Rav Rav
last year

What eye cream or serum do you recommend for Dark Circles?

Hi all,

Just need some advice if you recommend any eye creams or serum for dark circles? Any particular ingredients I should be looking out for? UK based products please ideally cruelty free :).

I've started using a 0.3% retinol serum but I'm not sure if that's okay to put under my eyes or not for dark circles? I did try it last night and it felt tingly and made my eyes water for a short while then it stopped.

I currently use an eye cream(Q+A) brand but it leaves a shiny/greasy look under my eyes which I hate and don't think it's really helping.

Q+A - Caffeine Eye Serum
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Revolution - Skincare 0.3% Retinol with Vitamins & Hyaluronic Acid Serum
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Unfortunately, topical skincare can't usually do much for dark circles unless they are caused by hyperpigmentation (which is not that common).

Retinoids, niacinamide and ascorbic acid can still help somewhat because they can help thicken the skin in the long-run, so that capillaries below the skin become slightly less visible. But really sleep is the most effective thing you can do (or a concealer for people using make up)...

I wouldn't recommend the Q&A serum because of the fragrance, and the Revolution product because of alcohol (skin under eyes is thinner and more prone to irritation). This would be a better option: https://whatsinmyjar.com/product/geek-gorgeous-101-a-game-10

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Thank you once again for the detailed response :), I appreciate the time and effort you take to reply.

Unfortunately it's not available to purchase for me. Do you recommend anything else for under the eyes?

I will stop using my current retinol under my eyes then. For my face though it's fine no irritation or dryness as I use my ceramides lotion straight after and keeps it feeling plump :) so I will continue to finish the newly opened bottle.

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If you are not getting dryness from the Revolution product, maybe your skin isn't bothered by that alcohol content. Would hate getting you to spend money and use 2 products instead of one if that one is actually working for you. You could consider buying a different product for all over the face once this one runs out (pulling a few options hoping one is available for you!):

If you'd like a specific eye area retinoid product, this could be an option:

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Just want to provide my two cents here... undereye circles seem like a localized issue, but in fact, it is an accumulation of 3 dimensions of aging: bone recession, fat pads shrinkage, and degradation of skin robustness (in terms of skin thinning and loss of elasticity).

Since you're a 30-year-old male (according to a previous post), I would rule out the bone recession dimension at this stage. We were left with skin degradation and fat pad shrinkage. I agree with Maria, the topicals mentioned can transiently help the 3rd dimension, which is skin robustness, but one should be realistic about the under-eye issues with topicals only. If you will incorporated a killer topical regimen, with prescription tretinoin, azelaic acid, and vitamin C- you could expect 30-35% observable improvement with the undereye condition over 6 months (assuming your undereye skin will tolerate it.. which is not likely, even for a male). It is also worth mentioning that oral tranexamic acid can help improve the skin tone under the eye, but it will be a hassle trying to convince the dermatologist to prescribe it for males, from my experience.

Since undereye issues are multidimensional, I'll encourage you to upload a picture to get more specific recommendations. If after 6 months of a solid topical regimen you will not be satisfied with the results, don't be discouraged as there are many non-surgical interventions that can help. The first line treatment would be RF microneedling (200-300 eur per treatment, of which you'll need 2-4 sessions). The second line would be fillers (*which are quite risky under the eyes) and regular RF / Microneedling (with or without PRP).

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Thank you for the detailed response. I have a question, I purchased these from my local store today as I believe this will help with pigmentation/dark spots and darl circles. What's the best way of applying this or better yet incorporating it with my current routine? (I use 0.3% retinol every 2/3 days as I'm new to it and 12% vitamin C Serum in the AM and PM ).

1. Me+ 2.5% Tranexamic Acid Booster serum 30ml

  1. Superdrug ME+ Azelaic Acid 5%

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