Get Rid of Circles Under Your Eyes

This instructable will help you prevent, treat and cover up those circles under your eyes. Puffy eyes or bags under eyes are similar problems to dark circles, so they will also be dealt with in this instructable.

In order to deal with the problem of under eye circles, it is important to address the cause.

Causes

Lack of sleep

This is probably the most well know cause for under eye circles. Sleep is the best beauty treatment you can give yourself, not to mention that the overall health benefits are enormous. Eight hours of sleep is what most people need but rarely get, most people have such busy lives, staying up late and getting up early is common. It is important to your overall health that you try to get 8hrs of sleep each night.

Sometimes people don't get enough sleep because they have trouble falling asleep, or wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. A few tips for falling asleep are;

- reduce the intake of caffeine,
- don't drink caffeinated beverages too late in the day,
- try to wind down and relax before bedtime,
- don't eat later than 3 hrs before bedtime,
- or exercise too late at night.

If you have trouble shutting up your thoughts or worries when your head hits the pillow try talking them out with a friend or partner before bed or write it in a journal.

Clock watching can make things worse, as you count the hours you have until you get up, you get more anxious about whether your able to get any sleep at all. If you have this problem, try moving your clock so you can't see it at all from your bed.

Stress is a big reason why people have trouble sleeping, try stress management techniques such as exercise and meditation. Insomnia can also be a chronic problem, talk to your doctor to get some advice or a referral to a sleep clinic.

Dehydration

Drinking enough water is crucial for your health. Under eye circles can be a symptom of dehydration. It is important to drink about eight glasses of water a day. Also drink extra while exercising, to make up what you lose while perspiring. Carry a reusable waterbottle with you wherever you go. Also be careful not to consume too much dietary salt. This could lead to fluid retention and puffy eyes.

Improper diet and nutrition

If you are not eating properly this can be reflected in your appearance. Try to eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables to get rid of dark circles and puffy eyes. Also strive for a healthier diet overall; see these instuctables on how to eat healthy:

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-eat-healthy/
https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-eat-healthfully/
https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Eat-Healthy_1/

Allergies

Allergies or sinus infections can cause puffy eyes. Take medication to deal with it or try to eliminate the allergen (if possible). Prop up your head with pillows or raise the end of the bed where your head rests to prevent fluids from accumulating around your eyes as you sleep. Also try the eye massage in step 3.

Rubbing eyes

Don't do it! The skin around the eyes is very thin and delicate. Please don't rub, tug, pull, or stretch that skin. If you suffer from itchy eyes, try eye drops, or allergy medication. When you are washing, drying with a towel, removing or applying make-up to the eye area always be gentle.

Aging

Sadly as you age, your skin loses its structural integrity and begins to sag, especially around the eyes and jowls. When the skin sags under the eyes they can look puffy, baggy, and show dark circles. See Step 3 for some preventative measures

Smoking

Yes, another good reason to quite smoking.

Heredity

Some people have a genetic predisposition to dark circles, find out whether other family members are prone to this.

Iron Deficiency Anemia*

Those dark circles may be due to an underling medical condition. Iron deficiency anemia can make your skin look pale and the skin under the eye may look bluish. If you have any of these other symptoms please see a doctor.

Paleness
Weakness
Tiredness
Chest pains (in severe cases)
Shortness of breath (in severe cases)
Heart palpitations (in severe cases)
An increased heart rate especially during exertion (in severe cases)
Rapid breathing
Low blood pressure

*http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/112/main.html

Many home remedies for dark circles involve fruits and vegetables high in vitamin K, C or A, likewise, store bought creams used for under eye circles or puffiness also contain these vitamins. These treatments make up for vitamin deficiencies in the skin (confirming that eating more fresh fruits and vegetables are a great way of preventing them from appearing in the first place).

Here are several home remedies that are inexpensive and use ingredients you can find in your kitchen.

Potatoes and Cucumbers
(In these recipes you can use either potatoes or cucumbers.)

Sliced

1.Cut a potato/cucumber in slices to fit over your eye, you can cut several very thin slices or one a bit thicker for each eye.
2.Spray a bit of water around eye, so it is moist (not dripping).
3. Apply potato/cucumber slices on the under eye area for 10-20min, you probably want to be lying down or laying back for this.
4. Rinse area when done, and apply a light moisturizer.

Grated

1. Grate potato/cucumber with a cheese grater so you have enough to cover both eyes.
2. Put grated potato/cucumber in cheesecloth and tie it up like a little sack.
3. Place on the under eye area, again for ~10-20 minutes, while lying down.
4. Rinse area when done, and apply a light moisturizer.

Juice

1. If you have a juicer, juice a potato/cucumber (you won't need to juice the whole thing- just enough for step 2 below)
2. Soak 2 cotton balls in the juice
Repeat step 3 and 4 as above

You can try a 1:1 mix of potato and cucumber if you're using the grated or juiced versions.

