What your under-eyes are trying to tell you

Your under-eyes often show what's going on before the rest of your face catches up. Puffiness, dark circles, dryness, fatigue are signals. And once you understand what's actually happening, you can give this delicate skin what it needs.

Puffy

Puffiness is usually about fluid. While you sleep, fluid can accumulate in the tissues around your eyes — especially if you sleep flat, ate something salty, had alcohol, or you’re prone to water retention. Allergies and sinus congestion can also cause swelling in this area.

What helps is anything that encourages fluid to move. Cooling constricts blood vessels and helps reduce swelling. Gentle massage and lymphatic drainage can also make a difference. Sleeping slightly elevated helps prevent fluid pooling overnight.

Hydrogel eye patches stored in the fridge will give a cooling effect on contact. The gentle pressure of the patch against the skin can also help encourage fluid away from the area, leaving under-eyes looking calmer and less swollen.

Dark circles

Dark circles are more complex because they have multiple causes. For many people, they’re genetic — the skin under the eyes is so thin that blood vessels simply show through more visibly. Darker skin tones may also experience hyperpigmentation in this area.

Fatigue makes dark circles worse because when you’re tired, skin becomes paler, making the contrast more obvious. Dehydration does the same — when skin lacks moisture, it looks dull and shadows appear deeper.

What helps depends on the cause. Hydration plumps the skin and reduces that hollow, shadowed look. Brightening ingredients can help with pigmentation over time. But for most people, keeping this skin well-hydrated and calm is the simplest way to reduce their appearance.

Hydrogel patches deliver concentrated hydration directly to the under-eye area, helping skin look plumper and more even. The cooling effect can also help reduce the appearance of darkness caused by visible blood vessels.

Dehydrated

The skin under your eyes produces very little oil compared to the rest of your face. That means it loses moisture faster and has less natural protection against dryness. Screen time makes it worse — hours of concentrated focus reduce how often you blink, which increases moisture loss around the eyes.

When this skin is dehydrated, it looks crepey. Fine lines appear deeper. Everything looks a bit dull and tired.

What helps is hydration that actually stays in place. Hyaluronic acid is one of the most effective ingredients for this area because it draws water into the skin and holds it there. Multi-weight hyaluronic acid works at different depths — smaller molecules penetrate to replenish moisture, while larger molecules sit closer to the surface to lock hydration in.

Hydrogel patches act as a delivery system, holding hydrating ingredients against the skin for several minutes so they have time to absorb properly. Unlike a serum that absorbs in seconds, patches create a seal that prevents moisture from evaporating — giving dehydrated under-eyes the sustained hydration they need.

Tired

Tired-looking eyes are usually a combination of everything above — a bit puffy, a bit dry, a bit dull. But eye strain plays a role too. Hours of screen time, squinting, and concentrating all creates tension around the eyes that shows up as fatigue.

Stress compounds the effect. When you’re stressed, blood flow changes, sleep suffers, and skin doesn’t repair as efficiently overnight. The under-eye area, being the thinnest and most delicate, shows it first.

What helps is giving this skin a reset. Cooling soothes tension. Hydration restores what’s been lost. Calming ingredients like cucumber and aloe reduce irritation and redness.

A few minutes with a cooling, hydrating patch can help tired eyes look noticeably more awake and refreshed because you’ve given this skin a moment of support it doesn’t usually get.

How to make the most of eye patches

Eye patches are designed to be applied to clean skin, before eye cream. Eye creams are typically more occlusive, meaning they sit on the surface of the skin and create a protective layer. That’s exactly what you want them to do, but if that layer is already there when you apply your patches, it acts as a barrier between the hydrogel and your skin.

The ingredients in eye patches — hyaluronic acid, peptides, cucumber, aloe — need direct contact with the skin to absorb effectively. The hydrogel format works by holding these ingredients against the under-eye area for several minutes, giving them time to penetrate. If there’s a layer of cream in the way, that delivery is restricted.

Eye cream comes after. Once the patches are removed and you’ve patted in any remaining serum, an eye cream seals everything in, locking hydration into the skin and adding an extra layer of protection.

You slept eight hours. You drank water. You even skipped the late-night scroll. And yet, somehow, your eyes still look exhausted. If that sounds familiar, you’re not imagining it. The under-eye area is one of the first places to show signs of fatigue, stress and dehydration, even when the rest of your skin feels fine. And no amount of concealer can change what’s actually happening beneath the surface.

Why your pigmentation won't fade

If you’ve ever noticed dark marks that linger long after a breakout, a patch of melasma that seems to deepen in certain light, or an uneven tone that stubbornly resists your routine, you’re not alone. Pigmentation is one of the most common skin concerns worldwide. It’s also one of the most misunderstood, which is why so many people struggle to fade it. Before you can fix pigmentation to get the even tone and glow you’re after, you need to understand why it happens and why it sticks around. Once you know the root causes, the path to brighter skin becomes much clearer.

The two essential vitamins for healthy, soft lips

Vitamins E and C are beneficial for your overall health and immune system, and are also essential vitamins for your lip care routine. If your goal is softer, healthier, more resilient lips, then incorporating these two powerhouse vitamins into your lip care routine is a must. Here’s why:

Fruit & Berry Extracts: Exfoliating superfruits for the softest lips

Exfoliation is crucial for maintaining soft and supple lips, because it removes dead skin cells that can cause dryness, flakiness, and a rough texture. Without regular exfoliation, these dead cells accumulate, leading to chapped and uncomfortable lips. By gently exfoliating the lips, you reveal the fresh, healthy skin underneath, allowing moisturisers and other nourishing ingredients to penetrate more effectively.

Murumuru Seed Butter: the ultimate ingredient for parched lips

When it comes to maintaining healthy, hydrated lips, not all ingredients are created equal. Among the myriad options available, the lesser known murumuru seed butter stands out as a true powerhouse. Extracted from the seeds of the Astrocaryum Murumuru palm tree, this luxurious emollient is celebrated for its remarkable moisturising properties and skin benefits.

How aging affects your lips and the ingredients that help

Aging is a natural process that affects every part of our body, including our lips. Just like the skin on our face, the delicate skin on our lips undergoes significant changes as we get older. These changes can lead to dryness, thinning, loss of volume, and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. However, with the right care and ingredients, you can help maintain the youthful appearance of your lips and keep them looking plump and healthy.

This lip mask will change your life: it’s Chummi!

When it comes to lip care, many of us cycle through endless products, searching for the perfect formula that promises more than just a temporary fix. Traditional lip balms might offer instant relief, but often, they don’t tackle the deeper issues of dryness and damage. Lip masks promise intensive care, but might feel heavy or sticky. Meanwhile, your lips continue to suffer, showing signs of chapping, flakiness, and discomfort. Which is why we created Chummi, the lip care magician you’ll find yourself reaching for, day after day.

The Natural Ingredient You Can’t Ignore: Lecithin in Daily Shield SPF 50

In the vast world of skincare, ingredients like retinol and vitamin C are well-known. But the powerful ingredient lecithin is rarely talked about. The golden-hued lecithin is a skincare powerhouse, offering numerous benefits that enhance skin health and vitality. In this post, we’ll dive into why lecithin in Daily Shield SPF 50 is an ingredient you simply can’t ignore.

Spirulina Maxima: The Superfood for Your Skin’s Blue Light Defense

In the world of wellness, superfoods command a special level of reverence, and Spirulina Maxima sits comfortably among the top. Abundant in fresh and marine waters, this algae has long been a potent source of protein and vitamins in the diet. Now, Spirulina Maxima is making waves in skincare, bringing its rich nutritional benefits to rejuvenate and protect our skin.