Eyes Wide Open: Understanding the Gut’s Role in Dark Circles & Puffy Eyes

We often blame dark circles and puffy eyes on lack of sleep, stress, or genetics - and while those can definitely play a role, they’re not the whole story. What you might not realize is that your gut health is also a big participant in how those dark circles form. And the same goes for our children.

So if you’ve tried everything - from getting more sleep and cutting down on stress to trying every eye cream on the market - and those stubborn shadows or puffiness just won’t go away, it’s time to look at what’s happening internally, specifically in your gut.

The gut plays an important role in detoxification and nutrient absorption. When the gut is out of balance, whether this is due to harmful bacteria, yeast, mold or parasites it can make it difficult for your body to detox properly or absorb nutrients like iron, vitamin C, and B vitamins. The result? Dark circles under the eyes that just won’t go away.

And for puffy eyes, gut-related inflammation is often the underlying root. Symptoms are always your body's way of trying to communicate with you that something isn’t right. And imbalance causes inflammation and that inflammation can manifest in your skin, especially in sensitive areas like under your eyes. You see this in both women and children. It is really common for children with gut imbalances to show it through things like dark circles, puffiness, or even eczema and other skin conditions. 

I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: your gut is like a garden. Everything happening in there affects how you look and feel on the outside.

Links from the episode:
Explore Balance CBD
Explore The Women's Gut Rebalance Kit
Explore The Children's Gut Rebalance Kit
Explore the Balanced Bacteria Skincare Kit
Grab a copy of The Microbiome Cookbook

Thanks for listening! I would love to connect with you ♡

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Sending love and wellness from my family yours,
xx - Juniper Bennett
Founder of ōNLē ORGANICS

Transcript

Today we’re talking about something a lot of people struggle with but often don't connect to their gut - dark circles and puffy eyes. This is something many women and mothers have dealt with for years. We often blame them on lack of sleep, stress, or genetics - and while those can definitely play a role, they’re not the whole story. What you might not realize is that your gut health is also a big participant in how those dark circles form. And the same goes for our children.

So if you’ve tried everything—getting more sleep, cutting down on stress, even slathering on eye cream - and those stubborn shadows or puffiness just won’t go away, it’s time to look at what’s happening internally, specifically in your gut.

The gut plays an important role in detoxification and nutrient absorption. When the gut is out of balance, whether this is due to harmful bacteria, yeast, mold or parasites it can make it difficult for your body to detox properly or absorb nutrients like iron, vitamin C, and B vitamins. The result? Dark circles under the eyes that just won’t go away.

And for puffy eyes, gut-related inflammation is often the underlying root. Symptoms are always your body's way of trying to communicate with you that something isn’t right. And imbalance causes inflammation and that inflammation can manifest in your skin, especially in sensitive areas like under your eyes. You see this in both women and children. It is really common for children with gut imbalances to show it through things like dark circles, puffiness, or even eczema and other skin conditions. 

I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: your gut is like a garden. Everything happening in there affects how you look and feel on the outside.

For women, particularly mamas, we know that pregnancy, breastfeeding, and just the stress of life can take a toll on our gut health, making us more susceptible to inflammation and poor detoxification, which often shows up on our faces. And our children are no different. Their little bodies are incredibly sensitive to gut imbalances, which can show up as those dark circles that we all know aren’t right but no one seems to really talk about this root of why they are there in the first place. Right? 

So, let’s break this down. Dark circles are linked to poor liver function or sluggish detox pathways. And guess what? Your liver health is directly tied to the health of your gut. When your gut isn’t working optimally—when harmful bacteria, yeast, and toxins are overwhelming your system—it places more strain on your liver, which can lead to those dark shadows under your eyes.

Puffy eyes are a sign of inflammation or fluid retention, both of which are influenced by gut health. If your gut is inflamed, it sends a message throughout your body, causing that puffiness. And if your body is holding onto excess water, it may mean your kidneys and liver are struggling to detox properly, which again, circles back to your gut.

Now, let’s talk about food sensitivities and nutrient absorption because these factors are often overlooked but are important for understanding the full picture.

When your gut is out of balance, you’re more likely to develop sensitivities to common foods like gluten, dairy, sugar, and processed snacks, even if you’ve never had an issue with them before. These food sensitivities can trigger inflammation throughout the body, and one of the places where that inflammation shows up most visibly is around your eyes.

For children, this is especially relevant. Many mamas notice that their children have dark circles or puffiness after consuming certain foods, but they often don’t realize it’s the gut causing that reaction. When their little guts are struggling to process and break down foods, it leads to inflammation and nutrient deficiencies, which can show up as those telltale dark shadows under their eyes.

And this isn’t just about what you or your children eat - it’s about how well your gut is absorbing the nutrients from those foods. If your gut isn’t functioning optimally, you may not be absorbing key vitamins and minerals like iron, vitamin C, and B vitamins, all of which play a huge role in your skin health.

For instance, low iron levels are one of the biggest contributors to dark circles under the eyes. And it’s not just about eating enough iron-rich foods, but ensuring your gut can properly absorb that iron. The same goes for vitamin C and B vitamins, which help reduce inflammation and support skin repair. 

This is why simply adding in an iron or vitamin B supplement doesn’t work though. Because you have to dig deeper to understand why there is a deficiency in the first place. 

So, now you know that your gut health is a huge factor when it comes to dark circles and puffy eyes. The question is: how do you address it?

First, I always recommend starting with rebalancing your gut using my Women’s or Children’s Gut Rebalance Kits. These kits work by reducing inflammation, improving your body’s natural ability to detoxify, and increasing the absorption of essential nutrients. As a result, not only does your body heal from the inside out, but those stubborn dark circles and puffiness under your eyes also start to fade.

As your gut heals, you’ll notice improvements in your overall health, including how your body handles toxins. This is where your liver and kidneys come in. These detox organs rely on a healthy gut to function properly. When your gut is in balance, your liver and kidneys can do their jobs more efficiently, meaning less buildup of toxins in your body and fewer visible signs, like dark circles and puffy eyes.

So, if you’re dealing with these under-eye issues, it’s crucial to support your detox organs. The Women’s and Children’s Gut Rebalance Kits are designed to do exactly that. 

For children, it’s the same process, though their bodies are even more sensitive to gut imbalances and toxins. Supporting their gut health early on can have a profound impact, not only on the appearance of their eyes and skin but on their overall health and wellbeing. 

I want to leave you with this: if you or your child are dealing with dark circles or puffy eyes that don’t seem to budge, don’t just brush it off as a cosmetic issue or blame it on lack of sleep. Your body - and your child’s body - is always communicating with you. These are signs that something deeper is going on, and more often than not, it’s rooted in the gut.

By addressing gut imbalances, supporting detox pathways, and nourishing your body with the right foods and supplements, you can start to see real changes.