What a Cosmetic Doctor Uses to Brighten Her Under Eyes
Dr Yumiko Kadota is an Australian-trained medical doctor with 14 years of clinical experience. She owns a cosmetic skin clinic in Sydney, performing treatments such as injectables, lasers, and chemical peels. She was born in Tokyo and loves using Japanese and Korean skin care in particular. You can find her on @dryumikokadota or @sydneyfacedoctor
As a cosmetic doctor, the under-eye area gets brought up a lot in clinic!
Common concerns include fine lines, dark circles, hollowness, and eye bags.
You may have even seen social media videos of people getting ‘salmon injections’ done under their eyes.
It’s one of those areas that can be difficult to treat, and clinic treatments aren’t for everyone.
Skincare and makeup can make a big difference too, and I often have these conversations with my patients!
So are eye creams just marketing? Short answer: no.
Eye creams are formulated differently to other skincare products because the skin there is different.
The skin around the eyes is much thinner than the rest of the face, and is also more sensitive.
How to brighten under eyes naturally?
Below, I’ve rounded up the skincare and makeup formulas I personally reach for when I want to brighten and revive the under-eye area - the ones that consistently make me look a little more rested, lifted and alive.
How to Brighten Under Eyes Naturally
Lancôme Génifique Yeux Light-Pearl Youth Activating Eye & Lash Concentrate
I get a bit puffy under the eyes, and they look a bit purple-ish:
If you’re similar, you might enjoy Lancôme’s Light Pearl eye and lash concentrate from their popular Génifique range:
It has vitamin C and lactic acid for brightening, as well as caffeine, which helps to de-puff. I love the metal applicator, which helps cool the skin.
I also use it to help with lymphatic drainage around the eye – a bit like using a gua sha! It’s best to move from the inner eye outwards, which is the direction of lymphatic drainage.
This eye serum is also gentle enough to be used along the lash line, and the pre- and pro-biotic ingredients keeps the skin microbiome happy too!
Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Pure Luxury Lift & Firm Hydra-Gel Eye Patches
Just like the rest of your face, make up always looks better on a hydrated base.
The Peter Thomas Roth 24K gold eye patches are like a hydrogel mask for your under-eyes.
There are two ways you can place them. If puffiness is more of your concern, you can apply the wider part to the inner eye like the above image.
If you’re more concerned about fine lines and wrinkles in the “crow’s feet” area, then place the wider part on the outer eye like the below:
These patches have hyaluronic acid and glycerin to hydrate and plump the skin. It also has caffeine for de-puffing as well as hydrolysed collagen peptides and adenosine to target fine lines.
If I’m wearing make up for a special occasion, I like to use these under my eyes for about 15 minutes beforehand.
Huda Beauty #FAUXFILTER Color Corrector
When patients discuss fine lines with me, so many of them mention getting make up in the creases.
The key to avoiding this is using less product! If you have discolouration, I suggest using a colour corrector before your base.
My go-to is the Huda Beauty Faux Filter colour corrector.
If you have a blue or purple-ish hue under your eyes, a peach or orange tone helps to colour correct.
It can also be used to camouflage dark spots and hyperpigmentation. I have a bit of melasma on my cheeks, so I use it there, too.
We also love to see the skinification of makeup with the addition of vitamin C and niacinamide!
Then, gently blend in your base.
I lightly tap just a small amount of concealer under the eye so that I’m not rubbing off the colour corrector.
Keep the coverage light and avoid going all the way up to the lash line.
GIVENCHY Prisme Libre 4-Color Loose Powder
To set the area, I like using the Givenchy Prisme Libre 4-color loose powder.
How to use Givenchy Prisme libre loose powder?
I use a small fluffy brush and tap any excess off before lightly dusting the area.
Finally, I finish off the rest of the look with blush and bronzer which helps to make the under eye area look brighter in contrast.
Here is the before and after with full make up done:
And there you have it, my top rated skincare and makeup picks as a cosmetic doctor for brightening under eyes naturally!
K-Beauty fans, check out Dr Yumiko's top Korean skincare product recommendations below:
