Today, meeting someone who doesn’t have dark circles as one of their skincare issues is nearly unheard of. Due to non-existent sleep habits and a great deal of stress and anxiety, the outbreak of the pandemic and living in lockdown until 2020 only made things worse.
However, not all dark circles are caused by the same things, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for restoring your under-eye skin’s health. Dr. Barbara Sturm, a German aesthetics expert who has worked with Bella Hadid and Kim Kardashian West, helped us identify our dark circles and find the proper mixture to heal them.
Dark Circles and Their Causes
Even if you didn’t have dark under-eye circles in your twenties, it’s probable that as you get older, you’ll start to notice them. “As we get older, we lose fat and collagen around our eyes, resulting in thinner skin and more visible dark blood cells just near the skin.
Do your parents or grandparents have dark circles that have remained the same over the years?
It’s possible you inherited them. “Genetics can play a role—thin skin under the eyes makes the purple and blue colors from the veins beneath the skin more visible, and melanin-rich skin that’s more sensitive to hyperpigmentation can make under-eye circles more prevalent.”
Do you have a cold that won’t go away?
It’s possible that’s what’s causing the dark crescents under your eyes. “Veins under the eye can dilate and darken due to poor circulation in the lower eyelid, which can be caused by allergies or nasal congestion.”
Front of screens
You can’t talk about dark circles without mentioning how much time we spend in front of screens, which is more than ever currently. “An increase in computer and screen time increases eye strain, which is exacerbated by rubbing your eyes.”
In an eye cream, search for the following ingredients:
Using an eye cream with the appropriate ingredients can make all the difference, whether your dark circles are caused by a loss of collagen, a lack of moisture, or simply tired skin that needs a boost of energy.
To hydrate your under-eye area
“Incorporate an excellent eye cream with components like panthenol and glycerine into your daily routine for moisture-locking and skin-soothing,” Dr. Sturm advises. Hyaluronic acid and ceramide-based creams and gels can also assist to plump and lifting the area.
To make your under-eye area look brighter
To brighten and depuff your skin, Dr. Sturm recommends using an eye lotion with yeast extract. Eye puffiness and dark circles can be treated with my [Dr Barbara Sturm] Eye Cream, which is suitable for all skin types. Because of its unusual texture, I refer to it as “eye pudding.” It’s a light, nourishing, and highly moisturizing cream with a particular compound of the golden root, sugar beet, and yeast that has a calming and de-puffing effect.
It quickly absorbs into your skin, leaving it moisturized, refreshed, and revitalized.” Kojic acid and Vitamin C, for example, have skin-brightening effects and can help with under-eye pigmentation. While coffee might dehydrate your skin, eye treatments mixed with caffeine and green tea can help temporarily brighten your dark circles.
To stop the thinning skin under your eyes
Eye creams containing retinol and collagen are the most efficient for nourishing thinned under-eye skin. Collagen plumps and lifts the skin, making it appear much healthier, while retinol aids to stimulate cell turnover.
Procedures for dark circles in the clinic
While a healthy lifestyle and consistent skincare routine are important for managing dark circles, you can also enroll in treatments at an aesthetician’s clinic to improve the health of your under-eye area. “Cosmetic treatments performed by the right hands can be helpful; small amounts of well-administered filler can create a cushioning between the skin and blood vessels that temporarily hide any darkness and boosts density,” says Dr. Sturm, who owns spas in Düsseldorf, Germany, New York City, and Los Angeles, California.
“Because it stimulates collagen production and allows skincare products to be absorbed deeper into the face, micro-needling, which delivers regulated micro-injury to the skin, can be an effective under-eye treatment option.”
