How Can You Treat Bags Under Your Eyes + How To Treat Dark Circles

Chances are, if you're a human being, you've experienced dark circles and/or under eye bags at least a few times in your life. There are so many products and gadgets on the market designed to treat them, but sometimes it's hard to tell whether the ingredients are (1) anything different than what's in your regular face moisturizer, (2) safe, especially for use around your eyes (hello, sensitive area), or (3) if they even work.

Here we're sharing the causes of dark circles & under-eye bags, mainstream ingredients used to treat them (& their downsides) and a little about our Eye Elixir, a nontoxic eye cream that addresses both under eye bags and dark circles.

What Causes Dark Circles?

First, let's get into what dark circles really are - the hyperpigmentation (darkening of skin) under the eyes and/or the thinning of skin under the eye so our blood vessels underneath are more visible. Let's get into causes of dark circles. 

1. Genetics. Yep, unfortunately it's true. There is a strong genetic component to having dark circles, so don't beat yourself up about it if you've been prone to them your whole life.

2. Darker skin tones. Again, out of your control, but the more active melanin you've got, the more likely you are to experience hyperpigmentation in general.

3. Sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep leads to dull, pale skin, and an uptick in cortisol production to keep you awake. Cortisol increases blood volume and blood pressure, so you're more likely to experience swelling & darkening of the vessels below the thin skin of your eye area.

4. Stress. Since cortisol plays a role in circulation (see #3), prolonged chronic stress is also another contributing factor to dark circles.

5. Natural aging process. As you age, your skin becomes thinner. That means the vessels below the skin of your eye area will become more and more visible over time.

6. Eye strain. Staring at screens all day? The increased blood flow to your eye region to help you see can cause dark circles.

7. Allergies. Ever experienced itchy, watery, dry or puffy eyes during springtime blooming? Well, dark circles are another one of those allergy side effects that happens when you body is releasing histamines.

8. Dehydration. A lack of sufficient water will cause a lot of skin changes, one of which being a sunken appearance, especially around the eyes.

9. Sun damage. A major cause of hyperpigmentation is excessive sun exposure! And if you're already prone to dark circles, spending too much time in the sun will make it worse.

10. Liver disease. A more serious cause of persistent, pronounced dark circles could be early liver disease. It's always a good idea to see your doctor if you're concerned about this one.

What Causes Under Eye Bags?

Now, what about under-eye bags or puffiness? While dark circles & under-eye bags often go together - and there's certainly some overlap in the causes - sometimes they appear independently of one another.

Under-eye bags are caused by an accumulation of fluid around the eyes. Here are a few common causes:

1. Genetics. Again, some people are just more prone to under-eye bags than others. Don't get down on yourself!

2. Sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can cause you to retain water around the eyes.

3. Natural aging process. As you age, the muscles around your eyes weaken, and normal fat in your eye region can settle into the under eye area.

4. Alcohol & tobacco. Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can absolutely contribute to fluid retention in the whole body, especially so in the face and around the eyes.

5. Excessive salt intake. Eating super salty foods will cause your body to retain water, and it can show in your eyes!

6. Poor lymphatic drainage. Our lymphatic system runs parallel to the circulatory system, but it doesn't have a pump. Our lymph nodes act as filters or valves, but we have to move our bodies (think: exercise) and our skin (think: Lymphatic Drainage) to get it to move around and not accumulate in one place. A very common place for lymph to become stagnant is the face, causing symptoms like clogged pores, dull skin, breakouts, and yes, puffy eyes!

7. Sun damage. Excessive sun exposure can do permanent damage to the collagen that keeps your under eyes firm.

8. Allergies & sinus problems. Swelling in the sinuses is likely to cause swelling under the eyes.

9. Sleeping in your eye makeup. In addition to staining your pillows, not washing off your makeup can cause eye irritation (especially if you're using conventional beauty products) and therefore eye inflammation and puffiness.

How Can You Treat Under Eye Bags + Dark Circles Holistically?

So first, let's get to the lifestyle changes you can make to treat both dark circles & puffy eye bags:

1. Prioritize a good night's sleep.
2. Manage your stress healthily. 
3. Monitor your salt intake.
4. Stay hydrated.
5. Don't smoke & minimize alcohol intake.
6. Address allergies & sinus problems.
7. Take off your makeup every night before bed, and use a gentle, alcohol-free makeup remover like ours.
8. Wear sunscreen and minimize time in direct sun.
9. Eat foods naturally rich in antioxidants.
10. Add lymphatic drainage to your routine.

Why We Don't Like Retinoids + Bleaching Products For Eye Bags + Dark Circles

Pretty obvious, right? The challenge comes when we look at recommendations for topical skincare products to combat dark circles & under-eye bags.

Dermatologists & conventional beauty recommends the use of retinoids. Retinoids are a class of ingredients chemically related to and/or derived from Vitamin A. They are commonly used to treat acne and to reduce the visible signs of aging.

The problem with retinoids is that they can cause something called "retinoid dermatitis" - redness, scaliness, flakiness, dryness, and itchiness. Plus, according to the Environmental Working Group, retinol can cause cellular changes that interfere with cell signaling, create cell mutations, and cell death. They may also contribute to cardiovascular diseases. You won't find any retinoids in Bright Body products.

Conventional beauty recommends the use of skin bleaching products. 😳 Even if we put aside the obvious racist & colorist implications of bleaching products, can we just all agree that this is not addressing the underlying issue and is just disrupting the skin?!

Caveat - there are some natural and safe whole plant ingredients high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories can provide a mild, brightening effect, and those are fine.

The key? Always, always, always think about what exactly your products are doing and how they are doing it! Does the product contain antioxidant-rich ingredients that might promote brightness? Or does it rely on harsher bleaching agents that aggressively alter the skin?

Best Cream For Dark Circles and Puffy Eyes

So, what ingredients treat dark circles & puffy eyes topically that are safe and gentle? You'll find all of these types of ingredients in our Eye Elixir.

• Antioxidant-rich ingredients. Antioxidant-rich whole plant ingredients can work wonders to reduce the appearance of dark circles and de-puff under eye bags.
  
  
• Caffeine. Ingredients containing caffeine can help constrict the blood vessels under the surface of your thin skinned eye area, thereby reducing the appearance of dark circles. I much prefer using the source of the caffeine as a whole part of the formula since they're loaded with benefits broader than caffeine. In our Eye Serum, you'll find both green tea and green tea extract!

• Herbal extracts. Of course it depends on the mechanics of the herb we're talking about, but choosing plant-based extracts that promote microcirculation, cellular turnover & regeneration, and with strong antioxidant action are great ingredients to fight dark circles and puffy eyes. You'll find ginseng extract, gotu kola extract, and thyme extract in our Eye Serum.

• Moisturizing ingredients. Moisture refers to the oil content of a formula. Products with nourishing plant-derived oils help maintain the health of your skin barrier - the skin around your eyes is already so delicate, so nourishing with high quality moisture can support your skin's natural ability to flush out puffiness and reduce dark circles. Hemp seed and rosehip oils are the moisturizing ingredients in our Eye Serum.
  
  
• BONUS: Hyaluronic Acid (medium or high molecular weight). A powerful ingredient that binds water to skin's surface, while hyaluronic acid doesn't necessarily address puffiness or dark circles, it DOES plump fine lines and wrinkles. Since initial studies have shown that low molecular weight HA is pro-inflammatory, we're partial to high molecular weight HA. You'll find high weight HA in our Eye Serum.

Until next time,

Gabi Day