Vitamin Deficiencies That Could Make Dark Circles So Much Worse

There are many ways dark circles come to be, whether they’re hereditary, from aging or a prolonged lack of sleep. Whatever the reason for their appearance, having to use concealer to cover them up daily can be exhausting. While there are many great makeup products for concealing them, many people still want to know if and how their diet contributes to their formation. We reached out to nutrition experts, doctors and dermatologists about vitamin deficiencies that contribute to dark eye circles and how to insert any you’re missing into your diet.

The vitamin B complex includes eight water-soluble vitamins (collectively known as B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9 and B12). We spoke to Ronald Smith, dietician and founder of EatDrinkBinge about how a lack of vitamin B and vitamin B12 specifically can contribute to those dreaded dark eye bags. “[Vitamin B] is necessary for energy metabolism and also helps with hormone production and red blood cell formation,” says Smith. A deficiency in any of these, he adds, can cause dark circles under the eyes.

Dr. Tina Gupta, MD, and ACE certified fitness and nutrition expert also explains how disregarding vitamin B12 can impact your dark eye circles and make them appear more pronounced. “A lack of B12 causes paleness,” says Gupta. “This means that the rest of an individual’s face will appear pale except the area under the eyes. The paleness of the face will highlight the under-eye darkness even more this way.”

If you’re wondering how to add more vitamin B12 into your diet, Gupta says that it is a water soluble vitamin naturally present in foods of animal origin. She lists eggs, dairy products, poultry, meat, seafood and fish as examples. If you are a vegetarian, you can still find vitamin B12 in fortified nondairy milk, fortified cereals and fortified nutritional yeast. 

“B12 may not be the only vitamin contributing to your dark circles,” says Gupta. Read on for more vitamins you shouldn’t neglect if you are struggling with dark eye circles. 

Dark eye circles aren’t solely caused by a lack of vitamin B. Dermatologist Dr. Tabitha Craine, MD says that a vitamin K deficiency is a common cause for sleepy-looking under-eyes. “Vitamin K is responsible for strengthening veins and capillaries, and it also promotes healthy circulation and is essential for proper blood clotting,” Craine says. 

If vitamin K levels are low, she explains, the capillaries may weaken and leak. “When this happens in the under-eye area, small amounts of blood pool and the result is dark, bruise-like discoloration,” she says. You can obtain the benefits of vitamin K by eating leafy greens such as kale and spinach, vegetables including broccoli and Brussels sprouts, and other sources like fish, liver and eggs.