Being in the beauty industry and doing countless makeovers, there are certain questions that I found clients always asking and seeking real answers for. Most of those questions revolve around skin care, which is why it was so important to me to get my esthetics license and really be able to provide my clients with sound advice on their skin care concerns.  

Many women today, especially women for color due to our melanin rich skin easily being plagued with hyperpigmentation, suffer from some sort of darkness under the Eye area or all around the surface of the Eye. It’s bad enough that when we don’t wear makeup to the office people literally will ask if you aren’t feeling well... no Susan, I’m fine! But feeling as though the main area of your face isn’t up to par can be really frustrating and a big cause for being self conscious.

Today we will discuss a few reasons behind under Eye darkness as well as puffiness and some things that can be done at home to aid in prevention and treatment!  

The skin under and around our eyes is the thinnest layer of skin on our faces. This explains why irritation in and around the Eye area is so common, because it’s less protected and needs to be treatment much more gently. When you see dark circles under the Eye, what you are actually seeing is dilated blood vessels and because the skin is so thin it makes the darkness much more noticeable. The tissue under our eyes can also fill with fluid such as water, and that leads to the look of puffiness. So now we are in a double whammy situation and it’s not looking so hot.

Dilated blood vessels can be caused by lack of sleep and in many cases cured by, you guessed it, getting more sleep! Lack of sleep isn’t always the only cause of dark circles though, besides being something that can be hereditary (thanks mom) they can also be caused by allergies, smoking, too much salt, all that alcohol we consume on our girls night out and even liver and thyroid disease. It’s important to understand in any case that what we put into our bodies or put it through can and will have an affect on the way we look, feel and ultimately, the way we age!

As I said earlier, hyperpigmentation plays a roles in dark circles as well. Most commonly found in people of color, these types of under Eye circles can look brown or even a blackish purple hue. The darkening effect occurs when melanin forms deposits in the skin, which is a brown pigment that’s found naturally in all skin colors.

Alright, now that we’ve had a good over view of some but certainly not all causes of dark circles and puffiness I’m sure you all want to know how the hell to get rid of them! Don’t worry, I’m getting there.

Preventative measures are things you should be doing now, so that you don’t have to suffer from these irritating little circles later on in life. If they have already moved in and kicked their feet up, no fear these tips and great for treatment as well.

1. Drink more water! - It’s literally the easiest thing to do and you can start today.. like right now. Go.  

2.  Using an under Eye cream - Under Eye creams that are specifically made to brighten and tighten the skin under the Eye honestly work wonders. This will require a bit of research as there are many creams on the market and you want to be sure to get one that works well with your skin type. 

3. Be gentle- When removing makeup and cleansing your face, remember that the area around the Eye is very thin and pulling and tugging can cause irritation and darkness.  

4. Eat foods packed with vitamin C for its brightening affects. Remember, what you put into your body does have an effect on how it looks and feels. 

5. Take vitamins - many people have allergies and don’t realize it, taking an antihistamine can help to prevent irritation and stop you from rubbing and disturbing the area. 

6. Sleep on your back - If you notice your dark circles are more of a problem in the morning, it could be because you are sleeping on your stomach and fluid is beginning to collect over night.

If puffiness is the problem doing things like using a cold compress, consistently applying sunscreen, or licorice extract under the eyes could help reduce swelling. Also using natural products like cucumbers or green tea bags over the eyes, because of the antioxidants in them help with toning and brightening! Facial massaging where you are pushing the fluid away from the area can help as well.

hopefully you have read this and gained a bit more knowledge on just why we go through this and even better, how to prevent and treat dark circles and under eye puffiness!

Feel free to drop some comments below if this was helpful or if you have questions or suggestions on the topic. ​