There are several important steps for preventing eye wrinkles and compounds that will help, in case you are already seeing a few fine lines or crow’s feet. Here’s a brief look at how to prevent eye wrinkles and protect the rest of your face, while protecting your overall health and well-being.

One of the basic steps in preventing eye wrinkles is to wear sunglasses that are large enough to protect the corners and the delicate skin beneath the eyes. The epidermis in that area is thinner and more easily damaged by the sun.

Air pollution, like cigarette smoke, causes squinting. If habitual, squinting can cause the formation of crow’s feet. But, the idea of paralyzing the facial muscles through Botox injections or with synthetic chemicals is questionable, at best.

Simply protecting the eyes with UV blocking glasses and sunglasses is the best choice. If you use sunscreens on the area around the eyes, you need to make sure that the ingredients are safe and gentle. Those areas are more easily irritated than other areas of the face and body.

You will see that many people say you can prevent eye wrinkles, with the daily use of sunscreen. That’s another questionable recommendation. Dermatologists suggest that using creams, lotions or make-up that contains sunscreen compounds can lead to vitamin D deficiencies. As we age, we need all of the vitamin and nutritional support that we can get.

Some of the sun screening compounds on the market can increase your risk of skin cancer by damaging DNA strands. Oxybenzone and benzophenone are examples of ingredients to avoid.

Zinc oxide creams are the safest and most effective. They provide “broad spectrum” UV protection. Most compounds provide protection from UVB, but not UVA rays. UVA does not cause redness or burning, but it does penetrate the epidermis and increase free radical production.

Blocking free radical production and restricting their activity with creams containing antioxidants is one way to prevent eye wrinkles. Free radicals are produced as a result of exposure to UV radiation, air pollution and certain chemicals, like oxybenzone, mentioned above.

Creams for preventing eye wrinkles and the other signs of aging should contain antioxidants, because free radicals damage collagen and the cellular membranes, causing the skin to sag and look older. Some antioxidants, such as coenzyme Q10 have been shown to have an “anti-wrinkle” effect. In other words, they repair the damage, reducing the depth and fading the wrinkle.

Canadian brown algae and seaweed extracts can also help prevent eye wrinkles by protecting levels of hyaluronic acid in the skin. Protein peptides are good choices for preventing eye wrinkles, as they are necessary for new skin cell production.

Some types of kelp, in particular wakame, have been shown to contain compounds that provide natural protection from UV damage. So, extracts from wakame kelp can help prevent eye wrinkles and protect against UV damage.

Always shop for safety first, when you are looking for solutions designed for preventing eye wrinkles. Preservative and fragrance free is the way to go.