I’m fairly sure that anyone reading this has, at some point or another, experienced some puffiness and/or dark circles around their eyes. I tend to be more puffy than the latter, usually a consequence of a late night, eating too much sugar or salt, emotional outpouring, or, I’m just generally a little tired it’s one of those skin things we can all relate to experiencing.

There are a number of causes so there isn’t always a quick fix solution and sometimes we need to see a GP or specialist if it’s causing distress or is an issue that doesn’t seem to be helped with the usual methods. I wanted to take more of a detailed look into the causes of dark circles and this topic as it’s something I’m asked about so often! and share some tips to help reduce them.

So, starting off with the main (and many!) causes of dark circles (in no particular order!)

• Dehydration
• Lack of sleep
• Sun damage
• Allergies or Sinus congestion
• Excess pigmentation around the eye (hyperpigmentation)
• Dilated blood vessels leading to infraorbital edema (swelling/puffiness) from inflammation
• Dry, irritated skin
• Protrusion of fat pads (bags under the eyes)
• Smoking
• Inflammation
• Hormonal changes
• Genetic predisposition

What can help??!

I’m a fan of cucumber or cool stones like my rose quartz Gua sha placed gently on the eyes followed by a gentle massage; for me this works a treat. The power of understanding our bodies needs and how to stimulate the lymphatic systems drainage is amazing! Rest and hydration are also key.

Protect Your Eyes From the Sun: First up is protection! Just like our skin, it is super important to protect the eyes and delicate skin here with sunscreen and sunglasses. These  protect your skin from ultraviolet damage that causes aging of the skin and further pigmentation. So don’t forget your SPF!

Get Enough Rest: Self-care, especially getting enough sleep. Sleep helps our bodies to recover and cells to regenerate. But sleep is also hugely important for us mentally, our ability to focus, concentrate and function.  Mind, body and spirit are intrinsically linked.

Be gentle: Avoid rubbing your eyes too much, and be gentle when removing eye makeup.  Keeping the skin around the eyes moisturized cuts down on dryness and irritation that will make you want to rub your eyes.

Look after your Sinuses! Yep, congestion can absolutely cause under-eye veins to become darker as the little vessels beneath the eyes are affected. These veins may be visible through the skin or create a darkish hue around the eyes.  Lymphatic drainage massages that you can do yourself can reduce the puffiness and you can do it manually or with a gua sha! (Check out my tutorials on this)

Products that help…

Now thinking about what we apply to our skin. This is important to best take care of the delicate area so here are dermatologist recommended eye care powerhouse ingredients:

• Caffeine. Not just good for you in a cup!! It’s a vasoconstrictor so helps to reduce redness, swelling, and fluid from pooling around the eyes. This can help to give a tightened appearance around the eyes.

• Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) All the B vitamins are cellular powerhouses, especially B3, which is also known as niacinamide. It’s in products I use and love (Dr. Sam’s skin care range!) daily. This vitamin not only calms down redness and inflammation but also stimulates collagen production and increases free fatty acids in the skin to hydrate.

• Vitamins A, C, and E! All these wonderful vits help with our skin health and collagen production. Vitamin C is integral in collagen production and also helps brighten the skin, slough off dead skin cells and serves as a powerhouse antioxidant.

• Retinoids/Retinols. These can help to stimulate collagen production in the skin but should be used with care, especially around the eyes so consult a derm or skin specialist first!

• Cool moist tea bags. Yep! The caffeine in the tea helps to boost and tighten and the coolness reduces swelling.

• Gentle lymphatic massage around the eyes.

Whatever your preference, there are options that can help with this common issue we all experience at times.

If you have any health concerns or are unsure of anything I’ve shared consult a dermatologist or medical professional for guidance.

Daisy x

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