Practical Advice Recessed eyes

I have a gene for recessed eyes, which means that there is very little flesh around my eye sockets, compared to most people. I am wondering if anyone else who has this has had any success with any certain cosmetic products for reducing dark circles. I have put more details below, but the above is essentially my question, and the rest is background in case anyone is wondering why I am not having much success despite trying various products.
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Recessed eyes mean that I always have dark circles around my eyes and it looks like I have bags under my eyes, too. In turn, I think I look like a raccoon, and that people are judging me for looking like I’m tired, bored, or in the middle of a multi-day binge on whatever substance they are imagining would cause my dark circles.

I think that because I have learned indirectly that this was the case with at least one of my friend’s parents when I was a teenager, and it was also a factor in a failed job interview. The company was kind enough to give me feedback when I asked, and I can say that I would not have gotten the job for more significant reasons, but the fact that my appearance was mentioned certainly impacts my confidence on future interviews.

I have tried numerous eye creams and serums, some extremely expensive, and nothing quite does the trick. The best eye cream I’ve found is the hyaluronic acid cream. I think it works by bringing moisture into the skin, which makes it thicker and so the dark circles fade a bit. This mitigates, but doesn’t solve the issue.

My next step is to look into whether any non surgical cosmetic procedures can help, similar to a lip filler, but for the area around my eyes. Probably a non starter, but I am not so rich that surgery would be in reach. If I were, I would spend the money on more important things, anyway.

Yes I very much realize that this is a superficial problem, and I am grateful that I am now emotionally centered enough to start caring about my appearance. I am also grateful for having the resources to afford small luxuries.

Have you tried hemmoroid cream? It’s a vasoconstrictor. It narrows the vessels which helps reduce puffiness and makes bluish discoloration less noticeable.
Preparation H is a popular brand in the USA. I think it’s worth a try. Be careful to avoid the eye.
Let me know if it helps. If not, there are some tinted powders (makeup) that help a little. I don’t wear much makeup, but sometimes I’ll put some powder on the dark circles.
I hope you can find something that helps you.

I have never thought of that, but I will give it a try. I’m very good at keeping creams away from the edges of my eyelids, having learned in the past that any amount of product that makes contact with my eyeballs will make them irritated af.

It happened once and I was dealing with tears streaming out of the affected eye constantly for weeks. Eventually it ended, but I went to the doctor after 3 weeks or so because I was starting to think that it might be permanent.

Hyaluronic acid as an ingredient in creams does help (as you said). It brings water to the skin both from the air in your environment but also from your body. Under eye shadows and that hollow tired look get much worse when someone is dehydrated.

I hope you are comfortable and pleased with your looks.

So regarding the makeup (foundation?) - I am not opposed to trying that. I know that I used to use bone white foundation in my goth days, and I kind of liked it. Not sure if that still holds now that I have a beard, lol.

I am good with the shape of my body, but my face is not what I would prefer. I feel like my eyes, eyebrows and jawline conspire to make me look like a cross between the unabomber and Jeffrey Dahmer. Oh well, they can’t all be winners. I am making good use of the features of my appearance that I can influence.

Have you tried cosmeceutical vitamin A, like retinol or retinaldehyde, or prescription retinoids like tretinoin? One of the notable effects of consistent use of a retinoid is a thickening of the dermis. However, it takes quite a bit of time to appreciate a difference, especially with less potent, albeit less irritating, forms. At least 6 months of consistent use is probably necessary. I don’t know how useful it will be for your specific needs, but I figured it’d be a logical step in the right direction.

I would be willing to give it a try. I thought the vitamin A serum was for acne, but I am also not an expert. My skin is sensitive to dryness, which is why I have not tried it before.

Please be careful aobut that Vitamin A retinol and retinoid stuff. Note that it has a black box warning for possibly increasing depression and suicidality.

That is a misunderstanding. People who take vitamin A are primarily acne sufferers, and acne sufferers have a higher risk for depression and suicidality regardless of what they’re taking. Sometimes acne gets worse at the start of treatment, which in turn may worsen depression, thereby making retinoids guilty by association. I myself have been using a retinoid to treat acne for years, and yes, I have depression, but I’ve had that to begin with, and if anything it’s been made better by using a retinoid as a byproduct of treating my acne.

Those are good facts to know @Inanimate. I stand corrected. There was a black box warning on the container precscribed to my son a few years back when he was in h.s. I should've researched before posting what I did.

Hey, no worries. Happy New Year, @seabird @LumberJack!

@LumberJack 3 weeks of eye irritation is a harsh lesson. Glad it wasn’t worse. my eyes get watery and itch if a little makeup flakes into my eye. So I feel you!

I find that a color a little lighter than my skin works best. I have had good luck with actual eye shadow. A matte waterproof has been best. The waterproof helps because when I sweat or wipe my eyes the makeup doesn’t irritate my eyes. I used the “shadow sense”, was the first real waterproof eyeshadow I tried.

There’s a thing called “concealer”. This is designed to cover dark circles, blemishes.
Foundation is designed to cover the face & neck. Lots of skin tone choices.

You can get really good coverage with a yellow , then add other colors to it. Too thick & labor intensive for me. That’s the one on top.

foundation- I like a creamy one that spreads on with an sponge. (Revlon).
(covergirl) pressed powder foundation- it seemed to blend & cover for me.

so there you go- beauty tips from someone that doesn’t wear makeup 95% of the time! lol.
If you have other questions - I’ll try to answer. Let me know how it goes.
🦩🦩🦩🦩

By “vitamin A serum,” I presume you’re referring to retinols or retinals, which can be helpful for acne, but they’re not FDA approved. Retinoids (e.g., tretinoin, tazarotene, etc.), however, are FDA approved for acne, but they, along with retinol or retinal, are effective for other concerns like fine lines and wrinkles, dark spots, sun damage, etc.

If you do give topical vitamin A a try, I suggest using a retinol cream or serum. Retinol takes longer to work, however, but they’re much gentler and more accessible. CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum and Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Cream (Fragrance Free) are the ones I’ve tried and liked. Alternatively, you can save money by getting the store brand version of either one of those, like equate brand or amazon basics. There are even dedicated retinol eye creams out there that are more suitable for the under-eye skin. Whatever you do, I hope it helps.

@LumberJack these are my favourites: soothing, mild products which I just found out are available here in the US, but easier to get ahold of online than in shops. There are uner-eye patches and a roll on too which I haven't tried yet.

I have recessed eyes too, people just recognize me other features

Oh goodness. It’s been 3 weeks and I haven’t even followed up on trying the retinol and/or Klorane products. I have found out there is such a thing as injectable eye fillers.