Tips For Under Eye Circles

Popular opinion of undereye circles has changed a lot throughout the years in the fashion industry.

During all the years that Cindy Joseph worked as a makeup artist, she shared that there was a time when models wanted her to put dark circles under their eyes—yes, on purpose!--because of how smokey and sexy it made them look! But many have also inquired on the best way to conceal them. 

So, if you’re concerned about dark circles, here’s some advice for you:

1. See your doctor!

Often, undereye circles—especially if they’re new, or have changed in appearance—can be a sign of something going on inside your body.

At BOOM!, we believe that the inside is as important as the outside and that the best way to cultivate outer beauty is to make sure your whole body is thriving.

Your doc will want to check your hemoglobin, iron, and vitamin K levels, as well as test you for food allergies that can cause dark circles and irritation.

2. Check your stress levels.

Once you’ve ruled out medical causes, check in with how you’ve been treating your body.

Sleepiness causing dark circles isn’t just an old wives’ tale---it’s scientifically proven! When your body is tired, it produces a lot more of the “stress hormone” cortisol—an adrenalizing hormone that jacks up your system and helps you stay awake.

Cortisol increases the volume of the blood in your body, causing your blood vessels (including the ones below your eyes) to expand.

Dark circles are primarily caused by blood vessels showing through the delicate skin beneath your eyes---so when those blood vessels expand, those circles look darker.

Make sure you’re getting enough sleep for your body to feel relaxed and rested.

(And for those crunch times when that’s totally impossible, try and squeeze in a few minutes of meditation or deep breathing each day! That can do as much to reduce stress hormones as an extra hour of sleep).

3. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

The skin under your eyes is some of the thinnest on your body---and when you don’t drink enough water, it becomes even thinner. Most of us walk around mildly dehydrated and don’t even know it—especially if we drink coffee every morning.

Alcohol is also very dehydrating, so if you like to imbibe, drink plenty of water before and after, and consider drinking a glass of water between alcoholic beverages, too.

In general, instead of waiting to hydrate until you’re parched and thirsty, drink plenty of water throughout the day. Notice how it makes you look and feel!

4. Cover delicately!

The skin under your eyes is incredibly thin and delicate. Heavy concealers and foundations will overwhelm this delicate skin, and while they might lighten the appearance of dark circles, they’ll also emphasize whatever texture is there, whether that’s fine lines, deeper wrinkles, or dry skin.

When you use heavy concealers, instead of seeing your naturally gorgeous skin, the world will just see makeup. The “hide and conceal” approach really doesn’t work on the undereye area. While heavy concealers may camouflage the color of your skin, they will also magnify it's texture -- which actually draws more attention to the area. If you want to cover your dark circles, I recommend using a very light foundation instead.

A lot of us have dark circles and are concerned by the way they look. But here at BOOM, we believe that skin is at its most gorgeous and radiant when it's healthy, not when it’s hidden.

I’ve learned to love the variations in my skin tone---because when you stop trying to hide your skin, what people really notice is your glow.