They say your eyes are the windows to your soul. But when your peepers look tired and pale, they raise a dozen questions. Aren’t you sleeping well? Are you stressed out? Is there something ailing you? Your faithful concealer always comes to your rescue, helping you mask those dark shadows in minutes. Nonetheless, if you can find a permanent solution to this cosmetic issue, there’s nothing like it.
Dark circles are caused by several factors. Lack of sleep, overworking, bad diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, dehydration, genetics and age are just to name a few. The 15 tips to get rid of dark circles discussed here, tackle the problem by addressing the causes.
1. Cut back on salt: Relish the salty tang of crackers? You are going to have to give it up. All that excess salt is hurting your eyes. Sodium causes fluid retention leading to puffy eyes.
2. Stay hydrated: Drinking plenty of water really helps for the health of your skin. It also combats the problem of fluid retention. On the whole, it flushes out toxins keeping your skin looking healthy and radiant. You must have minimum 8-10 glasses of water daily.
3. Get a good night’s sleep: Lack of sleep results in under eye puffiness as well as hollow eyes. Both darken under eye shadows. Getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night will really make a difference to the appearance of your dark circles. A well rested body also improves your skin tone.
4. Almond oil massage: Gently massage almond oil around the eyes. Almond oil is rich in Vitamin E, one of the skin essential vitamins. It improves blood circulation and also promotes skin cell renewal.
5. Quick-fix concealer: On all those mornings when your dark circles show up uninvited, you can use a concealer. For maximum coverage, choose a concealer that’s closest to your skin tone. The concealer should not be rubbed into your skin, but gently patted on to it.
6. Sun protection: The UV rays of the sun are damaging. They not only increase melanin production but also causes the under eye skin to sag and wrinkle. You should take steps to protect your skin from the sun. Use sunscreen. Wear sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat to keep your eyes shielded from the sun.
7. Manage allergies: Common allergens include foods such as peanuts, eggs, dairy, wheat and soy. Pollen, pet dander and mold are other allergy-causing agents. The strategy to deal with allergy-induced dark circles is to identify the allergens that cause stubborn, dark circles around the eyes and avoid them. You can also use over-the-counter antihistamines to keep your allergies in check.
8. Quit smoking: Here’s yet another reason to give up smoking. It hinders proper blood circulation. It dehydrates the skin causing droopy eyes with dark shadows.
9. Ease up on alcohol: You can have some alcohol but in moderation. Like red wine is a better option than hard drinks.
10. Do not rub your eyes: Rubbing or tugging at the skin around your eyes increases the chances of dark circles, puffiness and sagging skin. Instead of rubbing the eyes simply rinse them with chilled water. Use petroleum jelly to remove makeup. Avoid makeup removers with high alcohol content.