the real deal with under eyes.

[sonjaalex]

hi everyone. I'm in my mid twenties and I am on the search for an eye cream that could help with my hyperpigmented brown-ish under eyes. I have a very pale skintone so the contrast is not cute at all. anyone found THE cream or treatment that works? I'm tired of using thick concealer that gets into my fine lines... and I feel that all the eye creams do is reflect the light so it looks brighter for a while... until I put my concealer. thank you soooo much for the help

[WinglessOne]

Hi @sonjaalex ! Rather than rely on an eye cream, try a serum or 2 under your eyes. What’s worked best for my hyperpigmentation (anywhere on my face, including my undereyes) are vitamin C, niacinamide, and retinol. There are plenty of serums featuring one or more of those ingredients across a wide price range. Here are some options: 

DR. DENNIS GROSS SKINCARE - Ferulic + Retinol Triple Correction Eye Serum - I’m certain this contains a very low % of retinol, but it still removed darkness caused by sun damage under my eyes. I used it at least once a day, every day. There’s so much good stuff in this serum, you could use it on your whole face while you’re at it—though that’s not very cost effective. 😄 

The INKEY List Retinol Fine Lines and Wrinkles Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL - (Not to be confused with the eye cream version, which I’ve never used.) I’ve used this on my whole face, including my undereyes, for a year now. I started with just once a week usage and slowly increased that to every other night. 

Farmacy Very Cherry Bright 15% Clean Vitamin C Serum with Acerola Cherry 1.0 oz/ 30 mL - My usual vitamin C serum. I apply it everywhere on my face except eyelids and brow bones. This serum also contains lots of hyaluronic acid, so it’s especially great for dry skin. 

The INKEY List 15% Vitamin C & EGF Brightening Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL - I just started testing this serum; I’m alternating it with Very Cherry Bright. So far, my skin’s had no issues with it. I need to use it for at least another month before passing final judgment on it. But it’s a potentially good low-cost option. 

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Oil Control Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL - I’ve never used this one, but it has lots of BIC fans. Niacinamide is very good at brightening and balancing skin tone, among the several other great things it does for skin, and it plays nice with pretty much all other ingredients. I try to make sure it’s in more than one of my routine skincare products. 

e.l.f. Hydrating Water Essence - This is my biggest daily dose of niacinamide. I have combo skin that’s very oily on and around my nose, kinda normal on my forehead, and dry everywhere else. This “essence” helps hydrate my skin. 

The INKEY List Niacinamide Oil Control Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL - Another serum I’ve never used, but could be a good cost effective option. 

Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster - I’ve used and loved this one. It can be applied as a separate serum or mixed into other skincare products. 

There are plenty of other options out there. I’m sure more folks will list others. 🙂 

EDIT: I forgot AHA! If you don’t already use a chemical exfoliant, an AHA exfoliant is another good choice for lifting hyperpigmentation, in combo with any of the other ingredients I mentioned. An AHA will remove darker dead skin cells to reveal newer skin. My leave-on AHA exfoliant of choice is FIRST AID BEAUTY - FAB Skin Lab Resurfacing Liquid 10% AHA: I use it 1-3 times a week under my eyes as well as the rest of my face (except lids and brow bones). If you’re new to AHAs, start with a gentler product. My intro to AHAs was FIRST AID BEAUTY - Facial Radiance Pads. 

And 2 caveats: all of this depends on your particular skin’s tolerance. Some folks can’t tolerate vitamin C or retinol, for instance. I frequently layer my AHA and retinol on the same night, but not everyone can do that; I couldn’t either without building up retinol tolerance. Also, be realistic about expected results. They’ll take time. 🙂 

[sonjaalex]

thank you so much for the help! 😊 time to try those serums !