Lemon and Tomato

1. Mix equal parts of lemon and tomato juice
2. Soak 2 cotton balls in the juice.
Repeat step 3 and 4 as above.
Note: The lemon juice is probably not something you want to get into your eye, so use caution when placing the cotton ball under you eye area!

Tea bags

Black tea has tannins, which are thought to reduce swelling and circles under eyes. Chamomile and mint tea can also be use to soothe the under eye region.

How to use:

1. Make yourself a nice pot or two of tea (you will need to use 2 tea bags).
2. Once the pot is emptied, and the teabags cooled, squeeze out excess moisture and place the used tea bags in fridge, until needed (you might consider putting them in a zip lock back so they don't get moldy).
3. When you do need them, lie back. place a tea bag on each eye for ~10-20minutes.
4. Rinse area when done, and apply a light moisturizer.

Cold spoons

1. Get 2 metal spoons, cool them down by either, placing them in freezer for a few minutes, putting them in the fridge for a bit longer or running them under cold water (dry off before you use them).
2. Place them on eyes, convex side against skin (gently, don't press) until they warm up.
3. Re-apply as needed.

Rose water

1. Soak 2 cotton balls in rose water.
2. Place on your eyes (where dark circles are), again for ~10-20 minutes, while lying down.
3. Rinse area when done, and apply a light moisturizer.

Sweet Almond Oil

Sweet Almond Oil is often used as carrier oil for essential oils and can be found in health food stores, or wherever essential oils are found. As I've mentioned before, the skin around the eye is very thin and delicate, and doesn't produce its own natural oils. Almond oil is absorbed easily by the skin, and is known for getting rid of dark circles under eyes.

1. Apply some of the almond oil to the tips of you finger.
2. Gently pat your fingers on the skin around your eyes before you go to bed.
3. Leave on overnight allowing the oil to be absorbed into your skin

This won't give instant results, but if it is done regularly, your skin will be softer and dark circles are reduced.

Wet washcloth

This is a pretty simple treatment that provides moisture to the area around your eyes.
Just wet a washcloth with cold water, wring it out so it is not dripping and place across your eyes while you sleep.

Eye massage

Facial massage is beneficial in assisting the drainage of the lymphatic system and stimulates circulation.
Massaging the eye helps eliminate the excess fluid that gives the appearance of puffiness.

How to massage your eyes:

Close your eyes, with the ring finger trace along the rim of the eye socket in a circle around the eye, add more pressure when moving across the brow, but pat gently when you are massaging the area under the eye. Travel around the eye about 10 times, do both eyes at the same time.

Anti-aging tips

-wear sunscreen on you face (and rest of body) even when it is not sunny out,
-wear a good pair of sunglasses with UV protection (they can protect your eyes and the skin around them)
-wear a hat to shade you face (see instructable on picking a hat that looks good on you https://www.instructables.com/id/Pick-a-hat-that-looks-good-on-you/)
-use a light moisturizer
-as I have mentioned before, drink lots of water and eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
-try the lion pose

The Lion Pose:

This Yoga pose works you face and neck muscles, and improves circulation, it does look rather silly, so you might want to do it somewhere private.

Inhale deeply, while breathing out, open your mouth as wide as possible, stick your tongue out as far as possible and down towards your chin, open your eyes wide and look upward.

Hold for 12 second and repeat 5 times, try to do daily.

Store bought creams

There are countless eye creams on the market, many specific for dark circles, the most effective ones have vitamin K, C, or A (retinol). The more general anti-wrinkle creams can help if your dark circle problem is age related. Below is a review of some top eye creams:

http://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/EyeCreams/?source=inside/eyecream

In my own experience, I have yet to find something that I can say made a noticeable difference to my skin with the exception of Boots #7 Restore and Renew Serum. There was a lot of hype when this product came out as an anti-aging serum and it seem to work for me, the skin around my eye has definitely improved, with noticeably less fine lines and sagging.

Surgery

If all else fails there is always cosmetic eye surgery. Personally I'll stick with the potatoes.

Concealer

When purchasing a concealer it is important to spend the time and find one that matches you skin tone. The key is to not look like your wearing any at all. There are concealers available that are specifically designed to be used for dark circles, these have a yellowish tinge (yellow neutralizes blue), some also have vitamin k as well.

To apply concealer

1. Dab a little concealer on your pinky finger and place along the bottom of the eye (see picture).
2. Starting on the corners, blend the concealer into you skin with a gentle dabbing motion moving inward.
3. Make sure it covers the whole area, if you are also wearing foundation, blend it so it looks even.
4. If it is a good concealer it should cover the dark circles and look like your not wearing any at all.

Sources and image credits

-Vyas,B.(2005). "Bharti Vyas's Whole Body Beauty Wisdom",New York, Marlowe & Company.

-http://altmedicine.about.com/od/drcathywongsanswers/f/darkcircleseyes.htm

for images 14,15, and parts of image 3
the images used were obtained from Mindscape's PrintMaster product @1998 Mindscape, Inc.,88 Rowland Way, Novato, CA 94945 USA.