Choose the Best Eye Cream for Dark Circles

If you’re looking for ways to get rid of dark under-eye circles, here are a few ways to fight them including specific recommendations for the best eye cream for dark circles.

We’ve all been there. Late nights, early mornings— the results of a glamorous lifestyle often show up in unglamorous ways. In addition to lack of sleep, drinking too much alcohol— and compensating for it by drinking too much coffee— is a one-way ticket to raccoon eyes (or panda eyes, depending on your preference). But factors such as heredity, aging, and even allergies can contribute to dark under eye circles, too. Either way, dark circles can make you exhausted, whether you’ve had your nightly eight hours of sleep or not.

Know Thy Enemy: Causes of Dark Circles Under Eyes 

There are several things that could be causing your dark under eye circles. If you’ve been maintaining the lifestyle of a rockstar (think Alice Cooper, not Chris Martin), you may want to rethink your habits before stocking your cabinet with lotions and potions. Healthy, balanced living can do a lot of the work for you when it comes to your skin. Lack of sleep can make your skin seem paler and cause dark circles to stand out more prominently. Staying up—or staying out—too late doesn’t just make you “look tired,” it can decimate your immune system, causing nasty colds or flaring up allergies that can create panda eyes.

Some people, however, are just born with dark circles under their eyes, or acquire them with age. Not an inheritance one is likely to be happy with, that’s for sure. No one likes to be told that they “look tired” when they feel perfectly fine. For those of us that suffer from these through genetics or fate, dark circles are caused by a couple of primary factors. One is skin pigmentation: men and women with olive or dark skin types are especially prone to dark circles under their eyes, although it occurs in all skin tones.

Another, more common factor is dilated blood vessels. These tiny capillaries lie close to the surface of thin under-eye skin. When irritated by external factors like allergies they become more prominent and cause that shadowy, purple boxer look anyone with chronic dark circles knows well. While skin pigmentation and dilated blood vessels can be helped by using a good SPF suitable for the sensitive facial skin (or wearing sunglasses outdoors) or controlling your allergies, finding a “cure” for dark under-eye circles is often a matter of trial and error.

If you aren’t quite sure why you have chronic “panda eyes” or good sun-care just doesn’t do the trick, here are a few ingredients to look for—and products that have them—that can help minimize the problem.

Vitamin-C in Under Eye Cream for Dark Circles

“Taking your vitamins” is so common that it’s almost boring. Everyone knows that Vitamin-C can help fight off the common cold, but few realize how beneficial it can be to the skin, especially when it comes to dark circles. A Japanese study may have found that sodium ascorbate, a source of Vitamin C, can “thicken” the thin, fragile skin under the eye, increasing collagen production while concealing dark circles caused by dilated blood vessels. This study gives us a good hint about what to look for in under eye cream for dark circles. Simply put, Vitamin C puffs up the skin you’ve got, making it harder to see the blood underneath. This is one of the main strategies of under-eye circle creams and serums.

Combining common sense skincare with the dark-circle diminishing properties of Vitamin C is Temptu’s Under Eye Concealer. A thin, narrow stick of concealer designed to provide maximum coverage to the under-eye area, this product will cover up your circles instantly. At the same time as it disguises your dark circles, it also helps to treat them: vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as cucumber and aloe, combine to revitalize under-eye skin. For those with mild dark circles, this could be the answer.

For more pernicious dark circles, skin wünderkind Shiseido may have the answer at only a marginally higher price. Containing the tried-and-true circle buster Vitamin-C, Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Eye Treatment targets dark circles head-on. Designed specifically for under-eye circles, this lightweight cream also contains “Spot Deacti Complex,” which Shiseido claims increases melanin production and improves microcirculation to reduce pigmentation and clear up restricted blood vessels. It also contains a cosmetic brightening powder that gives the skin around the eyes a little luster. If you’ve battled dark circles under eyes for a while, it might be time to choose a product, such as this, that is specifically formulated to treat them.

Welcome to the Jungle– Brazilian Suma for Dark Under Eye Circles

In addition to jaguars and macaws, the Amazon rainforest is home to an arsenal of seemingly magic plants. From the anti-oxidant rich (and extremely fashionable) açai berry to the cocoa tree, the rich land along the Amazon basin is a veritable enchanted forest, promising everything from weight loss to flawless skin—much of it backed by facts.

