Dark Circles

What Are Dark Circles?

Dark circles are shadowy, darker areas under the eyes. They can look brown, blue-purple, or simply shadowed, and they often make a face look tired even after a full night's sleep. Dark circles are rarely about one thing: extra pigment, visible blood vessels under thin skin, hollows that cast shadows, and puffiness can all play a part. Knowing which type you have tells you which ingredients will fade the look best.

Why Dark Circles Show Up

A comprehensive 2016 review by Sarkar and colleagues describes several overlapping reasons:

The review also notes that UV exposure aggravates dark circles, while lack of sleep, stress, alcohol, and smoking are often mentioned but have not been clinically proven as causes (Sarkar and colleagues, 2016).

Find your type at home

• Stretch test: gently stretch the skin under the eye. If the color stays, it is mostly pigment. If it lightens or looks bluish, blood vessels or thin skin are part of it.
• Light test: look in a mirror under an overhead light, then tilt your face up toward it. A shadow that fades when light hits the area directly is structural.
• Time test: if the darkness is worse in the morning and improves by afternoon, puffiness is involved.

Dark circles that appear suddenly, on one side only, or with swelling, discomfort, or other changes should be checked by a doctor.

The At-Home Routine for the Look of Dark Circles

Morning

1. Cool eye serum or cream, kept in the refrigerator, tapped along the orbital bone.
2. Sunscreen around the eyes, plus sunglasses outdoors.
3. Color correct if you like: a peach or salmon corrector under concealer cancels blue-purple tones; a light-reflecting concealer softens shadows.

Evening

1. Remove makeup gently. Rubbing the eye area adds to pigment over time.
2. Eye cream with peptides and brightening ingredients.
3. Sleep with your head slightly raised if mornings are puffy.

Ingredients That Help, by Type

For shadows and thin skin: Haloxyl and firming peptides

Haloxyl combines chrysin, a flavonoid, with N-hydroxysuccinimide and the two palmitoyl peptides found in Matrixyl 3000. It is used at 1% to 3% in eye products for the look of under-eye shadows. In the manufacturer's 56-day user study, 70% of participants reported a noticeable improvement in the appearance of under-eye discoloration (supplier data). Firming peptides support the look of thicker, smoother skin, which makes blood vessels show through less.

For hollows: volumizing ingredients

Adipofill-in is an encapsulated amino acid designed for the look of lost fullness. In Lucas Meyer's 2-month split-face study of 20 women aged 40 to 60, a 2% cream measurably reduced the look of fold depth on the face (supplier data). Formulators add it to eye-area products for the look of softer hollows.

For puffiness: acetyl tetrapeptide-5

If your circles sit under a puffy area, EyeSeryl (acetyl tetrapeptide-5) helps that part. In the manufacturer's testing of 20 women aged 18 to 65, 70% showed at least a 30% improvement in the look of under-eye puffiness by day 15 (supplier data). See our puffy eyes guide.

For pigment: brighteners and sunscreen

Vitamin C, alpha arbutin, licorice, and niacinamide are used for the look of brown discoloration. The Sarkar review describes a six-month split-face study in which 10% vitamin C lotions lightened the look of dark circles, mainly by increasing dermal thickness. Daily sun protection keeps pigment from deepening.

Skip lemon juice and other DIY acids near the eyes. The skin here is thin and easily irritated, and irritation can make pigment look worse.

Realistic Timelines

• Instantly: color correcting and cooling.
• 2 to 4 weeks: puffiness peptides showed changes by day 15 in supplier testing.
• 2 months and beyond: Haloxyl was measured at 56 days, volumizers at 2 months, and vitamin C over 6 months.

Genetic, deeply pigmented circles change slowly. A dermatologist can advise on in-office options if you want faster results.

How to Choose an Eye Product for Dark Circles

• Match the product to your type. Shadows and thin skin: Haloxyl and firming peptides. Hollows: volumizers. Puffiness: acetyl tetrapeptide-5. Brown pigment: brighteners plus sunscreen.
• Most people have more than one type, so an all-in-one eye cream that combines several ingredients is a practical choice.
• Choose fragrance-free formulas for the eye area.
• Sensitive eyes or skin: patch test on the inner arm for 24 hours, start at the lowest recommended rate, and keep products out of the eyes.

Products in This Collection

• Uplift Eye Cream: ready to use, with Haloxyl, alpha arbutin, and licorice for the look of dark circles, Regu-Age for puffiness, Pepha-Tight for firmness, and Argireline, Snap-8, and Matrixyl 3000 for fine lines.
• Haloxyl Eye Peptide Booster: for DIY formulators, blend at 3%, the highest recommended rate, which is 27 drops per ounce of eye serum or cream.
• EyeSeryl Peptide Booster: blend at up to 10%, 90 drops per ounce, when puffiness comes with your circles. It contains no preservative, so add one to your finished blend.
• Dermafill Wrinkle Filler: Adipofill-in booster for the look of hollows under the eyes and on the cheeks.

For an ingredient-by-ingredient look, read our guide to eye serums for dark circles, and if bags come with your circles, see our under-eye bags guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes dark circles under the eyes?

Dark circles come from one or more of four things: extra pigment, blood vessels showing through thin skin, shadows from hollowing under the eye, and puffiness. Genetics, aging, sun exposure, and rubbing the eyes all play a part.

Can dark circles be permanently removed?

Some types, especially inherited pigment and deep hollows, are long-term features. Topicals can fade their look and brighten the area, and results last as long as you keep up the routine and sun protection.

Do eye creams work for dark circles?

The right eye cream can reduce how dark circles look, especially when it matches your type. In supplier testing, 70% of users of Haloxyl reported a noticeable improvement in under-eye discoloration after 56 days.

Does lack of sleep cause dark circles?

Poor sleep is often blamed, and it can make the eye area look more tired, but a 2016 review notes that sleep has not been clinically proven as a cause. Genetics, thin skin, and hollows are better-documented reasons.

Why are my dark circles getting worse with age?

With age, under-eye skin thins and the area loses fullness, so blood vessels show more and hollows cast deeper shadows. Sun exposure adds pigment over the years.

What is the best ingredient for dark circles?

It depends on the type: Haloxyl and firming peptides for shadows and thin skin, volumizers for hollows, acetyl tetrapeptide-5 for puffiness, and brighteners with sunscreen for brown pigment. Many people get the best results from a combination.

Sources

• Sarkar R, Ranjan R, Garg S, Garg VK, Sonthalia S, Bansal S. Periorbital hyperpigmentation: a comprehensive review. Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. 2016;9(1):49-55. JCAD article
• Haloxyl manufacturer 56-day user study, as reported on the Skin Perfection product page (supplier data).
• Acetyl tetrapeptide-5 (EyeSeryl) manufacturer efficacy dossier, as reported on the Skin Perfection product page (supplier data).
• Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, Adipofill'in brochure (supplier data).

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

About the Author
Written by Kari Thomas, cosmetic formulator and founder of Skin Perfection.