How to Tackle Dark Circles

Dark circles are a bugbear for many and can affect all ages, skin tones and types. Whilst they are typically more common in older adults and those with a genetic predisposition to them, several factors can contribute to tired-looking rings around your eyes.

What causes dark circles?

The skin around the eye area is thinner than the rest of the face, making it more susceptible to damage and increasing the visibility of the capillaries sitting under the surface. Couple this with the fact that, as we age, our collagen levels decrease and fat volume is lost, thinning the skin around the eye further and exacerbating the appearance of the capillaries below.

For many, genetics are the cause of their dark circles. If, to your knowledge, there is no particular reason for them, look at your parents/immediate family. If they also have dark circles, they probably run in your genes, so no cream will permanently ‘fix’ them.

The colour of your dark circles can also hint at what might be causing them:

• Purple/Blue – Particularly common in lighter skin tones, thin skin around the eye area and/or poor circulation increases the prevalence of unoxygenated blood which is deeper in colour. Lack of sleep, smoking, drinking too much alcohol/caffeine and high salt intake can all worsen the appearance of purple rings.

• Brown – Common in deeper skin tones, hyperpigmentation, caused by sun damage, genetics or irritation (triggered by frequent rubbing of the eyes), can give your dark circles a brown/grey hue.

• Red – A sign of inflammation from allergies and irritation (e.g. hayfever).

How to treat dark circles

If you’ve addressed any underlying concerns that may be causing darkness around the eye, your next port of call would be an eye cream or serum.

Take, for example, my powerhouse formula, The Eye Cream. It’s clinically proven to improve under-eye bags immediately, and reduce eye bag volume and under-eye wrinkle depth after 4 weeks.* All that while helping to firm, smooth, protect and brighten the entire eye area in one circular sweep.

Please keep in mind that whilst topical products can help to take the edge off, they are not going to completely get rid of them.

Ingredients to look out for include:

• Caffeine – Temporarily constricts blood vessels and improves circulation, giving the skin a tightened, rejuvenated appearance. It also has antioxidant properties which can help protect the skin.

• Vitamin C – Helps brighten hyperpigmentation and increase collagen production whilst protecting the skin through its antioxidant action.

• Retinoids – Stimulate collagen production to give the skin a smoother, plumper appearance and ‘thicken’ thin skin. Can also help reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation.

• Peptides – Support collagen production to improve skin firmness.

• Light-reflecting particles – e,g, mica - Responsible for giving eye creams a pearly, luminescent finish and providing an instant brightening effect.

Brighten dark circles with…

Lastly, if your darkness is caused by a hollowing around the eye, be that from your natural bone structure or declining fat volume, you could look into tear trough filler. This non-surgical procedure involves injecting the eye area with filler, which sits under the skin and plumps out the ‘rings’ that are causing the shadowing.