What causes dark circles around the eyes? It turns out there are multiple reasons. Here, we outline all the things that cause dark circles and how to treat them.
“Wow, you look tired.” That’s the number one phrase you hear when you’ve skipped on sleep or you happened to forego makeup for the day. It’s irritating, to say the least, and can make you a bit self-conscious of your dark circles. But, the reality is that they’re completely normal. So, there’s no reason to be embarrassed. But this doesn’t mean you don’t want to reduce their appearance from time to time. The best way to do that is to understand the cause for your dark circles in the first place.
But what causes dark circles around the eyes? Eye issues appear in three major forms: dark circles, fine lines, and eye bags and puffiness. So, this means dealing with eye issues is a lot more complex than it’s made out to be. There is no miracle cream or serum you can apply that will rid of them in an instant. But having a dedicated eye routine can help to reduce the appearance of these issues. Here, we’ve broken down the main causes of dark circles and how to combat them.
Lack of Sleep
If you’ve skipped a few nights of sleep, you’re likely to notice that your dark circles have become more pronounced. We know that the eye area has much thinner skin than the rest of our face but when we skip sleeping this reality sinks in. Lack of sleep causes the blood vessels under your eyes to swell. This swelling creates a darkness under your eyes. As a result, your dark circles become more apparent and your already delicate eye area can appear dull, dark, and tired.
Over time, these temporary circles will fade once you’ve caught up on sleep. But, besides catching up on some Z’s and having a healthy diet, you’ll want to nourish your stressed out eyes. The I’m From Ginseng Eye Cream is a good choice. It’s packed with ginseng and hyaluronic acid that intensely moisturize the eye area. When applied, this eye cream also has a cooling sensation that will soothe and de-puff.
Genetics
We know you don’t want to hear this, but sometimes genetics are the cause of dark circles. And this is the case for many people. Womp womp.
If you’ve had dark circles since you were little, it’s likely it’s hereditary. When most people think about dark circles, they usually believe it’s a result of pigment, but in most cases, it isn’t. For genetic dark circles, it’s actually caused by an overproduction of melanin. This overproduction then results in a dark appearance under the eyes. It can occur in any skin tone but it shows up more often in darker skin tones.
To combat this, you’ll want to invest in a brightening eye cream. The Goodal Green Tangerine Vita C Dark Circle Eye Cream is a luxurious cream that combats pigmentation. This is thanks to the addition of vitamin C and niacinamide in the formula. Niacinamide, a powerful brightening ingredient, works by slowing down the transfer of melanin to your skin cells. As a result, it prevents the buildup of pigmentation. Adding this eye cream to your routine will fight the cause of dark circles and keep fine lines and wrinkles at bay.
Aging
As we age, it’s like our dark circles become even more obvious than they were before. The area around our eyes is thinner and much more delicate than our face. This plays a role in how apparent our dark circles are. Unfortunately, as we age this already thin skin becomes even thinner, as a result of our body losing collagen and subcutaneous fat. The fat by our eyes keeps them looking youthful and without it, they can appear sunken in. Plus, this makes fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable as well.
The best way to keep this at bay is by pumping that area with hydration. The Etude House Moistfull Collagen Eye Cream contains nourishing ingredients that intensely hydrate and brighten the skin, like collagen and lauric acid. These ingredients work together to smooth fine lines and bring life back to your tired eyes.
Salty food & Allergies
It’s like gravity is out to get us. Besides having to deal with dark circles and fine lines, we also have puffiness to avoid. There are many reasons why your eyes are looking extra puffy in the morning. It could be a result of allergies that are irritating your eyes. It could also be fluid retention from indulging in way too many salty foods the night before. Another reason is a natural part of the aging process, in which the loss of fat leads to sagging under the eyes.
Chronic eye puffiness and eye bags are hassles to deal with. To treat the puffiness, you have to find out what’s causing it in the first place. Once you’ve figured that out, you can effectively treat it. If you’re indulging in salty foods, you may want to try to stick to a healthier diet. Plus, drink tons of water to make sure you’re hydrated. As for allergies, the best way to treat this is by speaking to your doctor. They can suggest the proper ways to combat these symptoms. Once you alleviate that irritation, the puffiness should calm down.
When it comes to eye bags/puffiness as a natural part of aging, it’s much more complicated to treat. The one thing you can do is keep your eye area as moisturized as possible. This will help slow down the signs of aging. The Missha Misa Geum Sul Vitalizing Eye Cream is formulated with ginseng water, wild ginseng extract, deer antler extract, and reishi mushroom extract. These powerful herbal ingredients work together to nourish and fight signs of aging.
Bottom Line
Like any other part of your skin care routine, the eyes are just as complicated. To combat your eye issues, it’s important to find the cause of them in the first place. Once you do that, you can effectively treat the underlying issues and wake up those tired eyes!