I’ve had some pretty ferocious under eye circles for most of my life, and they can get annoying. To be honest, most other people probably don’t even see them, but going without concealer can leave me feeling a bit like Droopy Dog. However, there are some ways to naturally get rid of under eye circles that don’t involve any injections or surgery.
Because I seem to get photographed for Instagram pics exclusively on days when makeup just didn’t happen, this is great news. I like the idea of just lessening the marks, and if it can be achieved without costly surgery, so much the better. Many other people seem to share this fixation: I remember reading articles about getting rid of under eye bags in magazines at least 20 years ago, and a quick Google search on the topic reveals about 25,700,000 responses. (Whoa!) It’s a pretty common source of annoyance.
So even if you don’t have the chance to take a long vacation and really catch up on your sleep right now, you can lessen the appearance of tired eyes with some home remedies or specialized eye creams. As someone who’s considered using White-Out as an under eye concealer in a pinch (not recommended), this is super helpful.
1Try A Cold Compress
Real Simple recommends putting a cold compress on your eyes for about five minutes in the morning. This helps constrict the blood vessels and lessens the appearance of dark circles.
2Use Sunscreen
Your under eye area is vulnerable to hyperpigmentation from the sun, so Allure recommends using sunscreen in this area. You may want to look for formulas that are made to stay put, and there are some sunscreens made specifically for the eye area.
3Go Easy On The Alcohol
Elle notes that alcohol may dehydrate you, which can cause your eyes to get puffy and worsen the appearance of circles. Too much salt can also cause this effect (so doubling down on margaritas may not be the best idea).
4Reuse Tea Bags
Here's a neat trick for leftover bags of tea: pop them in the refrigerator for a few minutes and then place one on each eye for five minutes, as Reader's Digest advises. It may help reduce puffiness and refresh the delicate skin.
5Get Enough Sleep
Easier said than done, right? But Cosmopolitan notes that getting seven or more hours of sleep each night can go a long way to toward helping your eyes look (and likely feel!) more refreshed.
6Use Eye Creams
Although Well+Good admits that many eye creams don't live up to their hype, a light moisturizer can help soothe the under eye area.
7Check For Allergies
Under-eye circles can be worsened by allergies or eczema, as the Mirror reports. A chat with your doctor can determine if this is the root cause of your darkened eyes.
8Remove Makeup Totally Each Night
Self explains that removing your makeup each night is a crucial way to make sure your skin doesn't get irritated by cosmetics. But it's also important to find a makeup remover that doesn't require a lot of scrubbing around the eye area, and you may need to experiment to find one that can gently get dissolve eye makeup.
9Eat More Citrus
Glamour reported that the vitamin C in citrus fruits can help strengthen collagen and lift areas that cause darkening shadows. This sounds like a great excuse to get more tangelos in your life.
