Let’s start by pointing out the best way to deal with dark circles, which is:
HUMOR!
- “The bags under my eyes are considered carry-ons at the airport.”
- “I always have dark circles under my eyes even if I get like 14 hours of sleep maybe if they get dark enough I can persuade a band of raccoons to accept me into their clan.”
- “I tried to rub off my makeup under my eyes but realized it’s dark circles.”
- “Dark circles under my eyes sink deeper and deeper into my skull, in contrast to my pale skin there is an undeniable resemblance to a fresh corpse.”
Feel better? Now on to causes and our home remedies for dark circles under eyes!
Causes of the dark circles under your eyes
Having dark circles under your eyes is far from rare. There are as many ways to deal with them as there are people who suffer from them. They can develop at an early age, although they are still more common among older people, and can happen to both men and women just as often.
The most common cause of dark circles under eyes is fatigue. Others include:
- Excessive exposure to the sun, due to which your body produces more melanin, the skin coloring pigment
- Rubbing or scratching your eyes
- Irregular pigmentation, especially if you are black or Asian
- Heredity — dark circles can be inherited
- Thinning skin, reduced collagen and fat. This is more common with older people and makes the blood vessels under your eyes
Dark circles under eyes often run in families. They also tend to get worse with age because the skin gets thinner.
Other common causes include smoking too much, sleeping too little, drinking too much alcohol, improper diet and pollution, hormonal imbalances during menopause, menstruation or pregnancy.
Signs and symptoms
Sometimes what looks like dark circles under your eyes are actually just hollows or shadows cast by puffy eyelids that develop as a normal part of aging. Dark circles under the eyes and puffiness are common as you age. The fat that helps support the eyes moves down into the lower eyelids, making the lids seem puffy. Fluid also may fill the space below your eyes, exacerbating the swelling.
Dark circles under eyes are usually a cosmetic, not a health concern, and seldom a sign of a serious underlying medical problem. Home remedies can improve their appearance. If they are persistent, you could resort to some sort of cosmetic treatment, but we would not recommend that.
When to see a doctor
You are buying the most expensive and best dark circle cream out there and discoloration persists? If only one dark circle appears (under just one eye) and looks like it is getting worse with time, you might need to see a doctor. Talk to a skin care expert if you are looking for a more lasting solution than cream and concealer.
Your doctor could recommend some cream or various treatments in combination to reduce or eliminate the dark circles under your eyes depending on what's causing them. Options include laser therapy, injections with a filler or chemical peelings.
Treatment
There are millions of cosmetic products designed to reduce the appearance of dark circles under the eyes, but most of them are very costly and contain dangerous chemicals. The skin under the eyes is among the most delicate zones of the body, so this is really worth considering. What is more, dark under-eye circles usually aren't a medical issue.
Try our effective, fail-safe home remedies! They will do away with this pesky problem.
1. Potatoes are amazing for the skin
Potatoes are a very effective skin care remedy, if you didn’t know. They can treat all kinds of skin problems, including dark circles.
Required Ingredients:
- A small potato
Process:
- Cut the potato into thin slices and place in the refrigerator.
- When the slices get cold, place a slice under your eyes for fifteen minutes, then remove and wash the area gently.
- Repeat as needed. You could also grate a potato and apply the juice to the under-eye area.
2. Aloe Vera does wonders against dark circles
Photo credit: Millenniummagazine.com
Aloe vera’s main medicinal property involves skin care. Real aloe vera gel or juice from the plant is an absolute miracle worker - but not the type sold in shops.
Remedy 1
Required Ingredients:
- A tablespoon of aloe vera gel or juice
Process:
- Mix the gel or juice with water and rub gently into the area under the eyes.
- Wait fifteen minutes, then wash the area thoroughly.
- Enhance the remedy by drinking aloe vera juice as often as possible.
- Repeat as often as needed until the circles vanish.
Remedy 2
Required Ingredients:
- One cup of aloe vera juice or a cup of gel
Process:
- Mix the gel with pomegranate juice, dip a cotton ball in it and rub into the skin under the eyes. Repeat as needed.
3. Olive oil is an amazing skin lubricant
Instead of buying the expensive creams prescribed by your doctor, why not try olive oil? Most of them are based on it anyway. Extra virgin olive oil’s impressive consistency is the reason why it is so effective for all types of skin problems. Its oleocanthal content inhibits inflammatory enzymes COX-1 and COX-2, just like over-the-counter anti-inflammatory meds do.
You have to use cold-pressed olive oil because heat destroys oleocanthal. Its effect will also depend on how ripe the olives were when they were pressed.
Required Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Process:
- Massage a bit of olive oil into the skin under the eyes gently several times a day. You can also eat 2-3 tablespoons daily, but make sure you cut down on others fats because there are plenty of calories in olive oil (read more about olive oil’s nutritional properties here.)
Note: You can also use it in cooking instead of butter or sunflower oil. It’s great in salads.
4. Rose water’s myriad of skin regenerating properties
Rose water is a natural skin cleanser with a multitude of skin regenerating effects. It’s a great way to reduce and lighten the dark circles under the eyes.
Required Ingredients:
- 100 ml of rose water
Process:
- Mix the rose water with some regular water to tone it down.
