Best Under Eye Treatments including Retinol

The best under eye treatments seems ever illusive when you wake up with dark circles and puffy bags under your eyes. Most of us have you tried countless under eye skin treatments and products to fix the dark circles or bags under our eyes, but found nothing seems to work. There are even those days where some of us fantasize that surgery is our only hope! 

Depending on the causes of your under-eye circles and bags, there are various methods to nip this issue in the bud without surgery. Dr. Bailey outlines all the best under-eye treatments in her original blog What Causes Under-Eye Circles, Bags, and Puffiness. But before we review Dr. Bailey's best under-eye treatments, it is important to understand the cause of your under-eye circles.

What Causes Under-Eye Dark Circles and Puffy Bags? 

Under-eye circles may be a result of genetics. Or it may be a result of lack of sleep, illness, or fluid retention. Therefore, some under-eye circles can be reversed, others cannot. Whether it is genetics or lethargy, both cause congestion of your blood vessel circulation, hyperpigmentation, or shadowing. As Dr. Bailey says:

Dark under-eye circles can be caused by congestion of your blood vessels, excess pigment, and shadowing.

Congestion of blood vessel circulation leads to fluid-build up (edema) in the under-eye area, aka the "puffy eyes." Hyperpigmentation is excessive skin pigment; it usually causes brown discoloration under the eyes. Shadowing occurs when facial contours cast a shadow on the under-eye area. Depending on bone structure, eyeball level of recession into the eye socket, or amount of aging skin that has loosened, shadowing may be more or less severe. 

Overall, the skin under your eyes serves as an indicator of your current vitality. Taking care of your health is the first step to improving your under-eye circles and bags. Below is an overview of Dr. Bailey's best under-eye treatments depending on the root cause.

The Best Under-Eye Treatments for Congested Blood Vessels

Lifestyle Changes

• Exercise to increase circulation
• Get a full night sleep
• Eat a healthy diet
• Maintain a healthy balance in your life to avoid "run-down" exhaustion

Skin Care Treatments

• 

  Skin care products with arnica, vitamin K, niacinamide, caffeine, and peptides. Dr. Bailey's favorite under-eye product is Advanced Corrective Eye Cream.

• Cool compresses, such as cool cucumber slices, held to reduce swelling

• Reduce salt and MSG consumption to decrease edema (fluid build-up) and swelling.

The Best Under Eye Treatments for Hyperpigmentation

Sun Protection

• Use Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB mineral sunscreen with at least 5% zinc oxide every day. Click here to see the sunscreens that Dr. Bailey recommends for the eye area.
• Apply Mineral Makeup on top of your sunscreen. The mineral pigments help deflect harmful UV rays as well.

Skin Care "Lightening" Treatments

• Use skin care products with known skin lighteners (hydroquinone cream, Retin A, AHA’s or retinol). Apply with care, since many of these ingredients are harsh to the thin and delicate skin under the eye. This is why Dr. Bailey loves her Advanced Corrective Eye Cream, it has the perfect amount of retinol to reduce pigmentation without irritation.
• Intense Pulsed Light Treatments provide great results for many of Dr. Bailey's patients with hyperpigmentation under the eye.

The Best Under-Eye Treatments for Shadowing

Cosmetic Procedures

• Injections or eye fillers in the under eye groove to lift the skin and decrease the shadow
• Complex plastic surgery procedures

Skin Care Treatments 

• Use eye creams designed to layer and fill in wrinkles/crinkles, such as Advanced Corrective Eye Cream. This will help alter the eye contours and increase the amount of light reflected in previously "shadowed" areas.

• Apply makeup and concealers over your eye cream and sunscreen that are a shade or two lighter than your facial skin.

Take Home Message for Dr. Bailey's Best Under-Eye Treatments

If the main cause is not genetic, there are several courses of action to take depending on the under-eye skin issue without resorting to surgery. When it comes to skin care products, the best under-eye treatment is the Advanced Corrective Eye Cream as it treats all under-eye skin issues. It contains retinol for fine lines and wrinkles, Arnica for dark brown/purple discoloration, and peptides that stimulate lymphatic drainage and increase skin firmness. Dr. Bailey calls this a "miracle" eye cream because it is truly an all-in-one treatment that most other eye creams lack. If you would like a more in-depth review of Dr. Bailey's best under-eye treatments, click here.

“…Most of the eye creams I've used have never been effective in keeping my under eye area well hydrated and have sometimes caused irritation.  Advanced Corrective Eye Cream is gentle and hydrating.  I feel as though the puffiness I suffer from has improved with its regular use.” S. Marshall

Author: Written by Angela, a member of the Dr. Bailey Skin Care Team for many years and now a Nurse Practitioner extraordinaire! Angela has gotten great acne relief with Dr. Baily and her products