Look after your eyes to get the look you want (Picture: Shutterstock / Seprimor)

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Tis the season to be jolly. But with bills and stress levels high and parties throughout December, dark circles, puffiness, irritation and lines can all be exacerbated.

‘Lack of sleep, stress, alcohol, caffeine and sugary treats can take their toll on the skin,’ says aesthetic oculoplastic surgeon Dr Sabrina Shah-Desai. ‘And because the skin around the eyes is thinner and more fragile than other areas of the face and body, your eye area is the most unforgiving.’

Thankfully, experts are here to help.

Lines and wrinkles

Lines are a normal part of ageing but stress can speed up the process. That’s external stressors such as UV, smoke, pollution and chemical exposure, along with internal stressors such as poor diet, lack of sleep and mental stress. ‘These trigger inflammation, the body’s repair response, which is great in small doses but over time damages the skin barrier and decreases stored collagen, leading to an increase in lines and wrinkles,’ says aesthetic doctor Joney De Souza. He suggests collagen-boosting retinol-based eyecare to plump up lines and wrinkles. Those with sensitive skin, or are pregnant or breastfeeding can try bakuchiol.

The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream

Banish those fine lines (Picture: Supplied)

Buy 15ml for £10.99 from cultbeauty.co.uk.

Vida Glow Natural Marine Collagen Sachets

Banish those dark circles (Picture: Supplied)

Buy 30 sachets for £39 from libertylondon.com.

Olivanna Bakuchiol Restoring Eye Cream

Give your skin that extra plump (Picture: Supplied)

Buy it for £58 from olivanna.com.

Puffiness

If you’re having caffeinated drinks by day, boozing at night, then getting urges to eat salty food, puffy eyes are certain. Caffeine and alcohol dehydrate the body, making you drink more water, while sodium-rich foods cause water retention. ‘The eye area has a propensity for accumulating liquids and because the structures that support this area weaken with age, excess fluid can pool here,’ says aesthetic doctor Joney De Souza. Peptide-packed eyecare strengthens skin and a massage tool can temper fluid build-up.

Marie Reynolds London Eye Balls

Eye balls are known for reducing puffiness (Picture: Supplied)

Buy it for £18 from mariereynoldslondon.com.

Q+A Seaweed Peptide Eye Gel

The ingredient of peptide is said to strengthen skin (Picture: Supplied)

Buy it for £6.50 from hollandandbarrett.com.

More: Beauty

Irritation

If your holiday season means wearing more make-up, there will be no escaping irritation. According to MZ Skin founder Dr Maryam Zamani, ‘micellar water makes for a truly effective eye make-up remover’. For the mornings after nights you fail to cleanse, wash then coat eyes with moisturising agents such as thermal water, glycerine and bisabolol.

Peep Club Instant Relief Eye Spray

Rejuvinate dry eyes (Picture: Supplied)

Buy it for £15 from peepclub.co.uk.

Teoxane RHA Micellar Solution

Micellar water helps to break down and remove make-up (Picture: Supplied)

Buy it for £23.99 from facethefuture.co.uk.

Avene Soothing Eye Contour Cream

Soothe those sensitive eyes (Picture: Supplied)

Buy it for £8.81 from boots.com.

Dark Circles

The festive season can mean darkness around the eyes. Dermal fillers are best for improving hollows but for pigmentation and dehydration, ‘vitamin C, niacinamide and tranexamic acid decrease melanin production and lighten dark spots,’ says Dr Sabrina Shah-Desai. ‘Caffeine shrinks blood vessels, so they look less prominent under thin skin.’

Dr Sabrina Perfect 360 Eye Illuminate

Bring your eyes back to life (Picture: Supplied)

Buy it for £90 from drsabrina.co.uk.

The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5%

Caffeine is said to make blood vessels look less prominent under the eyes (Picture: Supplied)

Buy it for £6.40 from lookfantastic.com.

Gatineau Perfection Ultime Miracle Eye Contour

Get that fresh-faced look (Picture: Supplied)

Buy it for £29 from gatineau.com.

This article contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission on purchases made through one of these links but this never influences our experts’ opinions. Products are tested and reviewed independently of commercial initiatives.

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Alcohol, tiredness and stress all play havoc with our eyes.