Can Vitamin E reduce dark circles?

Vascular dark circles are characterized by the presence of a concentric circle under the eyes with a bluish or purplish hue, related to a failure of the blood and lymphatic micro-circulation around the eye. The causes of this type of dark circles can be internal and external: lack of sleep, genetic reason, skin aging.

The brown circles (or pigmented circles) appear as halos present under the eyes of a brown color, resulting from a hyperpigmentation problem in the area (accumulation of melanin pigments in the superficial layers of the epidermis). They primarily affect individuals with medium to dark skin tones.

The hollow dark circles are V-shaped hollows under the eyes, which can appear black depending on the lighting. They are caused by a loss of fat between the skin of the lower eyelid and the orbital bone towards the cheekbones, resulting in a loss of volume. The factors are aging, heredity, or even significant weight loss.

While Vitamin E has many benefits for the skin, there are virtually no scientific studies that prove its effectiveness in reducing dark circles.

Only a 2004 study concluded that a gel containing 2% phytonadione, 0.1% retinol, and 0.1% vitamins C and E was effective in reducing under-eye circles and wrinkles in adults. However, the amount of vitamin E in this gel was too low, and more importantly, this compound was combined with other active ingredients, making it difficult to discern the effectiveness of vitamin E in reducing under-eye circles compared to the other ingredients in the gel.

• MITSUISHI T. & al. The effects of topical application of phytonadione, retinol and vitamins C and E on infraorbital dark circles and wrinkles of the lower eyelids. JCD (2004).