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?
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.
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| 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.
I might have to get some of this. I've had dark circles since I was a kid (from allergies).
I've been trying hydrolyze, and it does seem to help a little bit.
I've heard of this before, maybe in a magazine. Sounds like a great thing. Thanks for getting us a discount!
Passed on to all my beauty-obsessed friends – now, if you've ever got some tips on natural hair volumizers that actually work…
But – what about the puffs? Does it help the puffs?
Hi Roxanne, I tried hydrolize too, and it moisturized but didn't really lighten, at least not for me. And yes, Miss RRSchoolhouse, it does help the puffs too, though it takes a bit longer to notice, whereas the dark circles vanish instantly!
I'd say it's too good to be true – except that you tried it and it really works. Amazing that something will actually take away those dark circles. Thanks for the recommendation~!
Pricey — but a lot cheaper than plastic surgery.
I have circles. I think concealer is a lot cheaper! But I'm into anything that actually works.
Ha! Ruth, my thoughts exactly. Eyelid lift? $3,000. So yeah, I don't mind spending money on eye creams!!
Alisa, in another post at some point I plan to tackle the topic of concealers… I agree that they're all important! But the concealers I've ended up choosing, after much trial and error, are pretty pricey themselves. On me, the basic drugstore ones just don't come in the right shades (I have yellow undertones to my skin) and end up looking caked on.
Huh, I've always wondered if using concealer is just making the circles under my eyes worse because I'm rubbing that area every day. Maybe this is worth a try. Thanks.
To find an special eye cream that works–and works well when traveling–priceless!
Girly, when I look at your youthful face I don't see dark circles, but I'll take your word for it. And kudos to you for running that extreme close-up on your blog, brave woman.
I bet every 40something-plus gal has some kind of eye thing (tired, puffy, circles, etc.) they'd love to fix.
Boy, can I relate to the dark circles! I'm one of those people who needs a LOT of sleep, but it's not always realistic for me to sleep a full nine hours like my body would like, so I end up with icky eye bags. Thanks for the tip!
I have to admit that I'd never in a million years spend that much money for a beauty product. But I *am intrigued about how it works, especially since you're a fan!