Home > Articles > Under-Eye Milia - What are Those White Bumps Anyway?

Under-Eye Milia - What are Those White Bumps Anyway?

Home > Articles > Under-Eye Milia - What are Those White Bumps Anyway?

Under-Eye Milia - What are Those White Bumps Anyway?
March 2009

Little white bumps, or milia, are keratin-filled cysts, or simply little globs of protein under the skin. They are trapped beneath the skin because they are not within a pore, unlike comedones or whiteheads, which are excess fats and wastes that are trapped in a hair follicle and so they clog up the pore.

Exfoliating the skin, or removing the dead skin cells from your skin with a gentle physical or chemical product, is beneficial. This gentle exfoliation helps make eventual removal of the milia easier because the skin layer around the milia becomes thinner.Exfoliation helps your skin to prevent milia, as well as to help cure them.

When you were a baby, you were probably covered with milia that disappear after a few days. Or, you may have inherited milia from your parents.

On the other hand, you may develop milia after excessive exposure to the sun. The reasons for developing milia after sun exposure are debatable. According to some studies, the active ingredients in sunscreens like Parsol 1789 may cause sun allergies and later lead to milia breakouts. Other studies blame the sun itself for "damaging" the skin thus causing the little white bumps. Some people experience milia around the mouth. This could be the result of fluoride irritation from toothpaste.

How to Prevent Milia:

- gently exfoliate around the eye area
- use lighter eye creams or gels with the least amount of ingredients
- avoid treating your skin with excessively harsh chemicals
- limit sun exposure
- purchase sunscreens that offer physical sun blockage like titanium or zinc oxide
- gently touch the eyes so as not to damage the skin
- when brushing your teeth, try to keep the pasty foam in your mouth

The key to getting rid of milia is realizing that they have no escape route through a pore since they are trapped beneath the skin. There are a few products on the market that can aid in softening the cysts and exfoliating the eye area. Or your local esthetician or dermatologist can professionally extract them.

How to Treat Mila:

- Use a gentle eye exfoliant 2-4 times per week. The Eminence Naseberry Eye Exfoliant uses fruit enzymes to smooth away dry, dead skin cells allowing trapped impurities to be released. The eye area is simultaneously infused with beneficial antioxidants and vitamins further protecting skin from free radicals, and fighting dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles.

- Use an eye cream with enzymatic exfoliation built in. Yonka Phyto-Contour Eye Cream detoxifies, tones and brightens the under-eye tissue while active enzymes stimulate cellular renewal. With daily use, it is potent enough to dissolve under-eye milia.