Puffiness & tired eyes

The skin around your eyes is thinner than the rest of your face, moves constantly, and has almost no oil glands of its own. It dehydrates first and shows it soonest, which is why the eye area looks tired before anything else does.

Puffiness is usually fluid, not fat. It is worst on waking, worse after salt or alcohol, and settles over a few hours as you move. Cool temperature and gentle pressure help it drain; nothing applied topically removes it permanently, and any product claiming otherwise is describing a temporary effect.

Dark circles are often structural. Thin skin over a hollow, or visible vasculature, or pigment — and only the pigment kind responds meaningfully to skincare. Hydration makes the area look better because plumper skin scatters light differently, but it does not change the underlying anatomy. Be sceptical of before-and-afters.

What does work is unglamorous: hydration held in place, applied along the orbital bone rather than the lash line, in a texture light enough not to migrate into creases. A rice-grain amount per eye. Product spreads upward on its own with blinking and body heat, so applying closer to the eye only increases the chance of it getting in.

If your eyes react to fragrance, this is the area where it matters most — it is the most fragrance-sensitive skin on the face. Check the scent status on every product before it goes near your eyes.