How to Get a Grip On Dark Undereye Circles

Photo: Laurent Darmon/Trunk 

You can get a blowout, throw on a pair of sophisticated pumps, and press extra blush into your cheeks, but there’s one thing that consistently gives away just how tired you feel: dark undereye circles. Whether they haunt you the morning after a late-night rager, or every single day, they’re enough to drive some women to very expensive eye creams, or even fillers. But what really causes them? And is there anyway to get rid of them without such drastic (and costly) measures?

First of all, not all undereye circles are created equally. “There are two main causes of undereye circles,” says Dr. Jeannette Graf, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at The Mount Sinai Medical Center. “One type of dark circle is genetic and caused by pigmentation; they tend to be brown in color. The other, and most common type of undereye circle, is caused by dilated blood vessels, which have blue-ish and/or purple-ish tints. That’s a vascular issue that can be caused by lack of sleep, diet, even allergies.”

Ok great, but how do we make them go away?

Get some rest: “The number one thing is to get enough sleep,” advises Dr. Graf. “If you can’t, find time to meditate, or some other way to refresh your body. “ In other words, turn off the TV and practice your yoga moves. 

Cool eye packs: We told you we loved eye masks! “Cool eye packs cause vasoconstriction, forcing dilated blood vessels to become smaller,” says Dr. Graf. Store yours in the fridge and rest it over your eyes as soon as you wake up.

Have some tea: The old chilled tea bag trick does a lot of good. “The flavonoids and caffeine in black and green teas are great anti-inflammatories,” Dr. Graf explains. Brew a cup or a pot, and then pop the drained tea bags in the fridge to cool so you can use them as compresses a little later.

Slice up some vegetables: Cool slices of cucumber placed under the eye are a beauty mainstay because they really work, drawing sodium from the body and reducing puffiness and irritation. Dr. Graf has another vegetable favorite: cool slices of potato. “They contain enzymes that help with dark undereye circles and inflammation.” Slice them up, place the slices under your eyes for up to 15 minutes, and relax.

Brighten up your eye cream: A brightening eye cream, like Clinique All About Eyes Rich or Ole Henriksen Total Truth Vitamin C Eye Crème with SPF 15, is key to lightening up dark circles. Look for soothing formulas with anti-redness and antioxidant properties like Vitamin C—and try storing them in the fridge.

Give yourself a massage: Eye creams gain added benefit when applied the right way. “Massaging your eye creams on in an upward and outward fashion helps stimulate circulation,” says Dr. Graf, who also suggests massaging gently under the eyebrows and around the nasal bridge for added effect.

Break up the pigment: If your dark circles are genetic, you’ll want to use a brightening product that can help dissipate the collection of melanin in that area. Dr. Graf is a fan of the Glytone ENERPEEL, an in-office peel that can be used to break up pigmentation under the eyes and around the mouth. At home, Philosophy Eye Hope? Multitasking Eye Cream For Dark Circles, Puffiness & Lines delivers great results when used regularly along with a good eye cream with SPF, like Skinceuticals Physical Eye UV Defense SPF 50.

Watch your diet: “Most of the time, the issue is caused by dehydration,” explains Dr. Graf. “Lack of water in the body causes microcirculation to back up under the skin, so your job is to get everything moving again.” Drinking lots of water and eating foods rich in hydration like cucumber, melons and tomatoes will help get things moving in the right direction. Also, avoid sodium, processed sugar and alcohol. 

Get moving: The last thing you can do to get rid of undereye circles? Hit the gym. “Anything that stimulates lymphatic drainage is great, so exercise is the perfect way to help stimulate the body,” advises Dr. Graf. Just be sure to end your workout a few hours before you have to hit the sack, or you could have problems sleeping, which starts the vicious cycle all over again.