What causes dark circles?

If we lived in a fair world dark circles under the eyes would be a punishment for stopping out too late and partying into the early hours.

But life just isn’t like that – no matter how much of an early to bed kind of person you are – panda eyes can still greet you in the morning mirror.

So what causes dark circles and is there anything we can do to prevent them?

Dark circles under the eyes are present in most people to a degree.

The skin under our eyes is the thinnest in the whole of our bodies allowing the blood flowing through the capillaries to show as a bluish dark color.  But some people are more likely to get dark circles and these are the most common causes:

1.  Genes – your DNA, heredity – call it what you want but the transparency and thiness of your skin is inherited.  The thinner and more transparent the skin on your face the more likely it is you’ll have dark circles under your eyes.  Genes are also responsible for the strength of your capillaries – the tiny blood vessels that carry blood under your skin. 

Weakened capillary walls contribute to dark circles under the eyes just as they can contribute to varicose veins or spider veins in your legs.  So – if you have the ‘dark circle gene’ there isn’t much you can do about it – you’re just more likely to get them.

2.  Bone structure – if you have deep set eyes, shadowing will contribute to the overall impression of dark circles making them look much worse.  Bone structure is also inherited so again this is something you are stuck with.

3.  Anemia - anemia is quite common and is caused by iron deficiency or a lack of balanced nutrients in the body.  Much worse for women especially in pregnancy or during menstruation. 

Anemia doesn’t cause dark circles but it will make your skin very pale and so make dark circles under your eyes more obvious.  You can improve your diet – iron rich foods include green vegetables, lean meat and brown wholemeal breads – or you can take a supplement to make sure iron deficiency isn’t a problem.

4.  Sun damage – this is something you CAN control.  Hyperpigmentation results in higher levels of melanin in the delicate skin around the eyes which darkens unattractively.  To avoid making dark circles worse – wear a high factor UV protection and proper sunglasses which fully shade the eye area.

5.  Age – unfortunately as we get older collagen levels decline and skin becomes thinner and less resilient allowing the blood vessels to show through.  Capillary strength also declines which is a bit of a double whammy as far as dark circles is concerned. 

Treat the delicate skin around your eyes carefully and use the best under eye cream you can afford day and night. Choose a gel based under eye cream like DDF Erase Eye Gel or Skinceuticals Eye Gel AOX that specifically targets dark circles.

6.  Medication – some forms of medication can cause increased dilation of blood vessels.  You may find that as a result dark circles under your eyes appear for the first time or increase if you already have them – but don’t worry the change should be temporary.

7.  Dehydration - dark circles under the eyes can be a sign the body is lacking water.  Keep your hydration levels up especially in the heat or when taking exercise.

8.  Lack of sleep – not a cause of dark circles under the eyes but too little sleep will make you look pale and your dark circles will show up more.  The answer is simple and obvious – get to bed in good time and give your mind and body a good night’s sleep – regularly.

The causes of dark circles may be outside our control but cosmetic science is coming up with answers – dark circle creams which target the under eye are are getting better and better.  And of course there are many good light reflective concealers on the market.

So if you want the best possible answer to the problem of dark circles under the eyes – combine effective under eye skin care and make up with a good diet, careful sun protection, plenty of water and lots of rest.

Best eye cream for dark circles

We all hate them – those dark circles under the eyes that make us look older and more tired than we deserve.  The bad news is that dark circles are more likely to get worse with age – even if they didn’t trouble you much in your youth.

The good news is that creams for under eye dark circles are getting better and there are now great products out there which work.

Read more

How to get rid of puffy eyes

Puffy eyes can make you look terrible – especially in the morning when you ought to look younger and fresher than when you went to bed.  Even if your puffy eyes aren’t quite as bad as Rocky’s – it’s really not a look you want.

There can be a range of causes – the most common is toxic build up from poor lymphatic drainage and sluggish circulation.

Whatever the cause – you want those puffy eyes gone.  Not only do you look terrible but puffy eyes stretch the delicate under eye skin and cause wrinkles. Here’s our evening and morning routine to get rid of your puffy eyes for good.
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Puffy eyes – the no cost solution

Sometimes it’s the simple low cost tips that really work – as Helen Mirren knows.

You may have forked out in the past on expensive eye masks to reduce puffiness around the eyes – and many of them are excellent. But you may not have been aware that there’s a great home made remedy for puffy eyes – tea bags!

You probably have a packet in your store cupboard and it won’t cost you a thing to turn them into an eye mask.
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TLC for eyes – ten tips for younger looking skin

Buying the best anti aging eye cream in the world won’t do you much good unless you give the delicate skin around your eyes some good old fashioned Tender Loving Care.

Younger looking skin doesn’t just happen.

The skin around the eye area is much thinner than anywhere else on your face. You probably know that already – it’s the first place most of us start noticing lines and wrinkles.

Not only is the under eye skin more vulnerable to skin aging but it’s probably the part of your face that gets the harshest treatment.

Foundation, concealer, eye shadow, mascara, eye liner, eyebrow pencil – you probably put at least some of this lot near your eyes every day.

The real trouble for your skin of course comes when you have to take it off at night and when you’re rushing to apply your make up in the mornings.

That’s when the worst damage can be done. But if you want to prevent eye wrinkles, sagging and bags then you must take time and follow an extra gentle skin care regimen for your under eye area.

Here’s ten handy tips to keep the skin around your eyes wrinkle free for as long as possible.

1. Keep a handy supply of Q-tips on the dressing table. Moisten a Q-tip with eye make up remover and use to remov mascara or eye shadow smudges without pulling or rubbing skin.
2. Wear non-waterproof mascara – you’re much more likely to pull and damage the delicate skin trying to remove waterproof mascara.
3. Buy a gentle but effective eye make up remover Try Ahava Gentle Eye Make up Removeror True Gentle Eye Make Up Remover. Both are excellent at dissolving even the harshest mascara quickly and without dragging or pulling
4. Avoid using a facial cleanser for your eyes.  Many facial cleansers won’t dissolve mascara, will be too heavy for and may sting your eyes.
5. Use natural cotton wool pads to take off your eye make up – not paper tissues which will scratch the delicate surface of the under eye skin.
6. Saturate the cotton wool pad with your eye make up remover before applying – dry cotton wool fibers can stick to your eye make up and get in your eyes.
7. Wipe gently downwards to remove eye make up.
8. Buy a good anti aging eye cream.Cellex C Eye Contour Cream or DDF Erase Eye Gel are both excellent. Apply eye cream sparingly – too much and you overload the skin causing sagging and puffiness.
9. Apply eye cream to the eye socket area only.  Don’t put your eye cream near the base of the eyelid or under the lash area.
10. Use tapping to reduce puffiness.  Apply eye cream with a light tapping motion follow the orbital bone around the eye area.  Use the tips of your  fingers until all the eye cream is absorbed. Tapping helps drain fluid and will gently stimulate the skin.

Make these your ten golden rules of eye care and you’ll be surprised how quickly you and others will start to notice the difference.