- Wash your face well with warm water before applying.
- Dab a cotton ball in the mix and cover the area under the eyes before going to bed.
- Rinse with warm water in the morning.
- Do this daily for two months or until the effect becomes noticeable.
Note: You can add black gram to this remedy, sold in Asian markets. This herb has an astoundingly high number of health benefits.
5. Eucalyptus oil’s skin benefits are scientifically documented
Photo Credit: nutrientsecrect.com
Research on eucalyptus oil shows that it has a variety of anti-microbial and immune-modifying properties. It contains a chemical called eucalyptol, which is why it is so effective against skin problems like dark circles under the eyes.
Required Ingredients:
- A few drops of eucalyptus oil
- Hot water
Process:
- Pour the essential oil into a cup of hot water, dip a cotton swab in it and rub gently into the area under the eyes. Repeat as needed until they begin to fade.
Note: Eucalyptus oil has many other beneficial medicinal and biological properties. Click here to learn more about its astonishing benefits to your health!
6. Coconut oil is super effective
Coconut oil is one of the most effective home remedies for treating dark circles under the eyes. You have to get the all-natural type of this anti-inflammatory antiseptic, however, else it won’t work. All natural coconut oil can be purchased in specialized stores.
Required Ingredients:
- 25 ml of coconut oil
Process:
- Just dab some coconut oil under the eyes before you go to bed.
- Massage it in gently. It will help by stimulating the blood vessels beneath the skin, which are showing because the skin is thin, giving it that dark reddish-blue hue.
- Leave on overnight and rinse off in the morning.
- Repeat as needed.
7. Amazing and affordable: peppermint tea bags
Peppermint tea is very popular in Europe and the US as a home remedy ingredient because it contains a huge amount of iron, which helps reduce allergy attacks, lower blood pressure and relieve arthritis. Peppermint also contains flavonoids that reduce the secretion of histamines, minimizing skin discomfort and the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.
Required Ingredients:
- Two peppermint tea bags
- 500 ml of water
Process:
- This remedy is very easy to follow. Just add the peppermint tea bags to a pot of boiling water and cover.
- Wait 5 minutes and take the bags out.
- Wait for them to cool and put one under each eye.
- Wait ten minutes, remove the bags and throw them away.
- Repeat daily for two weeks.
8. Milk is a super-versatile remedy
Milk is a tried and true home remedy for the treatment of dark circles under eyes. Milk and bread compresses reduce the pressure on the veins under the skin.
Remedy 1
Required Ingredients:
- Bread crumbs or flour
Process:
- Stir the mixture thoroughly and apply it directly on the skin under the eyes. For faster results, repeat the process twice a day.
Note: Milk cream can also be used to treat a boil. For this remedy, mix a teaspoon of turmeric powder with three teaspoons of milk well and apply the mixture under your eyes daily.
9. Tomatoes cool and freshen the skin
Tomatoes are a very beneficial remedy against dark circles because they have a very high vitamin C content as well as a variety of clearing, refreshing, cooling and astringent properties. Their absorbing acids help reduce the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.
Required Ingredients:
- One medium-size tomato
Process:
- Cut the tomato in half and squeeze out the juice, then rub a little under the eyes.
- Wait 15 minutes, then wash off with warm water and use a soft clean cloth to pat your skin dry.
- Alternatively, you can make a face mask with the juice of one tomato and one tablespoon of honey. You could also use a light oil-free moisturizer. If you choose to, use it after performing the remedy.
How to Prevent Dark Circles under the Eyes
Dark circles under the eyes are frequently a sign of weariness and stress. Try to relax more so your appearance does not worsen – this goes above and beyond developing dark circles.
Local swelling and fluid imbalance can also result in puffy eyelids, which can lead to shadows that make the circles under the eyes look darker. Drink a lot of water – staying hydrated is a must.
Various traumas can cause darkening of the entire eye zone. Avoid injuries to your face (if you can).
You can keep dark circles from forming by considering early prevention. In other words, start doing something about them when they are still moderate or mild, before they start charging you for carry-on bags at the airport.
Mild dark circles often respond well to simple and cheap treatments, including:
More pillows. Start sleeping with two or more pillows to keep your head elevated. This way you will prevent puffiness from the fluid accumulating in your lower eyelids.
Cold compress. Hold a cold compress under the eyes to help reduce the size of the blood vessels causing the dark circles. You could also do this with a frozen teaspoon or a bag of frozen veggies wrapped in a soft cloth.
Get enough sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation may make your skin paler, so circles become more apparent.
Conclusion
We hope our list of home remedies has been helpful. Remember, dark circles are not dangerous unless a symptom of an underlying condition.
It could take up to two months of frequently applying one of our home remedies to reduce the appearance of the dark circles. Please tell us what you think in the comments and share this article so you can help other people who are fighting them.
Dr. Kyra Russel Jr.
A qualified doctor, Dr. Kyra Russel Jr. is someone who wears many hats, working also as a health writer, author, researcher, and media medic. She is a master communicator who is passionate about putting convoluted health information into words that make the information widely accessible. Her primary interests are child and adolescent health, women’s well-being, beauty, and nutrition.
