What Causes Dark Circles Under Your Eyes?

Nobody wants to wake up and face the day looking like a bad impression of a panda. While those snuggly bamboo lovers can rock the dark patches, we’re not quite so lucky. When it’s not possible to log a full night’s sleep or dodge ‘you look tired’ comments, there can be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Enter natural eye creams: the secret to wide-eyed peepers. Follow along as we spy with our little eye treatments for under-eye circles plus the best eye creams that will send those pesky dark circles packing back to those cute, black and white bears.

If our eyes are the windows to our souls, we sure don’t want them giving all our secrets away! Though most of us associate sleep deprivation with discoloration under the eyes, the truth is those dismal dark circles are caused by a myriad of factors.

Let’s outline some of the most common causes of under-eye circles, so you can determine the best treatment option:

Lack of sleep

When you don’t get enough sleep (7 - 9 hours per night for most adults), fluid can build up underneath your eyes, causing the puffiness and discoloration that we associate with dark circles. If you’re experiencing under-eye circles because of a lack of sleep, the good news (albeit a challenge for some of us) is that you may be able to reverse the problem by getting into a regular sleep cycle.

Eye Strain

If you work in front of a computer or watch hours of television daily, you may be experiencing eye strain, which can lead to dark circles and hurt your vision. When your eyes become strained, the blood vessels enlarge under the skin, leading to discoloration of the area around your eyes.

Dehydration

Milk doesn’t just do the body good – adequate water intake does too! Dehydration can cause your under-eye area to become dull, hollow-looking, and discolored. And, if you find that you do drink plenty of water, perhaps it’s the other beverages - caffeine, alcohol, and other diuretics - you indulge in that could be to blame.

Hormonal fluctuations

Pregnant and menstruating women may also find that they experience dark circles underneath their eyes. If you often experience under-eye circles when you’re on your cycle, you may want to discuss this issue with a doctor, as in rare cases, there may be an underlying medical condition, such as iron deficiency or thyroid disorder causing the discoloration.

Age and genetic factors

As your skin matures, losing some of its natural strength and elasticity, it becomes more prone to dark circles. The delicate skin covering the under-eye area is also prone to becoming thinner and losing volume, which then leads to more obvious dark shadows.

Meanwhile, certain genetic factors may also make some individuals more prone to dark circles throughout their lives.

Our eyes are busy every second of the day. They can convey love, laughter, joy -- and unfortunately, dark circles. To ensure our precious peepers are presenting their best selves, it’s important to give the delicate eye area the TLC it needs and deserves by making some simple lifestyle adjustments.

Establish a regular sleep cycle

If you have trouble falling asleep at night, try stopping your screen time about an hour before bedtime. Focus on a relaxing activity that helps you unwind, such as reading or meditating. Make sure to get enough physical activity and sunlight during the day, and to eat your last meal at least 2-3 hours before going to sleep.

You can also help to revitalize your under-eye area while you sleep with our Retinol PM Eye Cream. This nourishing formula promotes production and boosts skin elasticity and firmness. It also features skin-plumping hyaluronic acid, vitamin E to deeply moisturize skin, and a blend of antioxidant-rich extracts and oils to repair daily damage and brighten skin.

Reduce eye strain

Try to take regular breaks from any screen time. If you wear glasses or contact lenses, visit your eye doctor annually to keep your prescription up-to-date. Blue-light blocking glasses are another great way to minimize eye strain and overexposure to sleep-disrupting blue light.

You can also counter the dark circle side-effects of eye strain using our Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream, which harnesses a triple dose of stimulating caffeine content - green coffee extract, green tea, and coffee cherry - to reduce puffiness and promote skin brightness.

Deemed the best eye cream for dark circles, Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream boosts circulation and lessens the fluid retention which causes puffiness. Vitamin E and nourishing rosehip oil deeply nourish delicate, dehydrated skin for bright and youthful eyes.

Drink plenty of water

We recommend keeping your skin cells quenched and plumped to their max by drinking plenty of water each day. It’s important to hydrate your under-eye area with a natural eye cream like our Super Fruit Oil Nourishing Eye Cream. This dual-action formula features nourishing super fruit oils that help repair and protect your precious skin while smoothing away fine lines and flakey, dry skin.

This eye cream is named for its high concentration of antioxidant-rich ingredients. Pomegranate fights sun damage and evens skin tone. Acai oil provides hydration and potent anti-aging benefits, while acerola supports collagen production in the skin.

‘Mask’ hormonal fluctuations

If you’re pregnant or on your menstrual cycle and looking for a little relief for your under-eye area, we recommend treating yourself to our Bright Eyes Masks. These gentle, cooling masks are the perfect solution to deeply quench thirsty skin, all while you sit back and let the eye mask do all the work.

Not only are these handy masks fun to use, but they can also be an incredibly skin-brightening treatment for your skin. With its soothing cucumber hydrosol and the triple boost of caffeine via green coffee beans, green tea, and yerba mate, your eyes are going to depuff and send dark circles packing.

Reduce the signs of aging

As your skin matures, losing some of its natural strength and elasticity, it becomes more prone to under-eye circles. Our Multi-Vitamin + Antioxidants PM Eye Treatment is an excellent first line of defense against dark circles, as well as some of the other signs of skin aging like fine lines, wrinkles, and discoloration.

This powerful formula is packed with potent ingredients like vitamin C and retinol, plus antioxidant-rich ingredients. This revolutionary oil-based formula is packed with the best vitamins for the skin and draws upon nutrient-dense oils from jojoba, avocado, rosehip, and green tea to enhance suppleness in the skin.

Now that you can identify the common causes of under-eye circles, it’s time to release you into the wilds of the world – and not with the pandas - armed with this knowledge. Using a natural eye cream and of course, improving some lifestyle habits may help you to get rid of dark circles for good.