Can Vitamin C Lighten Dark Circles Under Your Eyes?

Dealing with Dark Circles is Tough. 

As you age, the appearance of dark circles under your eyes can be frustrating. Fortunately, there are a few solutions out there that can help you combat the appearance of dark circles and other age-related skin issues. 

In this article, we’ll cover the benefits of using vitamin C on your skin and determine whether or not it’s a good option for getting rid of dark circles.

If you aren’t sure where to begin with using topical vitamin C, this article will get you up to speed and serve as a primer for how the ingredient benefits your skin. In addition, you’ll learn other helpful ways to improve your complexion. These include products and ingredients to use in your skincare routine as well as changes to make to your diet and lifestyle. 

Making changes to your complexion and reducing visible signs of aging, including dark circles, is supported by a combination of factors. The ingredients you include in your skincare regimen can play a major role, but if you want to see big improvements to your skin’s look and feel, it’s best to take a holistic approach. This means choosing the best products and ingredients and making the best overall decisions regarding diet and lifestyle.

What is Vitamin C? 

Before we get into the benefits of using vitamin C for your skin, it’s essential to know how this ingredient works and what it is. 

Antioxidants like vitamin C have a major impact on your body’s overall health by targeting free radicals in your body. Free radicals can break down the cells in your body by seeking out and stealing electrons from other molecules. Excess free radical activity in your body can be caused by exposure to numerous aspects of daily life, including pollution, alcohol, tobacco, junk food and more.

Vitamin C’s Benefits for Your Skin 

What does this mean for your skin? As you might imagine, your skin is negatively affected by excess free radical activity in your body. When the number of antioxidants in your body is not enough to negate the effects of free radicals on your cells, you’ll experience what is known as oxidative stress. Oxidative stress causes the cells in your skin to weaken, reducing your skin’s production of important proteins. This means that you’ll show signs of aging and be susceptible to other types of damage. 

Antioxidants like vitamin C help promote your skin complexion’s structure and flexibility. When you’re experiencing oxidative stress, your body won’t produce enough proteins to maintain your skin’s firmness and flexibility.

An antioxidant like vitamin C is often the main active ingredient in skincare products such as brightening serums and vitamin C moisturizers. These products help you deal with skin issues by providing a means for your skin to get the antioxidants it needs to nourish, revitalize and rejuvenate the skin. Vitamin C specifically has several other notable benefits for your skin.

Dark Circles from Sleep Deprivation 

The dark circles you might see under your eyes can appear for a few reasons. One potential cause for dark circles under your eyes is lack of sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep, the blood vessels in the area around your eyes can become more visible. Sleep deprivation can cause problems for your complexion by disrupting the natural processes that keep your skin healthy. 

Dark circles can also be caused by sleep deprivation due to a buildup of fluid in the area around your eyes. This can cause the skin in your eye region to get puffy and swollen, casting shadows that look like a discoloration of the skin below your eyelids.

When you get dark circles under your eyes as a result of lack of sleep, the main cure is to get more consistency in your sleep schedule. Disrupting your body’s natural circadian rhythm, or just staying up too late, can cause the problems listed above. If you suspect that general fatigue and lack of sleep are the primary causes for the dark circles under your eyes, the main change to make is simple – get more rest!

Dark Circles From Aging 

As you get older, your skin’s production of the proteins that keep it healthy and strong decreases. This means you’re more likely to notice your skin getting thinner and discoloration and wrinkles appearing. Getting older may even cause dark circles to appear under your eyes as a natural side effect of your skin getting thinner and weaker. 

When it comes to age-related dark circles and other signs of aging, antioxidants like vitamin C can make a big difference in the look and feel of your skin. Vitamin C’s ability to revitalize and rejuvenate your complexion means it can be a key player in evening out your tone and reducing the visibility of pigment issues like dark circles under your eyes. 

To deal with dark circles under your eyes caused by aging, use of an eye cream can be extremely helpful. Eye cream is designed to supply your skin with antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E while moisturizing the sensitive skin around your eyes and making it more resistant to showing signs of aging.

It is best to use a product like eye cream that is specifically designed for the sensitive skin around your eyes to treat dark circles under your eyes. Products designed for the rest of your skin may be too harsh for the sensitive skin in this area. When using products that are not designed for the skin around your eyes, avoid your eye area as much as possible.

Other Causes for Dark Circles 

One major factor that can contribute to skin issues like dark circles is sun damage. You can avoid sun-related skin issues by wearing sunscreen daily and not spending too much time in the direct sun without protection. Sunscreen is an essential component in any skincare regimen and should be applied at the end of your routine. Since sunscreen is a heavier product, putting it on before lighter products like toner and serums can hinder the absorption of lighter products. 

Dark circles under your eyes can also be caused by lack of hydration. When you don’t drink enough water, your skin will struggle with water retention. Your skin’s ability to retain water plays a major role in its overall appearance. When your skin dries out, your complexion may become more uneven and you’ll lose the full, youthful suppleness provided by hydrated skin.

Because dark circles under your eyes are often caused by a variety of different factors, it is important to determine the cause before attempting to treat them in a certain way. One surefire way to approach treating dark circles well is to consult your dermatologist. Your dermatologist can evaluate the dark circles under your eyes and shed light on what might be causing them. 

Vitamin C For Dark Circles 

Vitamin C is beneficial for your skin because of its ability to even out your complexion, reducing the appearance of dark spots and other pigmentation issues. Because vitamin C boosts your skin’s firmness, it gives your skin more strength and thickness. This impacts the area around your eyes in a few specific ways. 

Using products with vitamin C to target the area around your eyes can strengthen the particularly sensitive skin in this part of your face. The skin around your eyes is thinner and more sensitive than the rest of your face. Because of this, this part of your face needs special treatment. Vitamin C provides the sensitive skin around your eyes with additional strength and resistance to discoloration, dryness, and other issues. 

Preventing Dark Circles Holistically 

In addition to use of an eye cream that contains antioxidants like vitamin C, making changes to your lifestyle can have a positive impact on your skin when it comes to reducing the appearance of complexion issues like dark circles. 

Getting enough antioxidants through your diet makes a big difference. Dietary sources of antioxidants include berries, colorful vegetables, dark chocolate, coffee and green tea. Including dietary antioxidants in your meals, snacks, and drinks while using topical antioxidants like vitamin C on your skin will give you a buffer against skin issues like dark circles. 

Summary 

Maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle is one of the best ways to reduce the appearance of dark circles under your eyes. Getting enough water and sleep will also boost your eye skin’s health. 

Products with vitamin C can be a huge help, and if you are dealing with other age-related skin issues like hyperpigmentation (dark spots), wrinkles, or dry skin, vitamin C can help there, too--but give your skincare routine a boost by taking care of yourself overall, and your skin is sure to follow!

Sources:

https://www.today.com/style/what-serum-everything-know-about-face-serum-t149981

https://www.healthline.com/health/dark-circle-under-eyes

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/multimedia/antioxidants/sls-20076428 

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