What are millium grains, this eye contour sore often resulting from skin care abuse?

Article originally published June 6, 2022.

For more than five years, as a journalist who often writes about fashion and beauty, I have received many cosmetic products, one more attractive than the other, including eye care. I loved to test everything assiduously, without necessarily having wrinkles, fine lines, puffiness or bags. I naively thought that a concealer could replace a good night’s sleep, the fact that I didn’t drink enough water, or even that I hated playing sports. ” What an indignity… »

Then I started seeing tiny black skin colored dots on my lower lids swarming around my eye area. So I doubled the product. And they multiplied even more.

Then I thought maybe it was acne so I tried to clear them. In vain.

And I ended up stumbling upon one of the very rare French-language videos about this dreadful skincare scourge eating away at me, posted in May 2013 by the YouTube doyenne of French beauty, Hélène Mon Blog de Fille. And she finally put in the words my skin disorder: milium grain.

What is a grain of milia?

This little name that may seem cute designates a skin microcyst. It looks like a small grain of skin color, even a little whiter, thus embossed, and relatively hard. You can have it in your hands, for example, without necessarily noticing or worrying about it. But where the grains of milium are better able to get noticed it’s around the eyes.

We may tend to believe that these are very small acne pimples, but that’s not the case. Because it’s actually an agglomeration of sebaceous cells (the fat naturally secreted by the skin above all to protect itself and keep itself hydrated) and cellular debris such as sweat compounds and dead cells.

This unfortunate concoction thus forms a small ball on the surface layers of the epidermis which then becomes difficult to peel off. But it’s harmless and painless, so you can live with it perfectly, it’s nothing serious.

What causes milia to appear?

But why can we find ourselves with one or more microcysts of this type around the eyes? Milium grains can often result from a blocked sebaceous or sweat pore. And who says clogged pore, means accumulation of materials and impurities that can macerate together, aggregate, oxidize, harden and form this small grain.

And what clogs pores and can lead to milia could be due to bad luck, someone with a voodoo doll of you, or even an ill-fitting skincare routine.

To prevent this accumulation of sebum particles, sweat and impurities, it is therefore important to cleanse your face well every night. But also to question our possible use of eye contour products…

Can an eye contour treatment cause milium?

If you see milium grains multiplying around your eyes, it could be due to an unsuitable product being applied to this area. To put it roughly, many of them happen because you mess up your eye area, for wanting to do too much good, or because we believe it can replace sleep, water and sport, or even for pure consumerism. At that time it’s worth stopping using it for at least 21 days to see if the situation stabilizes. I promise you, your look won’t fall apart.

We often put too much product around the eyes, sometimes too nourishing

Indeed, another cause of this often multifactorial skin problem can also be an overly nourishing skincare routine when the skin doesn’t need it. Unless you have dry skin around your eyes, it may be pointless to try applying a rich treatment. Wearing this type of product out of sheer desire, or to prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, can actually help clog pores and lead to the formation of milia.

Especially since it’s the kind of care you can tend to apply in too large quantities, telling yourself that the more you put on, the less dark circles you’ll have. But this is not only false, but it is also a waste of money and product whose excess material can clog pores, and therefore favor the formation of unwanted milia grains. Generally, half a grain of rice, or even a maximum grain of rice, is enough to share between the two ring fingers, before massaging the area so delicate in question.

We often confuse dry ≠ dehydrated eye area

Remember that a dehydrated eye area isn’t necessarily dry, and vice versa, although it is possible to suffer from both conditions at the same time. It’s not automatic. A dry eye area is characterized by sensations of very uncomfortable tightness, even patches of dryness, as well as wrinkles easily. While a dehydrated eye area manifests itself with possible slight tension and fine lines (more superficial than wrinkles, and can easily disappear when you are well hydrated). If you don’t have dry skin all over your face, it’s unlikely it’s just around your eyes, so think about hydrating instead (by drinking water first, or even supplementing with an aloe vera and/or hyaluronic acid based treatment). if and only if you really have a dry eye area, then yes, you might need a dedicated nourishing eye treatmentwith little risk of giving you milium grains.

We often confuse dark circles, puffiness, bags, wrinkles and fine lines

AND if you use an eye contour product to combat dark circles, puffiness or bags, this is certainly not the first reflex to have. If you have swollen eyes upon awakening it is often due to swelling linked to water and lymphatic retention. You can then decongest your eyes by massaging it with the tips of your ring fingers in delicate circular movements, or even using refrigerated massaging globes.

Unlike swollen eyes that go away on their own within hours of waking up, pockets correspond to a fat mass. A caffeine treatment may therefore be wise. As for colored circles, often derive either from tiredness (so it is better to sleep than to apply products to compensate) or are hereditary (if they do not go away even when the nights of 8 hours of sleep are concatenated). So it makes no sense to give in to the false promises of brands that sell rest in a bottle, it’s a pipe. Finally, suitcases they derive from a sagging of the skin and its possible fat deposits, with age. You can use a dedicated treatment to limit the damage if you believe in it, but only an aesthetic medicine intervention can really overcome it (unfortunately).

Brief, it is important to understand what our eyes need instead of sniffing out an eye product thinking it can replace a healthy lifestyle.

You may not need an eye contour product…

And if you want my personal opinion as a skincare junkie heavily inspired by Paula Begoun who only believes in products with scientifically proven efficacy, few people actually have an interest in using eye care, a fortiori before age 40. If to say so is the founder of one of the most scientifically respected beauty brands when she could make a lot of money selling this bullshit, then it is an argument to be considered.

How to effectively get rid of milium grains?

I remember it but it’s important: it’s not a comedo type pimple, so there’s no risk of it flaring up, becoming painful, red or white. It’s not acne, or a blackhead, or a whitehead, or even a papule.

The cured meat method with the blackhead remover

One of the more radical home methods is to use a blackhead remover. But this technique can be painful, leave marks or scars, or even prove ineffective if you do it wrong and kill yourself for nothing. I strongly advise against it.

The gentle method with a liquid exfoliator

Another home method is to use every evening or every other evening depending on the sensitivity of your skin, a delicate exfoliating lotion, such as 2% BHA, all over the face, including the milium grains (without inserting a cotton a finger in the eye, of course). This may help gradually reduce the appearance of milia, or even make some disappear, but it’s not guaranteed. Even if this technique couldn’t eradicate them, it will at least have the merit of exfoliating your skin without leaving marks or scars. I therefore recommend it with or without milium grain.

The safest and most effective method with a dermatologist

But the best method is to go to a dermatologist. This skin doctor will be able to examine you, confirm whether it is indeed a milium speck or not. Furthermore, he is authorized to remove them from you and perhaps give you unsuspected clues in your lifestyle that could contribute to causing them.

The dermatologist will pierce the skin with a very fine needle or use some sort of comedone extractor to remove the grain of milium. It’s quick, painless and scar-free.

To make the trip worthwhile, of course remember to tell him about any other skincare questions you might have. For retinol followers who tolerate well and master this active ingredient that requires a lot of method.

Goodbye milium grains, and hello relatively smooth eye area!

Front page photo credit: pexels-ekaterina-bolovtsova-4672654.