Q: My 43-year-old daughter has constant dark, bluish circles under her eyes. What are some causes of this other than lack of sleep?
A: Dark circles under the eyes are pretty common, and the answer to your question may be as simple as looking at yourself in the mirror. Skin texture, tone and tint are passed on by genetics, just like hair and eye color.
So if you or her father has regularly appearing dark circles, chances are your daughter will too. However, heredity isn’t the only cause; allergies, illness, and even too much sunlight can add their mark. Fortunately, most times this cosmetic concern can be hidden or even reversed by cover-ups, treatments or lifestyle adjustments (skin masks, antihistamines, decreased sun exposure).
The skin under our eyelids is extremely thin. That is an important thing to remember in trying to soften those dark circles. The extremely thin skin has the potential to reflect the dark blue color of the circulating blood in the soft tissues below its surface. While the length of time and the degree of tint has a lot to do with the genetics and structure of the skin and veins in that area, there are other factors that play an important role. These various factors include (but aren’t limited to):
The treatment of the dark circles depends upon the suspected cause. For instance, if they seem to appear upon awakening and last through part of the day, it may be due to sleep position. In this case laying on the back with the head elevated may keep the fluid from accumulating under the eyes. If the cause is from constant rubbing due to the itching caused by allergies, an antihistamine may decrease the problem. And, if the dark circles are due to heredity or age, creams or make-up may be needed to mask the area. There are many home remedies (cucumbers, almond paste, used and refrigerated tea bags) that have shown various levels of success in relieving the appearance of these circles.
While the cause more often is due to cosmetic rather than medical concerns, your daughter should get a full exam by her health care professional. She may be referred to a skin-care specialist. These professionals can do wonders in reversing the tired, sickly and aging look of those dark circles.
As beauty legend has it, it was the mid-1970s, in the aftermath of the frenzied Haight-Ashbury love-ins of San Francisco, that a quiet, little cosmetic revolution was born.
It was called "mineral makeup" – products made of all natural, finely ground minerals from the earth, without any of the chemicals, dyes, and preservatives found in traditional makeup. Fast-forward some 30 years: Mineral makeup is virtually exploding the beauty market.
"This is an extremely popular style of makeup – and it's something that a lot of my patients use and love, and I use it myself. It's also the product most patients ask about," says Kathryn Frew, MD, a dermatologist at Juva Skin and Laser Center and MediSpa in New York City.
And while mineral makeup comes in a variety of forms – and at prices ranging from less than $10 to more than $50 per product -- undoubtedly the most popular in all price ranges are the loose powder foundations and blushes. These are light, finely ground loose minerals that are buffed into the skin using a wide, fluffy brush.
But does "natural," "mineral," and "from the earth" really equal better? WebMD discovered the answer has a lot of qualifying factors -- and some vastly differing opinions.
Like most cosmetic products, mineral makeup has its fans and its critics. Those who love it rave about the light, natural, long-lasting glow that simply can't be duplicated by other types of makeup. Others, however, complain it's drying, irritating, and accentuates wrinkles and adds years to your appearance. Some say the colors have an ashy undertone that is a particular problem for ethnic skin types.
But looks aside, many consumers also say they are initially drawn to try mineral makeup because of skin health claims – more specifically, that it's pure formulations are safer and better for sensitive, even acne- or rosacea-prone skin.
But is it?
"Quite frankly, I think mineral makeup is just a genius marketing plan -- a new way of selling women the same ingredients that technically have been in makeup for years," says dermatologic and pharmaceutical chemist Ben Kaminsky, author of the new book Beyond Botox: 7 Secrets for Sexy, Ageless Skin.
The main ingredients (minerals such as mica, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide), says Kaminsky, have been the basis of most makeup foundations for decades. And he says mineral makeup has no special health or beauty properties.
"Mineral makeup can cause problems the same as any other preparations can cause problems. It's not purer; there's no scientific proof of that," he says.
But other experts see it a bit differently. Many dermatologists report that because mineral makeup frequently eliminates classic "irritants" – like fragrances, binders, synthetic dyes, and preservatives -- it is considered "purer" and can be kinder to the skin.
"Makeup sensitivity is often the result of synthetic dyes, fragrances, and preservatives, so any makeup that eliminates these is going to eliminate some of the related problems," says Frew.
Moreover, she adds that because titanium dioxide [and zinc oxide] have anti-inflammatory properties, certain mineral makeups can also have a calming effect on the skin, particularly important if you suffer from inflammatory problems such as rosacea or acne.
Dermatologist Francesca Fusco, MD, agrees. "It's non-comedongenic, so it won't clog pores, and it's not going to aggravate an acne condition or cause a flare-up as easily as some traditional makeups can," says Fusco, an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City.
But what about the claims made by some companies that mineral makeup is so pure "you can sleep in it"? Experts draw the line here.
"I would never tell a patient to sleep in any kind of makeup. It's not a good idea for the skin to be covered at night, no matter how pure a makeup might be," says Fusco.
Another big draw to mineral makeup are the claims of sun protection. With an average SPF rating of 15, at least one company, Bare Minerals, has the Skin Cancer Foundation seal of approval as a sunscreen. Jane Iredale, AfterGlow, and other mineral makeups claim similar protective effects, due mostly to the high content of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide -- two ingredients commonly found in traditional sunscreen.
