Whether you experience them sporadically, seasonally, or year-round, dark circles under the eyes are likely something you've tried to combat in the past. Personally, I used to experience them daily every winter through spring. Like clockwork they sprang up and I knew it was time to live with them for the next four months, at least.
I tried everything from $200 "miracle cure" eye creams to cold therapy to expensive concealer. While these seemed to slightly help mask the problem (temporarily) the issue remained along with some self-consciousness.
It wasn't until I began to address the root causes of my dark circles that I was able to drastically correct the issue. Of course, as a mother I can be short on sleep some nights and that can be a trigger. However, it is still 80% better now that I know how to nurture this delicate area.
What Causes Dark Circles?
There are two core reasons that dark circles may appear under the eyes, known as the periorbital area. Most people experience dark circles due to a combination of each. We will be covering how to address both issues.
Excessive Melanin
Melanin is what gives our skin color. However, excessive sun exposure, urban pollution, chronic inflammation, hormonal effects (including those due to monthly cycles and pregnancy), and genetics can contribute to excessive melanin production - also known as hyperpigmentation. This concentrated melanin production can lead to dark spots on our skin, including the dark circles under our eyes.
Deoxygenated Blood
Underneath the thin skin below our eyes are a network of blood vessels. When blood passes through these vessels without enough oxygen they can appear bluish and dark. The skin in the periorbital area is also very thin, making this deoxygenated blood more apparent that it may be elsewhere on the body.
Exacerbation
While excessive melanin and deoxygenated blood are the two root causes of dark circles, both of these can be exacerbated by a few other factors. For example, thin skin can make the blood vessels under eyes more visible leading to more prominent dark circles.
Another factor is skin tone. Most of us are more tan in the summer which makes the appearance of both types of dark circles more apparent. Note that this does not mean using a tanning bed is a good idea! Doing so will lead to more UV damage, more inflammation, thinner skin, and more issues down the road. It's not worth it.
How Do I Know What's Causing Dark Circles Under My Eyes?
Knowing the cause (excessive melanin, deoxygenated blood, or both) can be challenging but in general the following will help.
Related to Excessive Melanin
Color: Bluish
Skin Tone: Darker
Family History: Runs in family
Related to Deoxygenated Blood
Color: Brownish
Skin Tone: Lighter
Family History: Does not run in family
As we mentioned above, most people experiencing dark circles do because of a combination of excessive melanin and deoxygenated blood.
Step 1: Optimize Your Beauty Sleep
Poor sleep can lead to dark circles in both the immediate and long-term. You've probably noticed this first hand after a night of poor sleep. A bad night rest leads to deoxygenated blood that can cause the blood vessels in the periorbital area to darken. That's not all though.
In addition to the immediate effects chronically poor sleep can contribute to chronic inflammation which exacerbates melanin synthesis, causing longer-term problems as well.
While a complete writeup on how to optimize your sleep is beyond the scope of this article. It's important to get at least six hours of sleep each night, however, the quality of your sleep is arguably even more important. The following strategies have had the biggest impact on my sleep quality.
Consistent Bedtime
This is by far the biggest one for me. Studies have shown that regular sleep patterns are associated with better health outcomes1 and this has certainly been the case for me. In addition to better quality sleep, it's done wonders for how long it takes me to fall asleep. Being able to wake up without an alarm each morning has been another huge plus.
Minimize Sleep Disruptors
These can vary from person to person but, in my case, minimizing blue light, fluid and food consumption have led to much better sleep quality for me. The detrimental effects of nighttime blue light2 and late-night snacking3 on sleep are now well established. Also, stopping drinking an hour before bedtime has greatly reduced midnight bathroom visits.
Go to Bed Tired
For many of you (hi new moms!) this is not going to be an issue, however, it's worth repeating. Stay physical during the day, work hard, go to bed tired, and sleep well.
Morning Sunlight
When possible I always try to view the sunrise when I wake up. Studies have shown that bright morning light can help better regulate our circadian rhythm and improve sleep quality4.
Step 2: Reduce Allergy and Inflammatory Triggers
Inflammatory triggers of all types can contribute to dark circles by causing excessive melanin production and breaking down collagen, weakening the skin. While it's important reduce chronic inflammation in the body overall, I found it very helpful to pay particular attention to seasonal allergies.
Seasonal allergies can cause an increase in blood vessel permeability, leading to blood leakage and an accumulation of pro-inflammatory and cytotoxic toxins in the periorbital area. This leakage not only contributes to immediate visibility of dark circles under the eyes but can also damage the skin making you more prone to them in the future as well.
Managing Allergies
Running high-quality air purifier and keeping a clean home can do wonders for minimizing allergies. If you continue to have issues antihistamines can be extremely beneficial. If you're looking for a natural antihistamine I've had great success with quercetin and bromelain. These two compounds are very present in various foods. Exercise caution when considering antioxidant supplements.
