Dark circles, bags, lines, and milia

At 0.05 mm thick, our eyelids and the skin around our eyes is the thinnest skin on all of our body. Such thin and delicate tissue is vulnerable to visible blemishes. Here are some of the most common eye appearance irritancies and how to treat them.

Dark circles

Because the skin under your eyes is so thin, blood vessels easier to see. Skin becomes thinner with age, which makes veins and pigmentation even more visible. But dark circles appear on young people too, this could be hereditary, it may have come from your parents’ genes.

In most cases, dark circles are caused by poor blood circulation. This can be fixed by getting more sleep; when you’re lying down, your blood flows more easily than if you were standing or sleeping upright all day. Lack of required nutrients can lead to dark circles as well. Deficiencies in iron and vitamin B6 make your skin look paler and more translucent, which emphasises the appearance of your dark circles.

Eye bags

Puffy eyes are caused by too much water in the tissue underneath your eyes. This usually shows up after sleeping. If you’ve had too much salt in your diet and not enough water, the body will retain water. Hormones and allergies are also causes of puffy eyes.

There are many natural ways to treat puffy eyes. Limiting your salt intake and drinking more water is the first step. Washing your face with cold water and placing a thin slice of cucumber on top of each closed eye for about 10 minutes can help cool the puffy tissues. Using raw potato slices or chilled cold tea bags works as well.

Fine lines

The skin around your eyes has fewer oil glands which makes it drier than the rest of your face. It loses moisture on the surface quicker. The dehydration shows in these fine lines under your eyes. Do not be mistaken though, these are not wrinkles, many young people in their teens and 20s get fine lines. If left untreated however, it can permanently turn into wrinkles later in life. These can be treated with skin moisturizers and eye crèmes.

Milia

Sometimes called milk spots (perhaps because they’re frequently found on newborn babies?), these little white bumps, often mistaken for whiteheads or pimples, are caused by blocked sweat ducts. Because the skin around our eyes is thin and the pores are tiny, it easily gets clogged up.

These milia seeds are sometimes genetic but it can almost be caused by the products you use. To prevent more from growing, look for lighter eye crèmes, do not use a rich moisturizer or oils around the eye area, it will almost certainly block those sweat ducts.

Keep in mind next time you're shopping for skin products for your eye area, products that contain Vitamin C and E can protect the skin from damage and help produce more collagen for firmer skin. As always, have sunglasses and sunscreen ready to protect your eyes when you go outdoors.