vastly improve the look of your skin. There’s no need to use a separate moisturizer if your regular face moisturizer does the job, however, if your eyes are more sensitive, reach for an eye cream. They are formulated to be thicker to bring the area more moisture and are made with ingredients that are less irritating for the eyes.

Again, be gentle when applying. Use your ring finger to gently pat the product all around the top and bottom lid.

Don’t forget SPF!

It’s even more important to protect the skin around your eyes from the sun as it’s a thinner, more sensitive area than the rest of your face. Make sure you’re using SPF around the eyes and wear sunglasses with UV400 or higher to ensure the best protection from UVA and UVB rays.

Stay healthy and well-rested

When your overall health is on point, it shows from the inside out so make sure you get enough rest to help dark undereye circles, stay hydrated and eat a balanced diet to combat puffiness and exercise to increase blood circulation overall, giving you that healthy glow.