Dark under eye circles are a common skin problem that causes you to look exhausted and older than your actual age. Vitamins are essential for your skin, and boosting your intake of certain vitamins may help return your skin to its natural glowing state. However, factors outside of nutrients influence your skin's condition, such as sun exposure, smoking, genetics and natural aging, so you shouldn't count on vitamins to be a miracle cure. Niacin, or vitamin B-3, belongs to a group of eight B vitamins that help keep you healthy. Taking a niacin supplement or getting it from your diet may help eliminate dark circles by increasing circulation to the skin below your eyes and fighting inflammation, writes naturopathic physician Alan Logan in his book "The Clear Skin Diet." The University of Maryland Medical Center confirms that niacin does help improve circulation and may reduce inflammation. Keep in mind, however, that clinical studies which demonstrate that B-3 gets rid of dark circles are lacking.
Whether it's crow's feet or smile lines, women everywhere dread the appearance of wrinkles. Boosting your intake of wrinkle-fighting vitamins may help prevent wrinkles from forming. Vitamin E and C have anti-wrinkle benefits, according to Logan. In an animal study, a supplement mixture of vitamins E, C and evening primrose oil, enhanced collagen production, effectively preventing wrinkles from forming in response to sun exposure. The study was published in the October, 2007 issue of the journal "Photodermatology, Photoimmunology, Photomedicine." Vitamin A is perhaps most widely known for its skin benefits. The cells in your skin are very sensitive to vitamin A levels, and Vitamin A plays a vital role toward keeping your skin healthy. Vitamin A protects your skin from sun damage and helps repair your skin, in the event that sun damage occurs, according to Oregon State University. It also plays a crucial role in keeping the collagen in your skin balanced. Collagen is the major structural protein that makes up your connective tissues.
Vitamin A may also help improve acne, according to OSU. The best place to get vitamins is from your diet. Luckily, vitamins A, C and E are easy to get from a variety of foods. The richest sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit, as well as cantaloupe, mango, papaya and pineapple. The most concentrated sources of vitamin A are sweet potato, pumpkin, carrots, squash and green, leafy vegetables. The recommended daily intake is 700 to 900 micrograms of vitamin A; 75 to 90 micrograms of vitamin C and 15 milligrams of vitamin E. Vitamins & Minerals That Eliminate Under-Eye Circles How to Get Rid of Dark Circles Naturally How to Reduce Dark Circles Under the Eyes The Best Supplements to Get Rid of Dark Circles Under Your Eyes Do Dark Circles Under the Eyes Mean an Iron Deficiency? Eye Pads for Dark Circles Can You Use Raw Potatoes for Dark Circles Around the Eyes? Hereditary Dark Circles Under the Eyes Does Vitamin K Reduce the Dark Circles Under Eyes?
Vitamins for Bags Under the Eyes Hydroquinone & Dark Circles Can Certain Foods Reduce Dark Circles? The Vitamins When Eating a Raw Potato Can Sublingual B-12 Help You Get Rid of Dark Circles? Can You Apply Vitamin C Serum on Your Eyes? The Best Drugstore Dark Circle Treatments What Food Allergies Cause Under Eye Circles? Is It Possible to Get Rid of Dark Circles Permanently? What Kind of Medicine Is Available for Dark Circles Under the Eyes? Glycolic Acid & Vitamin CWe all covet bright, wide-awake eyes, but genes and life’s late nights don’t always cooperate. That’s why we’re always on the hunt for the best eye cream to fight dark circles and bags and we’re constantly searching for the answer on how to get rid of crow’s feet for good. Not sure if your formula is working? We consulted cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Oscar Hevia, founder of Hevia MD Skin Science, The Hevia Center for Research and Hevia Cosmetic Dermatology in Coral Gables, Florida to find out what really gets the job done right.
There are three causes of dark circles, says Dr. Hevia. “Some people have very thin skin,” he explains, “so you see the circulation of the blood vessels underneath.” Others actually have hyperpigmentation under the eyes, which means they have more melanin concentrated there than in other areas of the face. A third type is the “shadow effect” which occurs when a person has a natural hollow under the eye, causing light to reflect in a way that creates a dusky look there. Many people have two or three of these issues at the same time. What you can do: Since only one of the three causes of dark circles is on the skin’s surface, topical creams are really only effective for hyperpigmentation, Dr. Hevia explains. Look for products that include Vitamin C, the lightening agent hydroquinone, and non-hydroquinone lightening ingredients such as kojic acid and arbutin. ) contains 1.5% hydroquinone that’s safe to use under the eyes. ) targets dark circles and spots with Ceramide Bright, a non-hydroquinone ingredient that regulates melanin and also moisturizes.
When the derm can do: If you have one of the other two types — circulatory or shadows — hyaluronic acid gel fillers, such as Juvéderm, are your best bet. “Fillers do a wonderful job of improving the way the light bounces off the skin under the eye to take away that shadowing effect,” says Dr. Hevia. As we age, the skin around our eyes gets thinner, which leads to fine lines and wrinkles. Dermatologists distinguish between crow’s feet, the “squint lines” around the eyes’ outer corners, and the crepey fine lines on the upper and lower eyelids. What you can do: For fine lines, “You want to use creams and lotions that are very hydrating,” says Dr. Hevia. “The skin around our eyes is the thinnest skin we have on our face,” he explains, so it loses moisture quicker than other areas. Look for creams with hyaluronic acid: “It’s a water-attracting gel that works beautifully in eye creams to help to bring a plumpness back to the skin to minimize wrinkles.”
), which features hyaluronic acid and antioxidant red mangrove extract to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. ) reduced eye area “smile lines” by 54% in test subjects. What the derm can do: For crow’s feet and lines on the high cheekbone area, Dr. Hevia recommends injectables such as Botox, Dysport and Xeomin to reduce the action of the muscle around the eye that creates squinting. “Botox works great for the crow’s feet that are coming off the corners of your eye,” he says, but for lines under the eye or near the inner corners, hyaluronic acid fillers are a better bet. We all have pads under our eyes that contain fat, says Dr. Hevia. “Genetic factors and aging make it so that over time, those pads actually increase in fat.” Allergies, salty foods and crying can also cause temporary puffiness around the eyes. What you can do: “Most of the topical remedies for swelling under the eyes have a brief time effect,” Dr. Hevia says. “The truth of the matter is it’s only going to help for maybe 20 minutes, 30 minutes after application.”