Dark Circles & Eye-Bags: Understanding Where They Come From & How To Get Rid Of Them

Remember staying up until 3am watching Jackass reruns on MTV and picking your top 8 friends on Myspace without a care in the world for how you’d feel or look the next day?

And then BOOM, one morning you wake up with eye-bags that cling stubbornly to your face, mocking every late night or stressful day you’ve ever had.

The truth is, dark circles & eye bags are much more nuanced than just your behavior or other external stressors, although they can all play a role.

If you feel like you’re waking up more often than not looking like you just got off a red-eye, then read on as we explain more about what causes those baggy eyes and give you some easy ways to help minimize the look of them.

So, What Actually Cause Eye-Bags?

Fatigue is definitely up there and probably the most well-known cause but, dark circles can also be a factor of aging, dehydration, atopic dermatitis (eczema), and genetics to name a few.

Thankfully, dark circles are often temporary but if they persist, seek a medical professional's help.

Breaking Down the Top Causes of Dark Circles and Eye-Bags

Fatigue: A lack of that much-needed beauty sleep is one of the biggest drivers of dark circles and eye bags. Why? Because your eyelid skin, which is roughly 1mm thick, gets dull and pale without those zzz’s, giving the dark tissues and blood vessels hanging underneath the surface the courage to say what’s up.

Tip: Everyone’s sleep needs are different, but the name of the game is consistency; try to get in bed at the same time every night, avoid excess screen time before bed, and get the total hours your body requires.

Dehydration: With a lack of hydration, the skin goes into fight-or-flight mode and starts to store away the salt and water it has, causing puffy eyes and dark shadows.

Tip: Try to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day (roughly a half of a gallon).

Aging: As your already thin skin (we’re talking about your eyes, not you) gets even thinner with age, the blood vessels underneath can become more visible.

Tip: Wear sunscreen and avoid extended periods of sun/blue-light exposure.

Genetics: As if you needed another thing to blame your parents for, dark circles and eye bags can be a trait inherited through the family - the shape of your face and the structures underneath your skin play a huge role in how gnarly those bags appear.

These are the toughest to manage because it means that your skin is inherently darker in these areas, but by implementing good skin health practices, nd seeking the help of an expert, you can often mitigate the appearance.

Tip: Pick your parents wisely…and keep a bottle of Revival on your person at all times.

How To Manage Your Dark Circles & What Role Does Skincare Play?

Not so easy. There are many causes of dark circles, and isolating them can be difficult. This also means that there is often no silver bullet answer, and anyone claiming they have some magic solution may moonlight as a snake oil salesman... we definitely would not recommend that you play poker with them.

So what should you do when you take a look in the mirror and see Pete Davidson staring back at you?

Here are 3 of our favorite ways to target and minimize the appearance of your baggy, tired-looking eyes:

Apply Cold Pressure 

Use a compress, jade roller, cold spoon, or a bag of frozen veggies for all we care (just ensure you wash them before cooking them). The cold can help reduce any swelling and helps to reduce those dilated vessels.

Drink Plenty of Water, Get Your Sleep, and Exercise Plenty

We have already covered this before, but the body is an ecosystem. When all parts operate efficiently, your skin sees the benefits. Getting at least 7-8 hours a day of sleep, maximizing hydration, and hitting the gym are massively impactful toward overall skin appearance.

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

Many skin concerns can be attacked by using a high-performing moisturizer. Look for a moisturizer with high-quality, science-backed ingredients to target the top concerns you want to address. Ensure your moisturizer is soothing and e ingredients are gentle enough to be used around the eye. Ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, and Ceramide are all proven to hydrate, reduce the appearance of dark spots, brighten the skin, and help to restore the skin’s natural barrier.

Mythbusting 

Caffeine is often marketed as an ingredient to target dark circles and eye bags, and many brands tout caffeine as a dark-circle miracle worker.

The science behind caffeine’s impact on dark circles is not as definitive as they’d like you to believe.

In fact, there’s a valid concern that brands who lead with caffeine in a dark-circle project are taking advantage of your brain's psychological desire to associate that boost from your morning cup of joe with your tired eyes.

In a very small study (which, although interesting, is not generalizable), researchers who studied the effects of caffeine on eye bags found that it was actually the cooling effects of applying a gel to your face, rather than the caffeine itself, that helped to reduce under-eye puffiness.

Thankfully for you, you’ve come to the right place. Revival is a one-stop shop to visibly healthier skin. It contains active concentrations of Niacinamide (2%), Hyaluronic Acid (2%), and Ceramide (1%). It also contains 4 additional active ingredients - Squalane, Panthenol, Apple Fruit Extract, and Glycerin - all of which have been shown to target skin hydration, and skin smoothness aggressively, some of which also provide anti-inflammatory properties.

The cherry on top? Revival by PrettyBoy is a lightweight, cooling gel cream that immediately invigorates your face, leaving your skin feeling fresh and clean all day. Grab your bottle today right here!