It feels like it happened overnight: one day I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and then the next day I had dreaded dark circles under my eyes. My dark circles love me so much that they are often kind enough to occasionally bring a friend along with them: bags.
Dark circles can be contributed to many things such as age, fatigue, dehydration, allergies, or overexposure to the sun. Unfortunately, some of us have a genetic predisposition to dark circles no matter our age or how much rest we get. The good news is, you can call in reinforcement to assist with those pesky dark circles. Below are 10 eye creams/serums that will keep you looking fresh-faced.
10 Best Eye Creams For Dark Circles
The Body Shop Drops Of Youth Eye Concentrate
The Body Shop
This eye cream from The Body Shop comes enriched with edelweiss plant stem cells. Edelweiss has powerful anti-aging qualities thanks to its high antioxidant properties. This eye cream comes in a roller ball pump applicator that can be placed in the fridge before use to help wake you up and leaves you feeling refreshed.
bareMinerals Skin Longevity Life Herb Eye Treatment
bareMinerals
The secret (not so secret) ingredient in this eye gel-cream by bareMinerals is Long Life Herb. Long Life Herb, also known as Chomeiso can be found in Okinawa, Japan, and has been a part of the natives' diet for centuries. Residents on the Island of Long Life are best known for their long life expectancy. PS, it's vegan too.
Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Eye Serum
Elizabeth Arden
This eye serum is unique because it comes in capsules that are packed with ceramides. Ceramides are fat molecules that assist skin with retaining moisture. This makes them effective in preventing dehydration which can be a cause of dark under-eye circles.
L’Occitane en Provence Immortelle Overnight Reset Eye Serum
Amazon
This eye serum claims to reduce puffiness and dark circles after just one use, and those that swear by this product do not disagree. Featured ingredients include organic immortelle essential oil, acmella oleracea extract, and marjoram extract that work together to smooth, reawaken, and firm.
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream
Peter Thomas Roth
Hyaluronic acid is another ingredient that is known for its skin benefits. It should be seeing as though it is naturally produced by your body and can be found in your skin. Hyaluronic acid draws water in so it keeps the delicate skin under your eyes hydrated and moisturized. This gel also includes caffeine which helps decrease puffiness and Haloxyl which helps combat dark circles.
SkinCeuticals A.G.E Eye Complex For Dark Circles
SkinCeuticals
SkinCeuticals is a company that was created by a physician so it should be no shock that they rely heavily on science when creating their products. This cream contains blueberry extract which contains resveratrol, known to fight against aging and dullness.
Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Eye Opening Serum
Kiehl's
Kiehl's, a trusted brand for skin, hair, and body products has literally been around since 1851. Their multi-corrective eye serum contains illuminating minerals that reflect light which helps brighten dark eye circles.
True Botanicals Deep Repair Eye Serum
True Botanicals
True Botanicals says, "It's like getting 8 hours of sleep in a bottle." Sign me up. The serum's key ingredients: carrot seed oil, blackberry seed oil, and tuberose stem cells work together to combat dark circles, fine lines, and puffiness.
First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy A.M Gel
First Aid Beauty
This gel-cream packed with peptides, red algae, and plant extracts help eyes look brighter and more youthful.
Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
Origins
This eye cream from Origins features ginseng and coffee beans, which brightens tired eyes making you look instantly awake and vibrant.
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RELATED
Now, when you go to the hair store you are inundated with all kinds of hair textures, colors, and more. That’s why it was so upsetting to read the latest report about synthetic braiding hair.
Delmaine Donson/ Getty Images
A Feb 27 Consumer Reports article revealed that most popular synthetic hair brands that are used for braiding have dangerous chemicals such as carcinogens, lead and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The report stated that 10 of the brands were tested and all 10 had these chemicals. These brands included Shake-N-Go, Sassy Collection, and Sensationnel.
These chemicals include benzene, which is a carcinogen that has been linked to acute myeloid leukemia and unsafe levels of lead, which can cause kidney damage, brain damage, and cardiovascular problems in adults.
In children, it can cause brain and nervous system damage, learning disabilities, behavioral problems and even developmental delays.
James E. Rogers, PhD, director and head of product safety testing led the testing for synthetic braiding hair. “Our exposure and risk analysis found all nine products could expose a regular user of any of these products to a level of lead that could be concerning over time,” he said.
As shocking as this is, it also brought some clarity around why I’ve had issues with wearing braiding hair as of late.
Not only have I dealt with scalp irritation, I’ve even had breakouts on my back from the hair touching. Since then, I’ve started rinsing the hair with apple cider vinegar, and haven’t had that many issues. However, the report stated that ACV isn’t a “cure-all” and can potentially release harmful chemicals when rinsing the hair.
@javonford16 Replying to @Julianna Rebundle vid: @Javon Ford Beauty #blackhairstyles #braidinghair #blackgirlhairstyles @Consumer Reports
While the report sparked some outrage, chemist Javon Ford has a different view. In a TikTok video, he shared that the report was tested for oral exposure and not dermal exposure.
He showed a screenshot of an email he allegedly sent Consumer Reports questioning their decision to test this way. The email said, “the best model to use, in our view, is the ingestion model for the reasons given in the article.”
“While I understand they went with that model, I don’t agree with it because you’re not intentionally ingesting braids,” Javon said. The chemist also said that the amount of chemicals found in the brands is “conservative” compared to other types of products.
So what does this mean for us braid-wearers? If you still want to wear braids, but have some concerns, you can limit how often you wear them. Another option is wearing non-toxic braiding hair or plant-based hair. The only downside is that it's pricier than synthetic hair.
The Consumer Report also suggested checking for recalls, reading labels carefully, and reporting adverse effects. Hair isn’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, so it’s best to do your research when making purchases.
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