Another thing to consider - you spend about 1/3 of your life on your pillowcase. Make sure it's clean and hypoallergenic! Bamboo, silk, and linen are great for this. Avoid tougher or more textured fabrics which can tug on skin leading to wrinkles. Steer clear of synthetic fabrics.
Finally, I know they itch but resist the urge to rub your eyes! Doing so can damage capillaries and increase blood flow making dark circles more prominent.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet
You know by now that chronic inflammation can trigger hyperpigmentation and more prominent blood vessels. This is another topic beyond the scope of this article, however, if you would like to learn more about reducing inflammation via your diet we highly recommend signing up for our free Beauty Plate course.
Step 3: Keep Hydrated (especially in the winter)
This one can be easy to neglect in the wintertime (thirst sensations can drop by up to 40%!) but is as important as any other time of year. Water if of course the most important but I've found that making an effort to consume warming hot tea (some of my favorites are white tea and chamomile) and bone broth make staying hydrated much easier during the winter and carry their own beauty benefits as well.
During the summer you're less likely to not realize you're dehydrated as is the case during the winter. Regardless, assuming you're spending more time outside and active, you're hydration needs are even greater. During this time you want to especially make sure that you're getting enough salts to replace the ones you're losing in the heat. Fresh fruit are another great way to keep hydrated.
Finally, you can hydrate as much as you want but if you're skin barrier is compromised your skin is going to be losing more hydration than you can replace it with. There is a strong link between gut health and skin barrier function so make sure that you're taking care of your gut.
Step 4: Minimize Vices and Stressors
Smoking, Nicotine, and Alcohol
It goes without saying that all three of these are bad for beauty and wellness, however, it's worth repeating. All of these habits are addictive and will leady to poorer, dehydrated skin and worse circulation with chronic use. You may have even experienced dark circles from acute usage as they all have an immediate detrimental effect on sleep.
Screen Time
This one may, or may not, be surprising to you but it's a topic that researchers are beginning to explore in great depth. That is the detrimental effects of blue light on our skin, sleep, and well being. More specifically, studies have shown that blue light leads to excessive melanin production5 in the short-to-medium term which leads to dark circles under eyes.
In addition to this, staring at a screen for too long can be exhausting to our eyes and cause us to rub them constantly, further damaging the delicate skin of the periorbital area. While it's best to minimize screen time as much as possible, especially before bed, taking steps like wearing blue light blocking glasses and taking screen breaks every 45-50 minutes can help immensely if you have no other choice.
Step 5: Consider Topical Solutions Only When Root Causes Have Been Addressed
Please notice that this was my fifth step in addressing dark circles. These ingredients all have strong empirical and scientific evidence showing they can help improve the appearance of dark circles. They do not work miracles though.
If you're sleeping poorly, eating poorly, and living poorly there's nothing that you can put under your eyes that's going to significantly help. This does not mean that you need to be living perfectly before using topical ingredients. You should, however, have an thorough understanding of what's causing your dark circles and how you can help yourself holistically first.
With that out of the way, I've tried just about every ingredient purported to help with dark circles (not including dangerous whitening ingredients...) and the ones that had the best effects for me are below. You will find both of these science-backed ingredients in the Glow Nectar.
Pomegranate Oil
Pomegranate oil, rich in antioxidants and rare fatty acids, has also shown it's ability to help hydrate skin and stimulate skin cell turnover and improve barrier function. Studies on pomegranate oil show it may offer very unique effects which help increase skin thickness.
In fact, a study on the use of a pomegranate oil based lotion for the prevention of stretch marks found that their application led to a 16% increase in skin thickness6. Thicker skin in turn helps to reduce the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.
Bakuchiol
Bakuchiol is a compound extracted from psoralea corylifoli, a plant long revered by ancient Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. It has extremely similar anti-aging and hyperpigmentation fighting effects on the skin as retinol7.
The key difference is that bakuchiol is much better tolerated and causes less irritation than retinol, a very critical advantage for this delicate area.
Bakuchiols melanin production inhibiting properties make it a great option for fighting hyperpigmentation induced dark circles.
How to Apply Any Skincare Ingredient to the Periorbital Area
First of all, you want to make sure that any ingredients you're applying to this area gently and without disrupting the delicate skin barrier in this region. To apply an eye cream or oil, use your pinky finger to dab small amounts onto your skin, pressing in gently. The goal is to avoid any unnecessary dragging motions that can damage the skin.
Conclusion
Dark circles are an issue that many of us experience and while it's not the worst thing it the world it can cause us to be a little self-conscious. Truthfully though we're often our own worst critic and we notice them more than anyone else does.
Regardless, taking healthy steps like the ones above will bring beauty and health to our lives.