Diet
But have you considered your diet? I hadn’t either until I looked at a picture of myself in a face mask the first time I wore one. Shocked at how visible my dark circles were, I happened to be chatting to a nutritionist at the time who suggested that I may be lacking in iron; A true enough statement, I figured, since I rarely eat red meat and have had a history of Anaemia in the past.
‘Iron deficiency is another reason why you might have dark circles,’ explains Dr Shah Desai. ‘Make sure you include vitamin B12 and foods like red meat, pork, poultry, seafood, beans, spinach, raisins, apricots, and peas into your diet.’
Immediately I began taking a B12 supplement and upped my greens and fish. As I eat a little bit of red meat from time to time, I made sure to have a bite every now and then, usually off of one of the kid’s plates.
However, you don’t need to eat red meat – or animal products – to get your iron levels to where they need to be. Floridix Liquid Iron Supplement is what I took after giving birth to my twins when I was severely anaemic and it was transformative.
Iron is just part of the puzzle. Making sure your skin is hydrated from within is vital for dissipating dark circles as they are more evident when the skin is thin – and for keeping fine lines at bay. I do this by eating lots of water-rich foods such as eggs, cucumbers, melon, salad and other fruits and veggies which hydrate the skin from the inside. Alongside healthy fats like avocado to keep my skin supple.
Skincare
Topically, I used a retinol serum at night under my eyes to boost collagen and firm and thicken the area – though this takes consistency and time. During the day I religiously applied a vitamin C cream and massaged it in with a rose quartz roller to drain the lymph and reduce early morning puffiness.
Dr. Shah Desai says, ‘when it comes to skincare, with repeated use, retinoids can help rebuild dermal collagen and contribute to vascular support in the area and the recovery of skin volume and firmness. For dark circles that are caused by increased pigment, topical lightening agents such as vitamin C can help decrease skin pigmentation over time, ultimately resulting in the lightening of the dark circles.’
Do I think I need surgery, filler or radiofrequency now that I’ve tweaked my diet, massaged my eyes daily and applied a targeted day and night serum for the past month? Not a chance. In fact, I’d say I’ve knocked at least five years off of my eye age with no pain or downtime – and all for less than £200.
