Panda eyes got you down? Those windows to your soul carrying a bit too much baggage? We’ve got bad news … and good news. What you can really do about dark circles and under-eye bags.
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One of the questions that get sent to Beautytap all the time is: "What can I do about dark circles and bags under my eyes?" Well, I have good news and bad news. The bad news? In most cases, there's not a whole lot you can do and the things that can be done are somewhat invasive. The good news? About half the things you can do are extremely easy.
Dark Circles
So what causes dark circles? There are different reasons. That's one of the main things that always makes me hesitant to answer, "What can I do about these dark circles?" because I can't know exactly why you have them. There can be several factors, and I can't tell without seeing you or asking about your background.
The first cause I'm going to talk about is the one that sucks the most: genetics. Sometimes we just get the crap end of the stick when it comes to dark circles and Grandma passed them on to us. It can be caused by genetic hyperpigmentation, which can be common in some Desi populations, or from skin being so pale that the capillaries underneath just sort of shine through.
If genetics is the cause, there's really not a whole lot we can do about it other than cosmetically cover them with a good concealer. There's this awesome red concealer trick for darker skin tones, which works magic, but avoid this if you're pale because you're going to look insane. The pale pandas are going to want to stick with a lighter color correction like Skinfood's Salmon Dark Circle Concealer, which is a pale peachy corrector that's more in step with your natural skin tone. If you're looking for more of a reflective deflection away from the dark circles, be sure to check out that Iope Easy Fitting Concealer or even Missha Eye Brightener if you're on a strict budget. Both are great concealers that reflect the light, therefore minimizing the harshness of darkness.
Under-Eye Bags
As for bags, again if genetics are the cause, you're really out of luck. In extreme cases you can have plastic surgery to remove the fatty pads that cause the bags, but if you're young, why would you do this? Don't you know that K-pop stars pay good money for those aegyosal eyes? 😉
If you're older and have serious "baggage," it's because those fatty pads that once made your eyes look plump and youthful have slipped down and created a pocket. Again surgery is really the only true intervention that's going to give results.
Invasive intervention is also the only thing that can help another common cause: your face shape. If you have naturally sunken eyes or if you're older and have lost volume in the skin under your eyes, injectable fillers can help plump up the area and help those black and purple nightmares be less prominent (and in some cases get rid of them altogether). This is less hardcore than surgery, but it's also temporary, lasting only about six to eleven months at a time.
Another option is seeking treatment with an IPL laser. These are commonly used for laser hair removal and even treatment of sun damage. They're less commonly but increasingly used to also break down the dark pigment under the eyes and some people have gotten really excellent results from them. Of course, like any cosmetic procedure there are risks involved, so read up on this before jumping into it.
Lymphatic massage
After all this Debbie Downer, there is some hope. If your circles and bags are caused by allergies or illness, a lymphatic drainage massage can be a real booster here. Those prone to allergies will sometimes get puffy eyes as a result; the buildup of lymphatic fluids around the eyes can be “pushed” away and made to drain with a simple technique. This video is a really good tutorial on how to get things moving.
Just my own personal opinion here: She suggests adding coconut oil to your eye cream for slip. Unless you know for sure you're OK with coconut oil, I'd avoid that. It can be highly comedogenic for some people and might contribute to milia (those tiny little seeds around the eyes some people get). But do use a facial oil that you know your skin plays nicely with, as adding slip to your massage is going to drastically cut down on any pulling or dragging, which is always our main goal when working with the eye area! As a matter of fact, I recommend only using your outer two fingers (ring and pinky) for this technique, as they're your weakest fingers.
Sleep!
Another thing you can do is rest well. If you're not sleeping, you're making things so much worse than they have to be. You know exactly what your poor eyes look like if you don't sleep well. We've all been there. Even the most bright-eyed and bushy tailed among us can look like a straight-up trash panda after an all-nighter. (Rummaging through garbage cans not included.)
Topicals
Of course, a good eye cream is always something you can benefit from, and even if it doesn't totally disappear those circles, it certainly can't hurt. Look for something well formulated and light. Hyaluronic acid is a great ingredient to look for, as it plumps up the skin, which can help in cases of minor volume loss. It also has the added benefit of minimizing fine lines, which always helps when addressing the eye area.
You could go hardcore and seek out creams containing hydroquinone, which is a proven skin lightener, but I really don't like the idea of using something like that in the delicate eye area. Some may disagree, but it kind of squicks me out because that is a mad harsh ingredient and ain't nobody tryin’ to look like the current Sammy Sosa under their eyes.
Arbutin is a much gentler alternative, and I would personally seek that out instead. My go-to under-eye cream ingredient is licorice root, which is found in my fav SanDaWha Intensive Eye Contour Cream. Licorice root contains an active compound called glabridin, which may also help diminish the appearance of dark under-eye circles, discoloration, and age spots. Out of all the eye creams I've tried, this one has been my favorite. I also like that it comes in a squeeze tube so that it's not easily contaminated. You don't want to mess around with contamination when it comes to your eyes! SanDaWha Intensive Eye Contour Cream is what I recommend to my friends the most when they ask me what I would suggest for them, and dear reader, it's what I suggest for you.
So what have we learned? Mostly that those damn circles likely aren't your fault, and that you do have options. My wish is that this article gives you some perspective and most importantly, some hope!
Do you suffer from dark circles, under-eye bags, or both? What have you found that helps diminish — or at least diminish the appearance of — those issue? Share your secrets with the K-beauty community in the comments below!
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