What can the rainforest do for panda eyes? The Mayo Clinic recently reported a study from the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology about the effects of Brazilian suma on under-eye circles.

“Although the precise mechanisms related to PPLAC remain to be clarified, our results indicate that the reduction in the inflammatory process as well as the antioxidant protection against deleterious elements may be considered as an integral approach to preserve the integrity of vascular endothelium, preventing the hemodynamic congestion that culminates in the formation of “dark circles” around the eyes.”

Source: Eberlin, S., Del Carmen Velazquez Pereda, M., De Campos Dieamant, G., Nogueira, C., Werka, R. M. and De Souza Queiroz, M. L. (2009), Effects of a Brazilian herbal compound as a cosmetic eyecare for periorbital hyperchromia (“dark circles”). Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 8: 127–135. doi: 10.1111/j.1473-2165.2009.00438.x

Brazilian suma comes from the root of a vine used in traditional medicine. Its nickname in Portuguese is ‘para tudo,’ which basically means ‘cure-all,’ as it’s used to treat a variety of ailments. Unfortunately, this cure-all isn’t used in many reliably reviewed products yet.

However, its riverbank-dwelling cousin, called camu camu, might be just as good. Containing one of the highest natural concentrations of Vitamin C, camu camu may not sound familiar, but Brazilians have been getting their daily vitamins in the form of camu camu-flavored ice cream for years. While putting ice cream on your face isn’t advisable and a trip to Brazil may be prohibitively expensive, the Body Shop produces a moisturizing eye roll-on serum full of camu camu and other good things for the skin, like  aloe, and vitamin E. This Vitamin C Eye Reviver Duo comes in a handy lipgloss-like tube with two ends: one with a rollerball said to refresh the eyes, the other a wand to apply a cream the Body Shop claims will diminish dark eye circles. Reviews are generally good, especially from those who suffer from a combination of dark circles and puffy eyes. It’s not a concealer, though, so you might not see results right away.

Battle the Appearance of Aging with the Best Eye Cream for Dark Circles

As we grow older, the sensitive skin under our eyes grows thinner, and the “hollows” between cheekbones and eyes become more defined. This can exacerbate already dark circles and cast shadows on the area, making them darker still. As with any type of skin—young or mature—your face should be kept moisturized and protected from the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays which can speed up the aging process. A wide range of anti-dark circle products are made with mature skin in mind, targeting the pigmentation that causes dark circles and other signs of aging.

Retinol, a chemical compounds related to Vitamin A, works to plump up tired-looking skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It speeds up cell turnover, which reduces discoloration by allowing “new skin” to appear, and boosts collagen production.

Roc, a popular skincare line whose slogan is a confidence-inducing “We keep our promises,” produced a Retinol Correxion Eye Cream formulated specifically for the sensitive skin around the eyes to reduce dark circles and minimize the appearance of fine lines. At an affordable price of around $15-$20, it’s definitely worth a try. When using a retinoid, however, it’s important to regularly and diligently use sunscreen, as it can make your skin particularly sun-sensitive. Of course, it you’re trying to avoid dark circles, you’re probably using an SPF anyway!

How To Get Rid of Dark Circles Under Eyes

Dark circles happen for a number of reasons– from hard partying to a combination of hereditary factors. A common-sense approach to any skincare product is key to getting the results you want. Become a dedicated label-reader: find out what’s in a product before you buy it. Do a little research. Find out what ingredients are known to get rid of dark circles and stick to hard facts rather than fancy packaging. Armed with a little caution and some serious data– along with the best under eye cream for dark circles– you’ll be one step closer to busting some serious panda butt.

Incoming search terms:

• brazilian suma eye serum
• dark circles under eyes brazilian suma
• brazilian suma eye cream
• brazilian suma dark circles
• brazilian suma dark circle cream which brand od the best
• body shop eye cream dark circles
• under eye gel for dark circles
• the best eye cream for dark circles
• dark eye cream with suma
• dark under eye circles brazilian suma