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Under eye bags can be caused by genetics, lack of sleep, or even stress, but the look is always the same–deep purple shading underneath your eyes, giving away your utter exhaustion and adding shadows to your face. If you struggle with under eye bags, you likely know that the worst ones refuse to even be hidden away by layers of cakey concealer and artful makeup application.
So, instead of slathering your face in makeup, it’s best to treat your skin from the source. However, while there are a number of great products on the market to diminish dark circles, there are just as many ‘tips’ floating around the internet that could actually make your discoloration worse. On your journey to better skin, dermatologists warn this is the worst thing you could be doing to treat your under eye bags.
You may have finally located the perfect under eye cream that will treat both puffiness and pigmentation, however, how you apply your product can make just as much of an impact as the formula itself. Licensed Aesthetician with AM Aesthetics, Andrea McCollough explains that the worst mistake you could make for your under eye bags is being too rough in your cream application. “Being too rough with the delicate skin around the eyes can cause tiny blood vessels beneath the skin to break, in turn causing/worsening dark circles and under-eye bags,” she says.
Instead, you should be applying your under eye cream with a light touch, careful not to tug or pull at the delicate skin. “You should use your ring or pinky finger to apply eye cream, gently patting it in,” suggests McCollough. Your ring and pinky finger naturally apply less pressure than your other fingers, and patting instead of rubbing will help your skin absorb the product without tugging and potentially irritating your bags further.
If the circles under your eyes are primarily puffy insteads of darker in pigmentation, NYC Dermatologist Dr. Hadley King suggests using caffeine or a cold compress to your advantage to minimize the swelling. “Cold tea bag compresses can also be helpful because both the caffeine and the cold can constrict blood vessels, or try refrigerated spoons or cold cucumber slices,” she says. “Caffeine constricts blood vessels and can therefore reduce the amount of fluid accumulating.”
Treating your under eye bags requires the perfect combination of a soft touch and the right products, but just because your stress is reflected in your complexion right now doesn’t mean you can’t see major improvements over time. So long as you're careful not to tug at the skin and select a caffeine based cream to add to your daily lineup, the pigmentation and puffiness under your eyes won’t stand a chance against your skincare routine.
