Home Remedies for Dark circles under the eyes

Dark circles under the eyes are one of the common problems faced by people of all age groups, particularly women and teens. It is a bothersome indication of several factors like having worked too hard, deprived of sleep, tiredness, smoking, long-term computer use, or other health issues. For majority of us, dark circles may be only a temporary issue, if we find out the root cause and get it treated.

But, beware of cosmetic fillers and surgical procedures, as although they produce instant results, it should be carried out with extreme caution, and these surgical procedures are often irreversible. It is better to try home remedies before taking up such drastic measures. Also, a visit to a dermatologist or skin expert may help in finding the root cause of discoloration under the eyes.

Here are few remedies for under-eye dark circles that could be safely tried at home.

Causes

As for digging into the causes of this problem, it is often due to reasons such as consistent lack of sleep, smoking, allergies, nasal congestion, aging skin, bad lifestyle habits including excessive use of cigarettes and alcohol and high levels of caffeine, heredity, stress and pollution.

Home remedies

Apart from taking care of any of the said underlying causes for dark circles, following these natural home remedies will definitely help in removing dark circles to a large extent.

Cucumber: “The Cucumber Therapy” has been used since ages to restore the youthful look around the eyes. Although this may not seem to be a permanent solution to the problem of dark circles, it does help in the overall health and appearance of the skin. With the presence of vitamin A, Calcium, and Magnesium, cucumber re-vitalizes the skin. Just apply a slice of cucumber over closed eye, and rest for 10-15 minutes every day.

Tea bags: Placing cool tea bags on the eyes once or twice a day for 15 minutes, is also an effective solution, as the tannin present in tea bags can help reduce discoloration and swelling.

Tomato-lime juice: Take a teaspoon of tomato juice, and add half a teaspoon of lime juice, a pinch of turmeric powder and gramflour. Make a paste and apply on the affected areas and leave it for 10 minutes, before washing off.

Almond oil: Massaging the area under the eyes with almond oil prior to bed time is a very good remedy. Almond oil, being a natural moisturizer, helps in soothing and moisturizing the skin, with the presence of vitamin E, known to reduce appearance of dark rings and fine lines.

Another way is to mix 2 teaspoons of sweet almond oil to two teaspoons of all-natural honey and massage the under-eye area gently, or just dab using ring finger. Rinse it off in the morning.

Make an almond oil paste, by combining sweet almond oil and all-natural milk powder in equal proportion. Mix well to form a paste, and apply it under the eye. Wait for 10 minutes and wash off. Ensure that it doesn’t come into contact with eyes.

Adding grated potatoe to almond paste also helps in reducing puffiness, apart from reducing dark circles.

Neti pot: A Neti pot helps relieve congestion in the nose and sinuses, and flushes out pollutants, as sinus too can result in itchy eyes causing under-eye dark circles.

Sugarcane-turmeric paste: Make a paste of 1-2 tablespoons of sugarcane juice with 2-3 spoons of turmeric powder, and set it aside for 5 minutes. Apply in the under-eye area and wash off with clean water after 10 to 15 minutes.

Coconut oil: Rub coconut oil on the fine lines every night. The massaging will help improve fine lines in the area and will relax the skin under the eyes.

Castor oil/egg white: Applying castor oil or egg white under the eye, keeps the skin around the eyes soft, nourishes it and reduces wrinkles around the eyes.

Olive Oil: A gentle massage with olive oil can help in tackling dark circles caused due to tiredness.

Cold compress/ice bags: Using ice bags under the eyes for ten minutes every day can help banish dark circles caused due to strain and fatigue.

Cold Milk: Dipping cotton in cold milk and applying on closed eyes helps remove dark circles to a certain extent.

Mint juice: Applying mint juice under the eye is another option.

Yoga: Regular yoga practice helps in keeping fine lines at bay, and is one of the best and natural under-eye treatments, it is said.

Aloe-Vera: Apply aloe-vera gel under the eye after cleansing face. Being a rich source of active ingredients such as vitamin A, C and E, it is a good product to banish under-eye dark circles and wrinkles.

Other Tips

Other simple tips or preventive measures that could be followed are:

    * Tapping the area around the eye gently few times a day to increase healthy circulation
    * Drinking cranberry juice daily as it helps reduce under-eye discoloration.
    * Following a healthy diet and exercise regimen.
    * Using butcher’s broom, a herb that facilitate healthy circulation
    * Try to get 8 to 10 hours of sleep daily.
    * Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits and drinking enough water to avoid dehydration, and leading a stress-free life, are few more aspects to be taken into consideration.

PS: When massaging the under-eye area, take care to gently massage the area using your ring finger or little finger, and not to rub or massage vigorously, as this could result in more wrinkles and fine line under the eye.