Detox With Saki for Dark Circles Under the Eyes

Age, stress and fatigue all take a toll on your skin. The skin around your eyes is especially susceptible to changes due to stress. One of the most common changes is the formation of unattractive, dark circles under the eyes. Better sleeping habits can help reduce the appearance of dark circles, but it may not be enough. Compounds within the popular Asian rice wine, saki, can help detoxify the skin and significantly reduce the appearance of dark circles beneath the eyes.

Active Compounds

Saki contains compounds that, when used topically, can improve the tone, quality and appearance of your skin. In an animal study conducted by researchers at Gifu University in Japan and published in the February 2007 issue of Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry, scientists found that saki helped to fight the appearance of aging in the skin. Specifically the compound ethyl alpha-D-glucoside improved the lipid content of skin. Higher lipids in the skin make it look softer and help to smooth out wrinkles. The same compound also helped the corneocytes--cells located in the top layer of skin--to differentiate better, and reduced the thickness of the corneocytes, both of which improve the look of your skin.

In addition to supporting the structure of the skin, the kojic acid in saki also helps to lighten the skin. In a review of safety evidence regarding the use of kojic acid to lighten skin, researchers found that kojic acid poses little or no risk to consumers. This study was reported in the January 2004 issue of Food and Chemical Toxicology.

When taken together, these active compounds within saki have the power to improve the appearance and color of the skin around your eyes, eliminating dark circles.

Using Saki

The best way to use saki to improve the appearance of circles under your eyes is look for cosmetics that have either whole saki (saki, sake, or concentrated sake), ethyl alpha-D-glucoside or koji acid listed on the label. Because the skin around the eyes is sensitive, it is best to look for a product that is made for use on that area and then to follow the directions for use.

If you are adventurous, you can dab a cotton ball soaked in saki around your eyes. Let it sit for a few minutes before washing your face as you normally would. Be careful not to get any directly in your eyes and discontinue use if it makes your skin sting.