Creams for Dark Circles, Puffy Eyes

Reviewers like Hylexin, Jan Marini

Those that battle dark circles or puffy eyes may wish to stick with a specially formulated eye cream for this area, rather than a facial moisturizer. This is simply because facial moisturizers don't usually contain ingredients that treat these particular ailments.

Hylexin (*Est. $90 for 0.78 ounces) has been heavily marketed as the "breakthrough" miracle for dark circles. The manufacturer's website cites a clinical trial in which 72% of the women studied who had serious dark circles and used Hylexin "saw an obvious, tangible, visible reduction in the color and severity of their dark circles." It is designed to treat chronic dark circles that are caused by leaking capillaries under the skin's surface. Research shows that hesperidin methyl chalcone, a key ingredient in Hylexin, can help to aid venous problems. Paula Begoun points out, though, that this research studied the internal use of the ingredient and that there has been no substantiated research as to its effectiveness applied topically.

Reviewers at MakeupAlley.com have mixed opinions about Hylexin. None of the users posting comments here claimed to see a complete reversal of their dark circles, but several of them saw a noticeable improvement. The majority of users, however, saw no difference at all, even with extended use of Hylexin. This may be due to the underlying cause of their dark circles, which can include fatigue, hyper-pigmentation or enlarged blood vessels. Still, we chose not to include Hylexin in our Fast Answers section because of this discrepancy in results.

A treatment like Jan Marini Factor-A Eyes for Dark Circles (*Est. $75 for 60 capsules) may also help to repair dark circles because it contains vitamin K. Vitamin K is often recommended by experts because of its lightening effect on skin. This treatment also contains retinol, which some experts believe can help to stimulate the growth of collagen, and may help to thicken skin over time. As of the publication date of this report, there are only seven user reviews listed at MakeupAlley.com, but most of them claim to have seen visible results with this product. Factor-A Eyes comes packaged in 60 capsules that ensure the stability of the retinol as well as the antioxidants.

Most experts believe that it is impossible to lighten dark circles completely without laser treatment, and that using a good matte concealer may be the only non-surgical thing you can do about them. A few eye creams include some cosmetic properties to help disguise dark circles.

Products that contain optical diffusers, such as Prescriptives Vibrant-C Skin Brightening Eye Cream (*est. $40/0.5 ounces), can help to camouflage and conceal dark circles with light-diffusing pigments. Experts say that this is a good moisturizer with antioxidant properties, namely vitamin C. InStyle magazine chose it as one of the best beauty buys of 2008 because it contains mica, which reflects light to help brighten dark shadows under the eye, while the vitamin C helps to even skin tone.

Prescriptives Vibrant-C Skin Brightening Eye Cream also contains caffeine, which helps to reduce puffiness under the eye. Experts at Real Simple magazine explain that caffeine is "a vasoconstrictor, so it helps expel fluid from cells in the skin and de-puffs quickly." User reviews are mostly positive showing that consumers notice a change in both their dark circles as well as the puffiness of their eyes.

Experts also say, however, that using a cold compress in the morning decreases puffiness, too, and may also lighten dark circles because it helps to constrict enlarged blood vessels.