Help with really dark circles and crow feet

[JiJoO]

Hi,

would someone please recommend some eye care products, I have really bad dark circles and crow feet. Is there any product that will brighten the under eye??  

[WinglessOne]

Hi @JiJoO ! How to best brighten dark circles depends on what’s causing them. And before I list causes & potential solutions, I’ll say you should use a broad spectrum sunscreen (at least SPF 30) each day your skin’s exposed to sunlight, all year long, regardless of weather or season—even on your undereye skin (and eyelids, ears, behind ears, etc.). UV rays can cause hyperpigmentation and wrinkles. There’s no point trying to reverse either of those things if you don’t also stop the sun from causing more of them. 

• Sunken skin, such as hollow tear troughs - no topical skincare product can reverse this. It’s caused by your facial structure, especially changes that occur as we age. Your best inexpensive bet is makeup: color corrector and/or strategically placed concealer. Pricier options are in-office/clinic procedures like injectable fillers. 
• Genetic/hereditary - skincare products can’t touch this, either. This is another job for color corrector and concealer, or maybe in-office/clinic procedures. 
• UV damage - low-strength retinol is the usual go-tos, along with licorice root, niacinamide, vitamin C, and green tea. Some inexpensive options are CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum and  The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream 0.5 oz/ 15 mL  . You could also consider Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum 0.5 oz/ 15 mL  . There’s also Topicals Faded Under Eye Brightening & Clearing Eye Masks 6 pairs / pack  which contain kojic acid, alpha arbutin, and tranexamic acid to reduce hyperpigmentation. 
• Lack of sleep - caffeine, green tea, and cold compress can help. You can get all 3 of those from eye masks/patches kept in your fridge. 2 of my favorites are Good Molecules Caffeine Energizing Eye Patches, SEPHORA COLLECTION Clean Eye Mask Caffeine. The Topicals eye masks I mentioned also contain caffeine. Also consider The INKEY List Caffeine De-puffing + Dark Circle Eye Cream 0.5 oz/ 15 mL  or The Ordinary Caffeine 5% + EGCG Brightening Eye Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL  . 

For crows feet, try a low-strength retinol product. The CeraVe product I mentioned is a good option. Also consider low-strength retinaldehyde; like retinol, it’s a form of vitamin A. I’ve used Avene PhysioLift Eyes which I think is still available at Ulta (if you’re in the US). You can also order it or the very similar Avene RetrinAL Eyes at Avene’s site; they occasionally have very good sales. Right now their 30% of $80 USD sale’s still going. 

And seriously, wear the hecking sunscreen. It can be chemical, mineral/physical, or a hybrid sunscreen. All 3 types work largely the same way, and one type’s not safer/better than the others unless you’re sensitive to a specific UV filter (ingredient in sunscreen that protects skin from UV rays). Some people, like me, have sensitive eyes that can’t tolerate many American chemical sunscreens; that’s because the FDA allows only one chemical UV filter (avobenzone) in our sunscreens. My eyes do better with either mineral sunscreens (though zinc oxide requires lots of rubbing, which can worsen my dark circles) or European and Asian chemical/hybrid sunscreens that use more advanced UV filters. 

[JiJoO]

Hey @WinglessOne thank you for your time and suggestions, I use a sunscreen regularly. I will try out the retinol for the crow’s feet and am looking into some of the suggestions for eye brightening serums… so yeah.. thanks again 😃

[faeriegirl]

@JiJoO  For brightening I recommend iNNBEAUTY PROJECT Bright & Tight Dark Circle Firming Eye Cream with Vitamin C & Peptides 0.5 oz / 15 mL  or Origins Ginzing™ Vitamin C Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff  . For crows feet Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum 0.5 oz/ 15 mL  

[JiJoO]

Thank you @faeriegirl @I’m gonna look into some of these products for sure 

[SportyGirly125]

@JiJoO @You can try Caudalie Premier Cru Anti-Aging Eye Cream for Fine Lines and Wrinkles .5 oz/ 15 mL  The INKEY List Brighten-i™ Dark Circle Brightening Eye Cream 0.5 oz/ 15 mL   Origins Ginzing™ Vitamin C Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff  

[JiJoO]

Thank you so much @SportyGirly125 

[Westcoasty]

Hi, @JiJoO  - this is what everyone wants to find, for sure!

First of all, there's no instant remedy (darn it). Any product you try will need a few weeks of consistent application to make a visible difference. For this reason, I like eye products that are tinted so as to provide an immediate brightening effect. Two great products are Glow Recipe Guava Vitamin C Bright-Eye Gel Cream 0.5 oz / 15 mL and OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright+ Vitamin CC Eye Sticks for Dark Circles (actually, what I like is the Banana Bright+ Vitamin C Brightening Eye Creme, but I can't get it to come up).

The Banana Bright Eye Creme will help with dark circles and crows feet. The Guava Gel Cream is really only for dark circles, so you could use it in the days and then the Glow Recipe Avocado Fine Line Eye Cream with Retinol 0.5 oz/ 15 mL at night. Note that if you wear the Avocado Eye Cream in the daytime, you need to wear sunscreen with it, due to the retinol.

Hopefully others will have recommendations as well. @SportyGirly125  what was that product line you and I were talking about awhile back? I think you said your mother uses it too...?

[JiJoO]

Thank you @Westcoasty , 🤞🏻I’m gonna try the recommends.. thank you again for taking your time to respond.. appreciate it 😃😃

[Westcoasty]

@JiJoO   You're most welcome! I hope you find something that works well for you.

[SportyGirly125]

@Westcoasty @I use Strivectin but I think she needs a different product which I gave her recommendations on. 

[Westcoasty]

@SportyGirly125  Yes, I was thinking of Strivectin. Thanks for adding those other recommendations for @JiJoO !