Grr...I need help. I need to reduce the bags under my eyes and nothing seems to work. I DO NOT want to just cover them, I'm adept enough at makeup I can already do this if I want to. I'd rather just reduce them and go makeupless.

I have both small bags (puffiness directly under the eyes) and shadows (dark circles extending down covering the entire lower 'eye' skin area and even up onto the upper lid).

These are the things I've tried:

Oil of Olay age defying eye gel (contains witchhazel, so any of you recommending that - it doesn't work for me)
Neutrogena anti-oxidant age reverse eye cream
cucumber slices for 30 minutes
Earth Therapeutics hydrogel under-eye recovery patch (contains green tea, anti-oxidant vitamin complex, aloe vera, cucumber and chamomile)

I also have one of those cooling gel eye masks to strap on. Nothing seems to work for me.

Please help?

I have a friend that sells AVON, and she used to give me samples of a firming eye gel-in came in a mellon and tan colored jar. I'm sorry I can't remember the name of it. I liked it because it did seem to tighten the skin around the eye. AVON also have a "Lighten Up Plus" creme for dark undereye circles.
Hope this helps.

I don't have them but my best friend does and she was told by several aestheticians and dermatologists that they are, to a large degree, genetic. You can minimize them, but never get rid of them. I know she's spend hundreds of $$ on all kinds of products and never been entirely happy.

If you find anything that really works, I'd love to know to pass on to her - I know they're the bane of her life!

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Have you tried Preparation H? No, really.

It shrinks the capillaries to reduce puffiness. Be careful not to get it in your eye, but when I have no sleep, putting some on really does reduce the puffy-factor.

You don't want to use it every day, though, just because you don't want to consistently restrict blood flow to parts of your body. And try to find the gel variety...blends better.

Mandalinn is right! I also have used preparation H for when I have had a few too many cocktails and I get puffy eyes, I can vouch strange as it sounds, it reduces swelling! Whats good for shrinking roids works wonders for the eyes too, models best kept secret yanno! Atleast Mandalinn and I fess up, strange but true, works wonders for me!

Do you have allergies? Both the puffiness and black circles can be caused by food allergies or Allergic Rhinitis. If this is recent, it could be from a food you're eating now that you didn't eat before. Do an internet search on dark circle allergies and you'll find lots of interesting information.

Oil of Olay Eye Gel: Witchhazel

That's the active ingredient in Preparation H.

I do have allergies, but they are (mold and mildew) not typically food (was fully tested a while back, about the only food I can't eat is blue cheese - am far more sensitive to the airborne than anything), and the eye circles are not recent...actually, come to think about it...they started getting bad about the time my allergies did. Thank you for the information, I'll definitely do a search on that.

Actually, the active ingredient in Preparation H is Phenylephrine HCl 0.25%. Though the gel does contain witch hazel, that isn't the main or active ingredient.

It also has phenylephrine HCl which is a vasoconstrictor.

Mandalinn We cross posted.

In TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) that area relates to the kidneys. Looking at salt and caffeine intake as well as anything that may burden the kidneys is the approach taken in TCM.

Prep H is an old Hollywood trick!!!!
Works as far as I know.

I use Arbonne Eye Cream, it's pretty good.

Also, cool tea bags are soothing as well.

My mistake, that wasn't what I was told by someone else, and I don't have any preparation H here to compare.

Ingredients in the oil of olay gel: Water, Witch Hazel Distillate, Cucumber Extract, Glycerin, Panthenol, Hexylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-C30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglycerylmethacrylate.

I'll try the preparation H. Now I just have to buy some.

Oh I missed your post Soulbliss. I'll take a look at that also.

Since my built-in camera is on the fritz, I fould this model who has pretty much the same eye symptoms I do.



Slight puffs directly under the eyes, discoloration below that and extending around to part of the upper lid. I hate it.