Do you ever wake up with puffy eyes or dark circles? Join the club. So many of us find ourselves looking more tired in the mornings than we did the night before. And even though puffy eyes make you seem sleepy, they aren’t always caused by a lack of sleep.
There are many factors that may cause dark circles under your eyes, ranging from health such as genetics, allergies or medications, or even your habits.
And according to dermatologists, some of your morning habits might actually make puffy eyes appear worse. We spoke to some experts to find out what not to do when combatting dark circles.
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According to Dr. Marisa Garshick, MD FAAD, a board-certified dermatoligist from New York, the way you wash your face in the morning can make your eyes seem more puffy. It might seem counterintuitive that proper skincare can be damaging, yet it's true!
Dr. Garshick mostly warns against using a harsh soap or cleanser.
She said, "While many like to cleanse their skin in the morning to help prep it for the day, vigorous rubbing or using a cleanser that is too harsh for the skin, especially around the eye area can lead to irritation, puffiness and worsen the appearance of dark circles."
Plus, there are other seemingly beneficial skincare steps that can make your dark under-eye circles seem worse. Dr. Garshick said that retinoids can dry out the skin near your eyes and make them appear more puffy - even though these ingredients are meant to rejuvenate the skin.
"While it’s not exactly used in the morning, using a retinoid too close to the eyes overnight can actually worsen puffiness the next morning, as it can contribute to dryness or irritation of the skin," Dr. Garshick explained.
