I have genetically dark under-eye circles, and this $30 eye cream is the only thing that has lightened them — I’ve been using it every day for more than a year

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Dark circles are common in the delicate and fragile under-eye area, and for me, their prevalence is largely genetic.
The vitamins A and C in Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment With Avocado help lighten my genetically dark circles so well that I don’t need to use a corrector in my makeup routine anymore.
It also moisturizes with shea butter, avocado oil, and castor oil to help strengthen the skin and prevent fine lines.

I used to scoff at anyone who spent any time, money, or energy on eye cream. To spend any of that on such a small amount of skin seemed unnecessary to me. Until one day at the ripe old age of 16 when I seemed to develop pigmentation under my eyes overnight.

As the only person in my group of friends with dark circles, I asked myself the question every young teen (and probably millennial) asks — why me?

I went to the Internet for answers and found a beloved product recommended by every makeup guru and vlogger — Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado.

I remember saving up my small allowance to buy a small $30 jar. I loved it from the very beginning, but since it was the first eye cream I’d ever used, I figured I should try others over the years. Some were hits, most were misses. I had truly forgotten about this one until I picked up a new jar again this year — and I regret ever having tried anything else.

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In the past decade, I had practically given up on treating my dark circles. Being Indian, I’m genetically predisposed to that kind of pigmentation earlier in life than others may be.

"We generally get under-eye circles before other people, even as early as our teens," says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Manjula Jegasothy. "The biggest difference between Southeast Asian skin is that the eyelid skin is particularly delicate and fragile in Indian people so that’s the place where we age the first."

Re-enter Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment With Avocado.

I love trying out new products, but eye creams never excited me because nothing really ever worked for my dark circles. I only picked this one up again when I was traveling and left usual my eye cream at home. I picked this one up at an airport, remembering how much I liked it years ago. After just one week, I saw my dark circles decrease significantly to the point where I was seeing a clear difference every time I woke up and looked in the mirror. My love for eye cream was reborn.

In addition to my genetic predisposition, I also have a history of extremely dry and sensitive under-eye skin. It gets easily irritated to the point where I sometimes wake up to flaky skin. The under-eye skin is so delicate that it’s easy to tug or pull when applying or taking off makeup, which can cause capillaries underneath to break and can cause pigmentation.

"In Indian skin, the pigmentation caused by broken capillaries under the skin tends to persist more in the area with brown pigmentation as opposed to other [parts of the] skin which tend to be more red," says Dr. Jegasothy.

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Since I started re-using this about a year ago, I haven’t experienced a single moment of dry, flaky, or irritated skin. Not only does my under-eye skin look more moisturized and brighter, it’s smoother too. Though I love using concealers and color correctors, I certainly don’t feel the need to wear one every single day the way I used to. And when I do, they go on with more ease.

The mint-green color melts into my skin seamlessly while vitamins A and C helps brighten skin. It’s pretty thick so I only use it at night after removing makeup, cleansing, and using a toner. But the ingredient that increased brightness the most was the vitamin C.

"Vitamin C is wonderful for the eye area because it does two things — it decreases pigmentation, but it also produces collagen," says Dr. Jegasothy. "So it makes that delicate skin under the eye a little thicker." Basically, if you’re concerned about fine lines, this cream might be really effective too.

The $30 price tag for an eye cream can seem like a lot. But I barely tap my finger into the pot before patting the cream onto my under-eye area and along my occipital bone, so it goes a very long way. And since I only use it at night, this pot has lasted me a year with plenty to spare. I also use far less under-eye concealer (when I bother to wear it now), so I’ve saved money there too.

Sure, there are a ton of eye creams out there touting vitamin C and other brightening ingredients, but this cult-favorite moisturizer from Kiehl’s has been a true game-changer for me. Once I was told my circles were genetic, I had practically given up on trying to brighten them, overcompensating with layers of concealer. Now I wear less makeup and feel more confident — and that is priceless to me.

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