Staying up all night, day after day, to binge-watch your favourite shows is entertaining but it can have quite an adverse effect on your skin—especially your under eyes. With the last two years taking a toll on our lives, our under eyes have been aggravated beyond repair. Sure, trying out topical treatments for your under eyes might sound like a good idea, but you can’t expect one product to do it all. Before looking at treatments, it’s important to understand the cause and what kind of treatment can actually work.
So, here are a few things you should consider when trying to understand your dark circles better and what can truly treat them.
What Are The Main Factors Behind The Darkening Of The Under Eye Region?
While there are many factors behind why you’re getting dark circles, it’s important to get to the root cause to treat them better. Here are some common reasons why you may be getting those dark circles.
Genetics
Genetics can play quite an interesting role when it comes to dark circles. If you’ve noticed that dark circles and under eye discolouration are quite common in your family, that might be the main reason why even the most expensive products don’t work that well on your dark circles.
Dehydration
When you’re dehydrated, your skin, especially the one on your face, starts to look dull and dry, which causes dark circles. That’s why it’s important to always stay hydrated to ensure your skin is always glowing.
Disturbed Sleep Cycle
Binge-watching your favourite show might spark joy in your life but it makes your under eyes look extremely exhausted, giving you dark circles for days. Ensuring you get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep everyday is paramount for good health and good skin.
Sun Damage
Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause some serious damage to your skin if you don’t protect your skin from harmful UV rays. These harmful rays can cause premature wrinkles and discolouration, which is why it’s important to always wear a broad-sprectrum sunscreen.
Ageing
As we grow older, we start losing collagen in our skin that results in our skin getting thinner and the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and dark circles.
Screen Time
Spending too much time on your screen nowadays? That might just be the reason behind your dark circles. Screens emit a blue light that can strain your eyes, making the under-eye region look dull and tired.
What To Add To Your Skincare Routine
While curating the perfect skincare routine for your specific skin concern can be exhausting, here are some must-have products that will help you treat your dark circles like a pro!
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid is a magic ingredient that gives your skin a boost of some much-needed hydration. It’s a popular ingredient to cure under-eye pigmentation and can help hide blood vessels and dark skin tissue with its hydrating properties.
HELLO! Recommends: Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb
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Vitamin C
Nothing works better on hyperpigmentation than Vitamin C, making it a go-to ingredient for many under-eye serums and treatments. Its antioxidant properties help in protecting your skin from free radicals and oxidative damage, which can cause ageing, hyperpigmentation, and wrinkles.
HELLO! Recommends: OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright Eye Creme
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Retinol
Retinol is a scientifically-approved ingredient that is known to reduce the appearance of dark circles while boosting the production of collagen in our skin. It helps in water retention in the skin while getting rid of fine lines and wrinkles. And even though it’s a strong ingredient, it’s safe to use around your eyes, making it the perfect treatment for dark circles.
HELLO! Recommends: Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Mask
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Caffeine
Caffeine can not only brighten your day and give you a boost of energy, but it can also reduce puffiness and discolouration around your eyes in no time. It helps boost blood circulation, which instantly treats those tired and dull eyes.
HELLO! Recommends: The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG
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The Changes You Need To Make In Your Everyday Lifestyle
While products can help for sure, if you want to treat those dark circles from the inside-out and for good, it’s important to make some lifestyle changes. Here are some things you can do to lead a healthier lifestyle and ensure your skin, and your under eyes, are always rested.
Sleep Well
Getting your beauty sleep, at least 7 to 9 hours, can improve your dark circles in no time. A good night’s sleep can not only minimise that puffiness but it also helps to make your skin look fresh and rested.
Wear Sunscreen
Wearing sunscreen every day is a non-negotiable, especially if you want to avoid any premature signs of ageing. It’s best to use a broad-spectrum sunscreen and wear sunglasses whenever you are exposed to the sun. You can also opt to use make-up with SPF to add another layer of protection.
Live a Healthy Lifestyle
It’s important to make better lifestyle choices that are good for your health and well-being if you want to look and feel younger. Exercising regularly, avoiding smoking and excessive drinking, and eating healthy can bring a noticeable change in no time.
Wear Blue Glasses
In the past two years, thanks to the pandemic, many of us have switched to working virtually, exposing ourselves to excessive screen time that tends to strain our eyes. So, when you’re working long hours in front of a screen, try wearing blue screen glasses that will reflect the blue light from the screen and protect your eyes.
