How to reduce dark circles under eyes

What causes dark circles?

There are a few different causes for dark circles. One is a lack of sleep, leaving skin looking pale and dull giving the appearance of dark under eye circles. Sleep deprivation can also cause the veins under your eyes to dilate slightly, leading to temporarily darker skin under your eyes. Unfortunately for some of us, dark circles can be hereditary, with some people simply predisposed to dark circles despite getting a healthy amount of sleep.

External factors can also play a part in darkening the under-eye area, such as drinking too much alcohol or eating a diet that’s high in sugar or salt. These behaviours can worsen the appearance of dark circles, especially if the skin isn’t getting the nourishing nutrients it needs in the form of skin care products.

The outdoors plays an important role too, with both sun exposure and air pollutants able to drastically affect the condition of the skin.

Not sure how to remove dark eye circles? Read our short guide below.

How to get rid of dark circles

Do you want the expert advice from Clarins on how to reduce dark circles under eyes? We recommend a 3 step approach. The first step - give yourself a health check-up. Are you getting enough sleep? Are you drinking enough water? Could you potentially cut back on alcohol, smoking or caffeine? All these habits can exacerbate dark circles, so try and create healthier habits for brighter, wide awake eyes. The second step - use an eye cream to reduce puffiness, brighten and tone the area. We recommend using an eye cream from a skincare range tailored to your age group for best results. Finally, use a brightening eye primer and smoothing concealer to cover up dark circles and any evidence of lack of sleep.

A top tip from the team - keep your eye cream in the fridge for the ultimate cooling treat for tired eyes.

What is the best eye cream for dark circles?

If you’re wondering how to treat dark circles with an eye cream, look for a product that targets dark circles by cooling the area, which also helps take down any stubborn puffiness and improves drainage too. With ingredients to smooth and brighten the surrounding skin, our Eye Contour Gel is soothing, cooling and non-oily, with wild rose extract to tackle toxins, puffiness and dark circles. For an intensive hydrating treat, our Hydra-Essentiel Moisturizing Reviving Eye Mask reduces the signs of dehydration and fatigue for brighter, lighter eyes. For really stubborn dark circles, try our Mission Perfection Eye SPF15, our colour correcting eye cream designed to minimise the appearance of blue/dark circles under the eye. With acerola to stunt pigmentation and horse chestnut to even tone, simply apply and blend to cover dark circles, finishing with a light concealer over the top.

For more age-targeted eye creams, Clarins has a range of cooling and brightening products that support skin radiance through each phase of your life. In your 30s? Our Multi-Active eye cream uses plant extracts – a nourishing combination of Organic Teasel and Horse Chestnut – to help detoxify the skin and reduce dark circles. This cream is perfect for toning and smoothing, with a supercooling cryo-metallic tip which revives and brightens, sending dark circles packing. As your skin matures into your 40s, our best-selling Extra-Firming eye uses Kangaroo Flower to firm the eye area with each application, leaving eyes radiant and bright while reducing the appearance of wrinkles. For your 50s and beyond, our Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate is our most powerful eye concentrate yet, tackling crows feet and leaving skin firmer, brighter and more youthful. The key ingredients? Extracts of Guarana – which contains twice the concentration of caffeine found in coffee seeds for a powerful wake up call to rival your morning espresso – and Harungana which helps to redensify the skin and reduce sagging.

For men, the Anti-Fatigue Eye Serum is the perfect choice for reducing puffiness and dark circles, leaving eyes fresh and rejuvenated - like 8 hours sleep in a bottle.

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