The skin around the eyes is extra thin and sensitive. This delicate skin easily becomes unbalanced and develops problems. Here are tips on preventive measures and what you can do about milia, dark circles, and bags under the eyes.
Milia
What are milia and why do you get them?
Milia are small encapsulated white bumps (keratin cysts) that usually appear near the eyes or on the cheeks. They sit under the skin, consist of dead skin cells and encapsulated sebum, and have no outlet. So, they cannot be "squeezed out."
It is not entirely clear why milia occur, but they are usually due to unbalanced skin, either too dry or too oily. They can also develop if you use creams or oils that are too heavy, for example, a face cream that is too rich around the eye area.
What can you do about milia?
Use eye creams made specifically for that area, or light oils such as argan oil or camellia oil.
Do not apply oils like coconut oil, face creams, or ointments around the eyes that are too heavy for the thin skin. Trying to squeeze them out is pointless; instead, visit a skin therapist who can remove them without damaging the skin.
Dark circles under the eyes
Why do you get dark circles?
Dark circles under the eyes can have several causes. The most common is that the skin under the eyes, which is thin, becomes thinner with age or has become dehydrated, losing moisture and volume, making the underlying blood vessels more visible.
It can also be due to poor sleep, dehydration, iron deficiency, impaired liver function, or smoking, as smokers often have reduced blood circulation. When stressed, the face becomes paler, making the dark areas even more noticeable. Stress increases blood flow to the body's internal organs, causing the facial skin to appear paler.
Conceal dark circles with makeup
With the right method, it is perfectly possible to hide dark circles with makeup. Use orange under your concealer. It may sound strange, but orange cancels out black/dark tones, which are actually blue. Apply a thin layer of orange concealer followed by your regular concealer, and the circles will disappear! Color correcting with orange is great if you have trouble with gray showing through your concealer.
How to prevent dark circles under the eyes
Long-term, the best approach is to review your diet and lifestyle and ensure you use the right products around the eye area.
- Eye oil: Japanese Camellia Kissi Oil is a multifunctional facial oil that can also be used as an eye oil. It is dry and absorbs well into the skin.
- Eye cream for sensitive skin: i+m Naturkosmetik is a fragrance-free eye cream that provides moisture and nourishment for sensitive skin around the eyes.
- Eye cream for all skin types: 100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream contains, among other things, green coffee extract, vitamin C, vitamin E, and herbs, increasing circulation, reducing puffiness and dark circles.
- Eye cream with hyaluronic acid: Evolve 360 Eye and Lip Contour is a nourishing eye and lip cream that helps reduce wrinkles and dark circles.
- Luxury eye cream: a concentrated eye balm targeting the delicate area under the eyes to minimize puffiness and brighten dark circles.
Bags under the eyes
Why do you get bags under the eyes?
Bags under the eyes are often hereditary but can also be caused by poor sleep, allergies, or an improper diet. Age also plays a role as the skin becomes thinner and less elastic as we get older. A sugar-rich diet is also harmful because sugar makes our skin sag and age faster. The thinness of the skin around the eyes makes it very elastic, so fluid easily accumulates and appears as swelling, i.e., bags.
With dehydration, you can get not only dark circles but also bags. For example, drinking a lot of coffee, energy drinks, black tea, alcohol, or eating a salty diet is diuretic. The body then retains fluid as a counterbalance, which can cause edema under the eyes. Therefore, it is very important to drink enough water every day to prevent bags.
Make bags under the eyes less visible with makeup
Makeup tip! Applying concealer evenly under the eyes brightens the area but makes the puffiness just as noticeable. To make bags look less prominent, apply a light concealer (one shade lighter than your foundation) only on the darkest areas, e.g., on the "shadow" under the bag. By brightening the darkest areas, the skin tone under the eyes becomes more even, making the bags less visible.
Reduce bags and swelling around the eyes
Just like with dark circles, the best long-term solution is to review your diet and lifestyle and use the right products.
- Use 100% Pure hydrogel eye masks with active ingredients that brighten, reduce swelling, and hydrate the delicate skin around the eyes.
- Regularly perform a simple facial massage to reduce swelling. Facial massage resembles lymphatic drainage, which should be done with feather-light movements.
- Feel free to read the post with illustrations and videos: Lymphatic drainage on the face (also good for acne, rosacea).
Summary
In summary, to prevent and treat milia, dark circles, and bags under the eyes:
- Use products adapted to the eye area. Regular face creams are usually too heavy and have molecules too large to be absorbed by the thin skin around the eyes.
- Equally important is lifestyle. Eat a varied diet and drink enough water.
- Take care of any stress and sleep issues.
Feel free to read this article on how to optimize your sleep.