But does mineral makeup give you all the sun protection you need? Experts say no.
"It's better than using nothing, but I always tell my patients to use a regular cream sunscreen under their makeup and then use the mineral foundations as an extra boost," says Frew.
Extra ingredients aside, it may seem as if all mineral makeup should be pretty much the same. But WebMD discovered that's far from the truth.
Since there is no set regulation for what constitutes a "mineral” makeup, any product containing minerals as a primary ingredient can be marketed as such -- even if it contains a whole lot of other "less natural" ingredients.
Kristen Adams, president of AfterGlow Cosmetics, says the battle lines between brands are drawn this way: "Mineral makeup formulas generally fall into two large camps - those that take care not to use synthetics (like paraben preservatives and other fillers) and stay true to the original intent of pure mineral makeup, and those that do add the fillers, colors, binders, preservatives, and other chemicals to their formulas," says Adams.
Although you can weed out at least some of these brands by reading the ingredient label, Adams cautions not to let the term "all natural" or "all mineral formula" fool you.
That's because within the brands that claim "pure mineral" formulations, there is still another category breakdown -- those that contain an arguably "natural" mineral known as bismuth oxycholoride, and those that do not.
A pearlizing agent that gives mineral makeup that "candlelight glow," bismuth oxychloride is a mineral, but it's not found in the earth. Bismuth is a byproduct of lead and copper processing. Bismuth oxychloride is also frequently used to fill or "bulk up" or bind products, says Adams, and some say it comes with a heavy price.
"Bismuth oxychloride is considered a skin irritant and can cause itching and rashes and in large amounts it can cause cystic acne as well – it's one of the ingredients you should try to avoid if you have acne or rosacea or sensitive skin," says Frew, who also reminds us that some products in a line have this ingredient, while others do not. "Some products also contain very little, so it doesn't act like an irritant, but you won't know until you try it."
One of the factors that makes mineral makeup so popular is the smooth, natural, long-lasting coverage -- a feat that's some companies accomplish by pulverizing or "micronizing" their minerals into microscopic or even nanoparticle size.
But some researchers say this activity may come with a price.
"Research shows that when some molecules are dramatically reduced in size to the level of a nanoparticle, they can have very different and very toxic properties than that same molecule would have in its conventional size," says Jane Houlihan, research director of consumer watchdog agency The Environmental Working Group in Washington.
"Minerals like zinc and titanium are safe when applied to healthy skin but in a micronized nanoparticle form, there remains a concern, particularly when applied to damaged skin, or when inhaled," says Houlihan.
The bottom line: Even when beauty comes from the earth, it's still a case of beauty buyer beware.
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The warm golden cast of the sun is very alluring. And many people can't resist spending hours beneath its glow.
But not all of the sun's rays are pleasing. Ultraviolet (UV) light, the invisible but intense rays of the sun, damages your skin. Some of those harmful effects — such as suntan or sunburn — are visible right away. But other skin changes, including liver spots or deep wrinkles, appear and worsen over time. With repeated sun exposure, the skin damage can even progress into cancerous tumors.
From the first clue that your skin has undergone a change to the development of cancer, here's how the sun damages your skin and what you can do about it.
The first signs of skin damage
You're likely familiar with two of the more common sun-induced changes to your skin: suntan and sunburn. But you may not know that the darkening and reddening of your skin are the first signs of skin damage.
Suntan
A suntan is the result of injury to the epidermis, the top layer of your skin. A tan develops when UV light accelerates the production of melanin. Melanin is the dark pigment in the epidermis that gives your skin its normal color. The extra melanin — produced to protect the deeper layers of your skin — creates the darker color of a "tan." A suntan is your body's way of blocking out the ultraviolet rays to prevent further injury to the skin, but the protection only goes so far.
Sunburn
Eventually, ultraviolet light causes the skin to burn, bringing pain, redness and swelling. Depending on the severity of the burn, the dead, damaged skin may peel away to make room for new skin cells. Though the symptoms of sunburn may fade after several days, the damage to your skin remains. Sun exposure that is intense enough to cause a burn can also damage the DNA of skin cells. This damage sometimes leads to skin cancer.
People with darker skin pigment are less likely to burn because of the protective action of the melanocytes, which produce melanin. However, even those with darker skin types can burn with repeated exposures to UV light. This intense exposure can produce negative effects in the skin, including dry, rough patches, wrinkling and other skin disorders. So even though people with darker skin can tan and tolerate longer periods of sun exposure without "burning," the sun can still cause skin damage.
Photoaging: Looking older than you are
Over the years, your skin naturally begins to show signs of aging. For example, you may notice more wrinkles and thinner, more fragile skin. Exposure to UV light can accelerate these changes and make you appear older than you are. Skin changes caused by the sun are called photoaging.
The results of photoaging include:
Serious skin damage: Noncancerous and cancerous skin tumors
Extended and repeated exposure to UV light can cause noncancerous (benign) and cancerous skin tumors:
Bottom line: Keep your skin healthy
All people, regardless of age, should take the necessary steps to protect their skin. For the most complete sun protection, use all three of these methods — in order of importance:
You don't need to hide away indoors to protect your skin. Just be smart about your sun exposure and take precautions to keep your skin healthy for years to come.
