Hello and welcome to another Mailbag Friday! To all my regulars - welcome back! To all my new-comers, every Friday I answer two questions from customers who need a few tips to help them create the complexion they’re looking for. Today, we have a couple of amazing questions, so I hope you’re ready! My first question comes from Griselda in Raleigh, NC.
Q: Hello Dr. Shelton. I really hope you can help me with my question today. I keep waking up with puffy eye bags, and they do seem to look better after a few hours but I hate seeing myself in the mirror every morning. Is there anything I can do to stop this? 
A: Hi Griselda! I deal with a lot of people who feel self-conscious about what they see in the mirror every day, and while it makes me really sad to hear that you’re not feeling confident when you look in the mirror, I’m happy to report that I absolutely have some tips to help you enjoy what you see every morning.
Puffy eye bags can be a result of so many things, which is why they can be so difficult to treat.
The first thing I would recommend is to take a look at your lifestyle and diet.
If you have a healthy lifestyle and eat well, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about making any huge changes in your day-to-day life.
Outside of that, eye bags are a normal part of aging and your best course of action may be to simply focus on your eye area a little more.
If you’re not already using an Eye serum - like my Eye Recovery Serum - that could go a long way in helping you feel less self-conscious when you look in the mirror.
Now, let me emphasize that an eye serum is better than an eye cream…
While some eye creams are wonderful and can work well, the truth is that a cream consistency is too tough to spread around the eye area without pulling and tugging at the skin, which will only cause extra damage to your complexion.
When it comes to your eye area, you need to be extra gentle, so a serum like the one I have in my store works best.
Not only will it be easier to spread around your eyes, but serums sink into the skin faster and more efficiently, meaning your skin gets to take advantage of the ingredients more than it would when it comes to a cream, which typically sits on the surface of your skin a bit more.
On top of that, serums are a bit more potent with their ingredients, so if you’re looking for quicker results, a serum can help you get there faster.
I think you’d love the results my Eye Recovery Serum would give you, so why not try it out?
I hope this helps solve your problem, Griselda. Thanks for reaching out to me!
My next question comes from Penelope in Plano, TX.
Q: Hello Dr. Shelton! I heard that fragrance is not good for your skin. Is this true? Should I avoid skincare with fragrance in it?
A: Hi Penelope! This is a great question because it can get a little controversial… but the truth is that fragrance is not always the worst thing to have in your routine, but there are a few exceptions to that. Let me explain…
When we talk about fragrance in skincare, it’s important to be specific about what exactly we’re referring to.
A skincare product that has a specific smell doesn’t necessarily mean fragrance is added to it.
For example, a product like my Lavender Oil Cleanser has a distinct lavender scent, but it doesn’t have any fragrance in it.
Now, you might be asking how it’s possible that a product that clearly smells like something doesn’t have fragrance…
Well, when we talk about fragrance in skincare, we’re talking about a scent that is added just to make a product smell good.
My Lavender Oil Cleanser doesn’t have any added scents. The smell of Lavender comes from the Lavender essential oil, which is known to have anti-aging properties!
Now that we’ve clarified what a fragrance actually is, let's talk about when it’s safe to have it in your skincare…
If you have sensitive skin, fragrance can often be a huge irritant. That’s why most people who have sensitivities tend to go for mild, fragrance-free products.
But the truth is that if the products you’re using have been tested to be safe for sensitive skin you don’t usually have to worry about fragrance too much.
Some of my products, for example, have mild fragrances added to make them a little more pleasant when you’re applying them to your skin, but I’ve been very picky about what ingredients go into my skincare, so I’ve only chosen fragrances that are safe for sensitive skin.
So the short answer to your question is no - fragrances aren’t totally terrible for your skin, but if you have sensitivities and you’re worried about reactions, make sure you’re sticking with a product that has been tested on sensitive skin.
I hope this answers your question, Penelope!
