Etienne Inquires:
I love your blog because it is so informative and a great unbiased resource when trying to be a smart shopper. I have looked through your archives but I haven’t come across a post that directly addresses my problem: serious dark circles around my eyes. I have had these ever since I was a kid, so it has nothing to do with my lifestyle or the amount of sleep I get (though allergies do play a role). Do you recommend any creams or gels in particular? I have seen advertisements for expensive ones like Hylexin; I would be willing to pay the price if I knew that they were effective. Just to clarify, my problem isn’t necessarily puffiness or dryness, but primarily the dark coloration in the eye orbit (it looks like I have black eyes). Is there any product short of a good concealer that will help me out?
The Right Brain Responds:
Thanks for the kind works Etienne. We looked into this Hylexin product and found that their website does a pretty good job of explaining what causes those dark circles in the first place. And we quote Bremenn Labs, makers of Hylexin:
Serious dark circles (the kind that make you look old, tired and exhausted) are about, of all things, the oxidation of hemoglobin (blood) in the capillary matrix of the peri-orbital eye area. What a mouthful!
These capillaries actually “leak” blood that begins to oxidize (through a process called hemoglobin degradation)… creating a dark bluish-red pigmentation that looks distinctly like an ugly bruise.
What does all that mean in plain English? Tiny little capillaries deposit blood around your sensitive eye area. The blood turns deep purple and you end up looking like you just went 12 hard rounds in a boxing ring.
Ok, so now you know what causes your dark circles. But what will get rid of them? The American Academy Of Dermatologists says that Vitamin K has been shown to have some effect on reducing facial bruising, which is caused by a similar type of blood leakage. So a Vitamin K based product might help reduce under eye circles. But Hylexin doesn’t contain Vitamin K. Hmmm. So does this stuff work? We can’t be sure, but we did find out that Bremmen labs has been reported to the Federal Trade Commission for making unsubstantiated claims on Hylexin. While this doesn’t necessarily mean the product doesn’t work, it certainly makes us suspicious. Without more information, we’d hesitate to plunk down a hundred bucks for this stuff.
The Brains Bottom Line:
We wish there was an easy answer for you, but we can’t find clear evidence that any product will work for sure. A Vitamin K product, like Vita-K, may be worth a try, but don’t spend a ton of money.
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