So, you’ve had your share of the couch-potato-life binge watching till the early hours of the morning due to the tight restrictions a few weeks ago. And now, you’ve got the “panda look” with dark circles around your eyes which is so not in fashion any time soon (unless it’s a smoky eye make-up). I guess you’re searching the web for possible solutions, so here are some ideas that you can ponder on to help you with finding the remedy.

Take out the other possibilities like genetics, old age or allergies and let’s focus on that one thing that may be the culprit – lack of sleep or poor sleeping habits. Remember that sleeping allows our body to re-toil from all the stress, pressure and physical activities of the past several hours. This gives the body time to recover on a cellular level helping our system to repair the body – this includes re-calibrating the circulation of blood and fluid to the where it’s supposed to go.

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Sleep deprivation initially causes your skin to go dull and pale allowing for dark tissue and blood vessels beneath your eyes to show. This further causes fatigue which “alarms” the body’s protective system to focus on where it needs help more – which goes to the larger muscle groups and away from the face. Dark circles may also be accompanied by puffy eyes that causes shadows on your face which may exaggerate the dark circles. But that’ for another article. Now let’s focus on the dark circles caused by late nights on the tellie.

It’s the season to be hooked and especially now that you’ve got shows “on-command” all you need is a dark room and all the time in the world to catch-up, re-watch or even re-discover your favourite series like Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl or even Suits. Cool! What’s not cool is what you get after – EYE STRAIN. This strain can cause the blood vessels around your eyes to enlarge. As a result, the skin surrounding your eyes can darken.

image c/o LetsTalkBeauty.com

Hold on.  Before you start panicking because of this upcoming on-cam job interview, let’s keep it together and go through this list we’ve put together to hopefully diminish if not heal these dreaded dark circles:

First, make use of natural remedies that can be found in your kitchen:

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  • Apply a cold compress to your eyes. This can help reduce swelling and shrink dilated blood vessels. Aside from decreasing the appearance of dark circles around the eyes, it can also reduce the appearance of puffiness. If you don’t have a cold compress, you can wrap a few ice cubes in a washcloth and apply to your eyes.
  • Soak with tea bags. Applying cold tea bags to your eyes can also improve its appearance. Tea contains caffeine and antioxidants that help stimulate blood circulation, and shrink your blood vessels making the dark circles lighter as you continue using the cold tea bags. What you can do is collect your used black or green tea bags and let them chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes. Apply to closed eyes for 10 to 20 minutes once or twice a day. Doing this before bedtime can also help you sleep. After removing rinse your eyes with cool water.

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  • Use apple cider vinegar. Apply equal amounts of water and apple cider vinegar in a small container and apply the mixture to your dark circles with a cotton ball. You can even add a few drops of lemon to heighten its efficacy. The natural acids on the apple cider vinegar will help lighten the skin surface and further remove the dark circles. Apple cider can also be used as a toner to bring back the face’s natural ph levels after washing your face.
  • Make a paste our of green papaya. Papaya is well known for its natural ability to lighten skin. Ask any Pinay and they will attest to its whitening powers. So all you need to do is put several slices in a food processor and blend it until it becomes a paste. Apply the paste to the dark circles day and night. Rinse with lukewarm water and you’ll see a big difference within several days.

You can also change the way you sleep:

  • Elevate your head. Elevating your head prevents fluid from pooling under your eyes which make them look puffy and swollen. The shadow that this puffiness casts will dramatically emphasize the look of dark circles.

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  • Do not oversleep to compensate for the lack of sleep. 8 hours is the recommended number of hours for the body to recuperate. Remember that the body needs to have its regular activity to allow for better circulation. Oversleeping prevents us from having enough physical activity which then hampers proper circulation.

If the need to remove it is so dire, use camouflage:

  • Camouflage is a make-up technique that helps us conceal all the discoloration that prevents us from having the even healthy skin look. By applying the correct technique on covering your dark circles, makes for a more natural look.
  • Yes, applying a thick concealer may help cover your dark circles. But remember that the face has a lot of movements and if you apply a thick concealer, there’s a bigger likelihood that it will crease and make you look older than you really are.

 

  • Here’s a simple step-by-step suggestion on the camouflage technique:

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1. After cleansing, toning and moisturizing your face, you can use a color corrector primer on your dark circles. Color correctors are more runny and goes directly to the skin while concealer sits on top of skin. 

2. Press on a thin layer of coloured concealer on your dark circles:

  • Green if the circles are reddish
  • Purple if the circles are yellowish
  • Orange if the circles are blueish or purplish

3. Apply your favourite foundation (ideally, based on your skin tone) by dabbing it on the spot where you placed your concealer.

4. Powder strategically to keep the concealer from “moving” or creasing.

There are lots of natural ways to help with getting rid of your dark circles. But as the age-old lesson to beauty always goes – “get enough sleep and hydrate” to keep the dark circles away.

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References: 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325989

https://www.purefiji.com/blog/natural-remedies-dark-spots/

https://www.healthline.com/health/dark-circle-under-eyes

 

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