Colour Correction
When nothing seems to work, make-up will always be by your side. The next time you’re out for an event and feel like your dark circles are beyond your control, use colour correctors to neutralise the discolouration. This will make you look well-rested and fresh in no time.
DIY Treatments To Try At Home
Take a look at the home remedies that can give you an instant boost of hydration while also reducing puffiness. However, remember to always consult a professional before you try any DIY treatments.
Cucumber Mask
Every time we need to relax and indulge in some me-time, it’s always a good idea to grab a few slices of cucumber and place them on your eyes for some instant cooling. Cucumber is known for its hydrating and soothing effects, making it perfect to use whenever your face feels puffy. All you have to do is, grate a piece of fresh cucumber and keep it in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes. Once it’s cold, take the grated cucumber and spread it around your eyes evenly, and leave it on for 30 minutes before rinsing with cold water.
Rose Water Mask
Rose water is a great ingredient to bring some life to your dull and tired skin. Take a soft cotton pad and dip it in a bowl of pure rose water and place it on your eyes for 15 minutes. This has a very calming effect and is great to reduce under eye puffiness. You can also carry a rose water mist in your bag and refresh yourself at regular intervals on a hot day.
Aloe Vera Gel Mask
An essential at-home beauty ingredient that can elevate your skincare routine, Aloe Vera Gel’s anti-inflammatory properties give you that natural glow in just a few minutes. Just clean the area under your eyes with a damp cotton and then apply the aloe vera pulp under your eyes for 10-15 minutes. Your skin will look fresh and hydrated in no time!
Potato Mask
Your favourite go-to vegetable can also be used to de-puff your skin! Potatoes contain natural bleaching properties that can help brighten your under eyes while also getting rid of the puffiness. All you need to do is take a few pieces of potato (which have preferably been kept in the fridge for an hour) and grate them. Then, extract the juice of the potato in a small bowl, soak two cotton pads in the juice for a few seconds and place them on your eyes for 20 minutes. This will help lighten those dark circles with regular use.
Green Tea Bag Mask
Great for the gut and your skin, green tea bags are an amazing hack to get rid of puffiness. After you have finished drinking a hot, fresh cup of tea, instead of throwing the used tea bags, keep them in the fridge for 10-15 minutes until they’re cold. Next, place them on your eyes or rub them on any part of your face that feels heavy and puffy. It’s that easy!
Cold Spoon Compression
Woke up with the biggest bags under your eyes? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Before going to sleep at night, remember to keep a spoon in the freezer or the refrigerator overnight. Then, the next morning, take the spoon and place the curved bottom part on your eyes and let the cold compress get rid of any puffiness. Keep doing this for ten minutes until it’s not cold enough.
Treatments To Try
While DIY hacks are great for short-term results, if you have had dark circles for many years and are not able to find a solution, it’s not a bad idea to consult with a dermatologist and look at some long-term options. But, whether you choose to go in for cosmetic procedures is your decision alone. Here are some of the common ones recommended for dark circlec.
Chemical Peel
Chemical Peels are the perfect treatment to get rid of not only dark circles but all kinds of hyperpigmentation and scarring issues that aren’t getting better with the usage of topical products. The intensity of the chemical peel might vary depending on the severity of your skin concern. Do talk to your dermatologist before opting for this treatment so they can guide you well on what kind of chemical peel treatment you should go for. While the treatment will brighten and smoothen your under eye region, it is possible for your skin to peel, which is quite common after the treatment. You may also have to go for multiple sessions depending on your skin concern.
Laser Treatment
With newer technology coming in every other day, we finally have laser treatments like QS-Alexandrite and QS-Ruby that are safe to use under your eyes. Much like chemical peels, you will need multiple sessions of this laser treatment to finally see a difference in your skin.
Under Eye Filler
Hyaluronic acid fillers like Restylane and Juvederm are the best kind of injectable fillers out there on the market. It lifts the skin under your eyes and adds volume to it while smoothening and reducing any signs of dark circles. It does this by creating a layer of cushion between the blood vessels and skin to reduce the visibility of pigmentation under your eyes. The filler can stay anywhere between 12-18 months before your body starts to break down the hyaluronic acid naturally.
Treatments aside, it’s important to realise that dark circles, hyperpigmentation, they’re all completely natural. While it’s okay to seek treatment for the same, it’s also okay to just let them be. The important thing is for you to feel comfortable in your skin. And remember to always consult your dermatologist before doing anything.
