If I have one beauty bugaboo that bothers me more than others, it’s the dark circles under my eyes. They’re a permanent fixture, unfortunately; the genetics in my family have seen to it that by the age of 35, my three sisters and I had all developed what we commonly refer to as “eye bags,” or even, in our more lighthearted moments, “Bassett hound eyes.” But now that I fly more often for my travel writing, crossing continents and oceans even for three- and four-day trips, the puffy dark circles have really become a problem. Who wants to step up to the concierge desk of a five-star hotel looking like you haven’t slept in weeks?

Now, as I mentioned, this is not a new problem; between my sisters and me we’ve probably tried twenty or more products promising to tighten, lighten, brighten and de-puff aging eyes. Most of them do nothing; a few fulfill one of the promised actions but not others. So, for example, you end up with tight-feeling skin that looks crepey because it’s so dry. Or you end up with undereye skin that’s dewy with moisture, but as grey-looking as ever.
 
So I was pretty excited when I tried out a sample of Naturopathica’s vitamin K brightening eye serum, and discovered that it actually lives up to its name. Dab a few dots under your eyes, and the circles seem to vanish. How does it work? The effect is so startling, I set out sleuthing to try to figure it out. 
Turns out it’s a combination of internal and external action. Internally, vitamin K has been shown in studies to strengthen capillary walls, preventing the bruised look that’s actually the root cause of undereye circles. Externally, it’s tricks of light and shade. The serum contains tiny particles of silica and mica, the same elements used to make glitter. With their super-reflective properties, the minerals bounce light back from the skin, camouflaging shadows.

not ready for my close up 

Now, I gotta say I was startled when I saw the price on this product; $72 is steep, no doubt about it. But the bottle is good-sized, and you need just a teeny tiny amount; I use about three drops per eye, if that. I’ve been using this serum daily for three months and still have more than half the bottle left. And I’ll be replacing it when it’s gone, you can be sure of that. Since the other 20 eye creams my sisters and I have tested have cost an average of $30 each, and none has done what I hoped, I consider this a bargain.

If you want to try the vitamin K eye serum for yourself, Naturopathica has kindly offered to give  Health*Conscious*Travel readers a 20% discount when they shop at Naturopathica’s online store. And by the way, the entire product line, developed by herbalist and massage therapist Barbara Close, is Ecocert-certified and sustainable, reflecting the green values I encourage in this blog. Just enter the coupon code HEALTHTRAVEL when you check out. And please, let me know what you think; I’d love to hear if you get the same results I do.