It’s as if you’ve had a cryotherapy session in your own bathroom each morning

Let’s not kid ourselves, being fixated on our screens for most of the day (OK, and night) is having an effect on our health. It’s well documented that the blue light emitting from our phones, iPads and laptops is shutting down our production of melatonin, which is having a direct impact on the quality of our sleep. And that lack of Zs is having a knock-on effect on more than just our stress levels and waistlines. Our complexions are suffering too – and if you look at the science, it’s our eyes that are taking the brunt of the environmental onslaught.

This is partly because our eyes are doing the lion’s share of facial expression. Studies using eye tracking and time-lapse videos reveal that the eye area contains a whopping 60 per cent of our expressive facial muscles. Our eyes even trump the mouth in terms of movement because they are constantly responding (consciously and not) to surrounding stimuli.

Those stimuli include our increasing screen time. A recent study has revealed that over-exposure to screens reduces blinking by 60 per cent, while another found that a chronic lack of sleep reduces skin tone around the eyes by 11 per cent.

And the issues continue. A study conducted by Dior discovered nine signs of eye ageing partly related to the lifestyle load we’re putting our peepers under. Think skin evenness, luminosity, wrinkles, lines, dark circles and puffiness.

It’s having an impact not just on the way we feel but also on how we communicate. The same Dior study revealed that our eyes not only connect us with other people, they also give away a lot of information that we might not even realise we’re revealing, such as our health and our emotional state. If you’re still not convinced, then take this on board: our eyes are the determining factor of our perceived age. Meaning, if your eye area looks good for your age, people will assume you’re younger.

“[Eyes are] the most significant way of communicating, so framing [them] is so important,” says celebrity facialist Joanna Czech, who has signed on as Dior’s global skincare ambassador. “I have always paid attention to other people’s eyes.”

But the facialist is all about doing the ground work rather than jumping into fixes such as injectables. “More and more, people are doing quick fixes and surgeries,” says Czech, whose list of clients includes such notables as Cate Blanchett, Uma Thurman, Jennifer Aniston and Kim Kardashian.

The reason for attending to the basics, she says, is that we need to first boost skin function by “stimulating the essential function of the cell, [boosting] tonicity and firmness, smoothing fine lines and brightening.”

The prep means anything you have done at the derm or cosmetic surgeon’s clinic will reap much better results.

Enter Dior’s latest release in its cult-followed Capture Totale range. It’s an eye serum called Capture Totale Super Potent Eye Serum, and boasts a formidable, three-pronged approach to tackle common eye issues such as dehydration, puffiness, darkness and lines and wrinkles.

Firstly there is the formula. Dosed with 92 per cent natural ingredients, the milky serum’s hero addition is the longoza plant, a hardy species that thrives even in scorched and arid soil and works in Dior’s new formula to stimulate the essential function of the cell. “[It helps with] cell energy, regeneration, self-repair and strength,” says Czech. Then there is active rye, which helps tone and firm the eye area, while acetylated hyaluronic acid, which has a low molecular weight, is able to penetrate deeply to “help plump, brighten and smooth fine lines”, says Czech.

As with a professional facial, where the treatment is only as good as the way it’s applied, this is an eye serum that takes application to the next level. Able to pivot a full 360 degrees, with engraved micro waves on its tip to mimic the feeling of fingertips, the applicator Dior has developed massages every millimetre of the eye contours to help boost circulation and flush out puffiness. Because although we all age around the eyes (yep, sorry), the way we age varies depending on our lifestyle, ethnicity and facial contours.

But it could be the coldness of the applicator tip which is the most exciting. Made of zamak metal, it comes in at –0.5°C to give eyes a wide awake feel. “It creates micro-cryotherapy benefits and is great for de-puffing, smoothing, lifting and decongesting the eyes,” says Czech. The other bonus is that the skin around the eyes will stay hydrated for up to six hours; it’s as if you’ve had a cryotherapy session in your own bathroom each morning.

For the most bang for your eye buck, Dior has suggested four different massage techniques to de-puff, smooth, lift and plump (find them at dior. com). And Czech has her own tips for smoothing things out: “Do an inside-out application,” she says. “Draw the applicator from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner of the eye.” And if you want to strengthen a sagging brow? “Lift and hold the brow muscle,” says Czech, who suggests enlisting your fingers too. “I use my fingers when I want to do deep massage on the brow muscle and crow’s feet.”

So while screens are going nowhere and there is little hope in cutting down our time in front of them, the good news is we can also help our eyes cope with the onslaught. (Just remember to blink a bit more.)