Eyelids and eyes

Creams to eliminate bags and dark circles. Do they work?

9 June, 2024 · Updated on 27 September 2026

Updated on 27 September 2026 • Reviewed by Dr. Gustavo Sordo, plastic surgeon

Bags under the eyes and dark circles are two different problems, although they are often related. We frequently see advertisements for creams that claim to eliminate bags and dark circles , but do they work? To answer this question, we must analyze what bags and dark circles are and why they occur.

Bags under the eyelids:

We could say that bags are the presence of pseudoherniated fat mainly in the lower eyelid, although they can also occur to a lesser extent in the upper eyelid. 

When the bags are present in a very visible way, that is, when the periorbital fat has herniated enough and creates an imprint on the skin, it is impossible to correct this imprint by using creams that are applied on top of the bags, since it is fat that has herniated or pseudoherniated around the eye, and is pushing the eyelid forward, so the information it sends through the skin is that there is an internal anatomical structure that is generating this unpleasant shape that ages the face of the person who has them.

For this reason, we can say that today there is no cream that is capable of eliminating the bags that appear on the lower or upper eyelids.

Eye bags:

Regarding dark circles under the eyes , it's important to understand their cause . Often, dark circles are shadows that appear in an area known as the tear trough or nasojugal groove . This groove is the transition between the lower eyelid and the mid-face or cheekbone.

When the nasojugal groove is more pronounced or depressed than normal, it creates a shadow that ages the face and produces dark circles and a very intense feeling of tiredness. In other words, dark circles can be caused, on the one hand, by a deep nasojugal groove, and on the other hand, this groove can be even more pronounced if there are bags under the eyes.

Due to the area's topography, the bags under the eyes raise the lower eyelid, and the nasojugal groove is more depressed and appears more pronounced when these bags are present. Finally, dark circles can occur due to a more pronounced skin tone or pigmentation in that area.

Therefore, we need to determine the cause of the dark circles in each patient. If the dark circles are caused by under-eye bags, we will need to perform surgical treatment, specifically a "No Touch" or transconjunctival lower blepharoplasty , in our case.

If the dark circles are caused by a pronounced nasojugal or tear trough, we will perform a filler procedure using microinfiltration of fat particles during the blepharoplasty . This means it will be done during the surgery, and we will attempt to correct the depression of the nasojugal trough. Finally, if the dark circles are due to excessive pigmentation of the eyelid, we will use depigmenting creams containing hydroquinone, kojic acid, or even vitamin K to help improve the tone and pigmentation of that area, specifically the eyelid.

Therefore, anti-dark circle creams will only serve to depigment skin that is very pigmented , but they will not be able to solve the problems derived from the tear trough and the presence of bags in the lower eyelid, problems that must be solved through cosmetic surgery.

If you'd like more information about the "No Touch" technique used by Dr. Sordo at his Madrid clinic to eliminate dark circles and under-eye bags , schedule a no-obligation consultation with the plastic surgeon. Dr. Sordo will personally attend to you and analyze your case during the initial consultation.

To answer this question properly, we must distinguish between three different problems that are often confused under the term "dark circles." Under-eye bags are herniated orbital fat: this is an anatomical issue, and no cream can reduce them because they don't penetrate the orbital septum. Deep tear troughs are depressions caused by volume loss, and these also cannot be filled with cosmetics. And pigmented dark circles , which are simply discoloration of the skin, are the only one of the three where a topical treatment can actually make a difference.

Therefore, when the problem is under-eye bags, the solution is transconjunctival lower blepharoplasty with bag transposition : only a small amount of fat is removed, and with the remaining fat, a flap is created, fixed with 5-0 absorbable sutures (Monocryl), and transposed just above the tear trough , filling it with the patient's own tissue. This corrects both the under-eye bag and the tear trough simultaneously, avoiding the sunken and aged appearance left by older techniques (Warren, 2024, Clin Plast Surg ). For pigmented dark circles, on the other hand, depigmenting agents, photoprotection, and, depending on the case, laser treatment are more effective. Accurately identifying the problem is what prevents wasting money on something that may not work.