How do I fix dark circles?

Consider the causes before you reach for the products, The Kit’s editor-at-large cautions

I am chugging coffee right now — not sipping it, which implies a sort of Instagram-branded dreaminess and conjures images of fiddle-leaf fig trees and latte art. Rather, I’m simply trying to consume a great volume of caffeine to counteract the fact that I didn’t get enough sleep and haven’t for a while. (No need to get into the reasons for the sleep deprivation here, suffice it to say since they range from business to pleasure, as long as “pleasure” involves changing the pee-soaked sheets of a small sobbing person.)

As a result, I am tired and, like you, I have the dark swaths under my eyes to prove it.

“The skin around our eyes is thin, so it really reflects when we’re exhausted,” explains Jacquie Hutchison, a generally inexhaustible and exuberant human who is both regional trainer for skin care brand Neostrata and teaches makeup artistry at Centennial College. “When we’re tired, our eyes also get puffy which then casts a shadow.” So, being tired creates a double-whammy effect on our eyes.

But there are other potential causes for our shadows. Letting your allergies get out-of-hand could be the culprit. “And when we’re iron-deficient, dark circles are also one of the signs,” Hutchinson explains. “I always suggest my sisters go get their iron levels tested when that area turns black — though that’s the extreme.”

So you may need to tweak your lifestyle to banish the shadows from under your eyes. In that case, focus on replenishing yourself with rest, nourish your body and avoid allergens when possible before reaching for any skin care saviours.

But you can also be suffering from dark circles for reasons that are largely out of your control: You can simply be genetically predisposed and, some cultures, like South Asians, tend to be more prone to them as well. In those cases, skin care and makeup are your best bet.

Before you even open a bottle of serum, though, Hutchinson wants to clear up a common misconception: “The issue isn’t just under your eye,” she explains. “It’s literally a whole dark circle, so you can’t just apply the cream or the concealer underneath.”

With that in mind, your first priority should be to hydrate the entire eye area. “Eyelids are very thin, so they get dried out easily, especially as winter arrives and we start turning on the heat. When the skin dries out, it looks darker,” Hutchinson says.

If you’ve noticed lines around your eyes, reaching for an eye cream that might help smooth them will also lessen your dark circles by reducing pesky shadows. Neostrata utilizes PHA (polyhydroxy acid) as the active ingredient of choice in some of its smoothing eye creams, but retinol formulations, which also help with discoloration, can do the tricky nicely.

Just make sure to stop and read the label before slathering active ingredients onto your lid. “Unless (the product) specifically states that you can use it on the eyelid because it’s ophthalmologist tested, you should be using it only around your orbital bone,” Hutchinson warns. “So start on the bone just underneath your eyebrow and then follow the circle all the way around.”

I’ve always heard that one should use the ring finger to apply product gently on the delicate eye area, but Hutchinson scoffs. “I don’t have time for all that. Use whatever finger you’re comfortable with. I, for instance, use the rude finger because it’s the largest, so it’s quickest.”

After giving your product a moment to absorb, it’s time for a touch of makeup. “Just don’t use a light shade of concealer!” Hutchinson says passionately. “It doesn’t work and it often looks crazy. I see it on social media; I see it on the street; and I just wonder, don’t you have a mirror or a friend?”

Using a much lighter shade of concealer doesn’t lessen shadows, she explains, it causes the area to appear ashy and grey. So instead, she suggests using a shade of concealer that nearly matches the undereye area. “Apply it all around the eye, then fade it out so it’s seamless.” Then apply foundation over that, if you need it, in a shade that matches your complexion. It might sound counterintuitive at first but her strategy makes sense when you give it a moment of thought: You’re merely mimicking the natural lowlights of your face for a refined but natural effect.

The Internet-famous techniques like “baking” and “strobing” that involve using copious amounts of light-and-bright highlighter all over the face have done us all a disservice, Hutchinson says. “A lot of these techniques are taken from drag queens,” she explains. “But that’s a man trying to make his masculine features look feminine. Our features are already feminine; we don’t need to restructure and change — we only need to enhance.”

What causes dark circles under the eyes and what is the best way to camouflage them? — Eva, Toronto