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Last Updated on January 5, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

4 tips to prevent eye wrinkles

You know you’ll get eye wrinkles one day… But why must that day be now?! Like, you’re not even 30 and yet, there they are, lining your eyes and making you look 5 years older. Ugh. Life is so unfair… Sure, the skin around the eyes is very delicate and ages more quickly than the rest of the face. But, can’t you put off those pesky eye wrinkles for a little longer? Yes. Here are 4 tips to prevent eye wrinkles – or crow’s feet, as we “affectionately” call them from appearing too soon:

What Causes Eye Wrinkles?

Eye wrinkles don’t show up because you suddenly hit a certain birthday and your skin decides to betray you. They form because the skin around your eyes is biologically disadvantaged from the start:

First, the basics people skip over because they’re not sexy: the skin around your eyes is thin – 40% thinner than the skin on the rest of your face. That means fewer collagen fibers, less elastin… in plain English, you’re starting with less scaffolding, less support, and less ability to bounce back once that structure starts breaking down.

Now layer movement on top of that. Every time you blink, squint, smile, frown, laugh, or stare at your phone with one eye slightly more closed than the other, the same creases form in the same places. Sun exposure is the silent accelerant here, and yes, even if you “don’t sit in the sun.” UVA rays penetrate glass, clouds, and your car window, and they specifically break down the little collagen and elastin your skin has.

Add oxidative stress into the mix – pollution, smoking, lack of sleep, chronic stress – all of which increase free radical activity that leads straight to wrinkles. And finally, there’s bone and fat loss, which almost no one talks about in eye wrinkle conversations because you can’t sell a cream to fix it.

How To Prevent Eye Wrinkles

1. Pat Your Eye Products On With Your Ring Finger

Are you rubbing eye cream into the eye area? Stop. The undereye area is very delicate.  Rubbing or tugging can give you wrinkles. Instead of rubbing, pat your eye cream in with your ring finger. It’s the weakest finger, i.e. the gentlest. I know it’s a very simple thing, but it’s always the basics that mess us up. Applying an eye cream right is half the work.

Related: The Right Way To Apply Eye Cream

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2. Use An Antioxidant Serum To Fight Free Radicals

Think of antioxidants like the anti-wrinkle police. They patrol your body looking for free radicals, the nasty criminals that destroy your collagen and elastin (the proteins that keep your skin firm and elastic) and everything else they touch. Once they find a free radical, they neutralise it before it can wreak any serious damage. Phew!

A few antioxidants (like vitamin C) boost the production of collagen, too. More collagen = firmer, smoother skin. By the way, when it comes to antioxidants, the more, the merrier. Vitamin C + Vitamin E + Ferulic acid is a good combination to start with, but the more antioxidants your skincare products contain, the better.

Best Picks:

  • MaeLove Glow Booster ($27.95): The cheapest Vitamin C serum in this list, it does everything the others do, but it contains a citrus extract that may be irritating for sensitive skin. Available at Maelove.
  • Paula’s Choice C15 Booster ($46.75): It’s enriched with Hyaluronic Acid and glycerin to deeply hydrate skin. Available at Cult Beauty, Dermstore, Paula’s Choice, Sephora, and SpaceNK.
  • Skinceuticals CE Ferulic ($169.00): The original Vitamin C serum, it costs an arm and a leg, but it works wonders and delivers what it promises. Available at Dermstore and Skinceuticals.

Related: What Are The Best Antioxidant Serums?

3. Apply Sunscreen Every Day, Rain Or Shine

I can’t stress this enough. UV rays are the #1 cause of aging. You can use all the antioxidant serums in the world, but nothing is gonna keep those wrinkles away if you don’t wear sunscreen EVERY single day, rain or shine. It’s that important. Think about it. If UV rays generate more free radicals than antioxidants can cope with, eye wrinkles are only a matter of time. Wear your sunscreen. And then wear it again. Top it up every few hours to be on the safe side. When it comes to antiaging, sunscreen does 90% of the work. Skip it at your peril.

Best Picks:

  • EltaMD UV Pure Broad-Spectrum SPF 47 ($25.00): Its silky texture is pretty lightweight and sinks in quickly without turning your skin into a greasy mess. Plus it’s water-resistant. The catch? It does leave a slight white cast on the skin. Available at Dermstore and Walmart
  • Paula’s Choice Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 ($39.00): My fave mineral sunscreen, it’s super lightweight and doesn’t leave a greasy residue behind. It’s suitable even for oily skin. Available at Cult Beauty, Dermstore and Paula’s Choice
  • Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 ($45.00): A mineral tinted sunscreen that’s lightweight enough for even oily skin. Available at Blue Mercury, Dermstore, Look Fantastic, and Skinceuticals

Related: How To Reapply Sunscreen When You’re Wearing Makeup

4. Wear Sunglasses On Sunny Days

UV rays are sneaky. They damage your skin in all kinds of ways. It’s not just the free radicals they generate when they hit your skin that give you eye wrinkles. Their light is bad as well. All that squinting overtimes leaves eye wrinkles deeply etched into the skin. Pile on the sunscreen and then don your eyeglasses. Now you can leave the house without worrying about eye wrinkles. Phew!

Related: 4 Ways To Protect Your Skin From The Sun

The Bottom Line

If you do these four things, the skin around your eyes stays stronger for longer. Fewer lines deepen early, makeup sits better, and the area just looks more rested over time. Nothing dramatic, nothing extreme – just small habits that add up and make a visible difference where skin tends to struggle most.