How To Get Rid Of Under-Eye Circles
Treating under-eye circles and puffiness—think EYE, FOOT, KIDNEY — Oh my! Soak it out.
Thinking of doing tear trough filler for those pesky under-eye circles and puffiness? It’s become such a popular trend but I find that everyone is missing the point of how you get these issues and how jumping on a trend can be a slippery slope. Let’s clarify I am not ant-cosmetic work on principle alone. However, I feel that if people understood more natural ways to approach these type of issues I believe you would choose them over injectables—which will always run a risk. The tear trough carries the same risk of necrosis as your lips. It can occur when your injected into an artery and causes premature death of cells. I’ve read on dermatology platforms that side effects from tear trough filler—one being darkening and puffiness (isn’t that what you are trying to remedy?) is a result of poor circulation and a lymphatic issue. Well, alrighty then! Wouldn’t it be logical to get these regulated first and you wouldn’t have the need to explore filler for dark circles? If you’re choosing to check into filler please seek a trained professional that has extensive experience in this specific area.
The under eye area is the thinnest and most delicate area of the skin. There are no oil glands, and is ultra susceptible to dark circles, rings or shadows. As we age, the skin thins from reduction and loss of fat and collagen, which can also impact the color, creating reddish-blue blood vessels to be more apparent. Dehydration from medications or the medications causing UV sensitivity. Even hormonal changes can have an affect of how the skin reacts here. For this reason, it makes great sense to me to look at things from a wholistic perspective, since everyone has unique circumstances and our entire body is connected.
Our medical system perpetuates a separatist model of the body—one in which each part or piece is reduced to its smallest elements. For example your bones and muscles or heart and blood isn’t you. They only form you when functioning synergistically. The way I approach aging is to think about longevity and sustainability for our beauty and essence. When we look at any aging concern from an Eastern philosophy, it is always about a slowing down of “Ki”- in Japanese. It is believed to be part of everything that exists, as in "life force" or "spiritual energy". It is most often translated as "energy flow", or literally as "air" or "breath". Everything slows down…a slowing down of blood circulation and stagnation in our fluid and begins to show up on our face and body. It’s been my experience, dark circles that come with puffiness can indicate kidney deficiency and poor lymphatic flow. As we age, organ functions decline if we haven’t strengthened ourselves with good lifestyle habits. However, all under-eye issues are not the same. It’s always about an individual approach to providing treatment and recommendations to get results. The kidney system is ruled by the water element; it manages all fluid within the body. It’s also responsible for our stress response. When the body is dehydrated from poor habits or high stress, it adversely affects the kidneys and shows in the form of under-eye bags, dark circles, puffiness, or inflammatory issues around the eyebrow ridge.
So, what do the feet have to do with your eyes? In TCM you have meridians and channels that run through the body. You have one of the kidney channels that starts at your little toe, crossing the sole of your foot and runs along the medial aspect of the leg. It crosses the Spleen channel—runs through a whole other aspects of the body, goes through the spine, enters the Kidney and Bladder. Then there is a branch from the Kidney that goes to the Liver, passes diaphragm, and enters the Lung. It goes along the throat and ends at the root of the tongue. From there more intersections running along the face to the eyes. PHEW!
Soaking your feet especially before going to bed can improve this kidney energy. I’ve read that around 9 pm— studies have shown that this kidney energy is weak and at it’s lowest around this time. Circadian Rhythms influence your hormones and your bodily organs which all have a clock. By soaking your feet, you can dilate your blood vessel and promote blood circulation throughout the body. This lowers fatigue and works to relax your whole body.
Tips to improve the under eye area.
Drink enough water(structured-think adding lemon, fresh ginger, pink salt, aloe) sip it room temperature or warm throughout the day and do not chug water as it dilutes the kidneys.
Stay away from sugar and excess caffeine, along with refined salts as these weaken the kidneys and creates inflammation in the body. This can create puffiness and water retention.
Eat mineral rich foods- sea vegetables, wild-caught fish, fermented foods, dark leafy greens, bone broth, pink himalayan salt, grass fed- butter or ghee, grass fed-meats, avocados, pasture-raised eggs.
Get good sleep!!!
Emotional stress management.
Massage your feet. Especially after a bath or soak to regulate kidney energy. You will fall asleep with ease. Find the point right at the center of the sole of the foot( 1/3 the distance of foot) between the long bones of the 2nd -3rd toes.
Wear SPF during peak hours and seasons. Be careful of too much sun exposure, which prompts the body to produce more melanin creating darker pigment.
Improve your lymphatic flow throughout the body by moving daily, exercising, dry brushing, tapping and massaging yourself. Once you get better movement in the lymph and blood circulation you will see a huge improvement everywhere but especially around the eyes.
Take a bath or soak the feet. Use epsom salt, essential oils of lavender, fennel, neroli, juniper and or geranium are wonderful for blood flow and circulation among other de-stressing benefits.
Perform Gua Sha- considered the Eastern Botox is a treatment/therapy technique that involves lightly scraping/pulling a stone/tool along the skin, and as this is done the skin layers are stimulated to reduce puffiness, flush out tissues via lymphatic drainage and much more. Gua sha can help address the root of aging that topical products cannot; it increases circulation, decreases muscle tension, and helps move the lymphatic fluid while giving an almost immediate lift and radiant glow. You can book a virtual tutorial with me and learn the correct way to use these tools.
Book a facial where you will immediately see an improvement in color and circulation in the entire face and eyes. The Jet Glow add-on of Lymphatic Drainage and Infusions have been remarkable.
Even when I’ve had enough sleep, hydrated, etc. and I’ve done all the above— I naturally have more pigment under the eyes. I will always use a light concealer to camouflage the contrast in skin color. This is true for most men and women of color especially. And a good question to ask is if the darkness your seeing is natural pigment, where filler can make this look worse. I use Precare-Essence C formula from Japanese brand Faith around eyes and entire face followed by ReCHARGE Wrinkle Cream and/or eye cream Opti-Crystal and conceal with Gel Foundation during the day to provide a flawless natural coverage and Eye Doctor in the evenings.
Brightening Masks work great to smooth uneven pigment in the skin. I apply this all over the face and neck and around my eyes. After 20-30 minutes you emerge significantly brighter with more hydrated skin.
Until Next Time….
xo
Claudia