Skin Nerd: Is it safe to use retinol during pregnancy and other readers' questions answered

From pregnancy concerns to dark circles and ingrown hairs, our resident skincare guru offers expert advice

When trying new skincare products, always patch test the product first to ensure that it doesn’t cause any irritation.

After weeks of exams, nothing gets rid of my dark circles — what can I do?

Whilst tiredness can make dark circles worse, the root of the cause is likely to be one of the following: sun exposure, the thickness of the skin under the eye, genetics and/or pigment. There are some things you can do to lessen the appearance of dark circles slightly, but unfortunately topical skincare will not completely remove them. So, what can you do? One option is to try a serum containing retinyl palmitate. An ester or fat form of vitamin A, it can assist in thickening the thin skin around the orbital bone, so that the blood pooling underneath the eyes isn’t as noticeable. An eye cream or serum containing caffeine can also boost the blood flow underneath the skin to prevent blood from pooling and brighten any dark areas. If the root of the problem is pigment-related, be extra vigilant in your use of SPF to avoid UV exposure adding to the darkness of your undereye area. Look for products with brightening ingredients including vitamin C, peptides and liquorice root extract to counteract the darkness. You could also consider using a jade roller to massage the under-eye area and assist with lymphatic drainage.