Wipe Out Under Eye Circles Naturally With These 5 Home Remedies

October 2, 2014

Our body starts sending out signals when we fail to pay it enough attention. The trick is to understand these signals for the problems they indicate. Under eye circles or dark circles are one such symptom that we should not ignore. If dark circles persist despite skin treatments, find out why it is so. Dr. Nipun Jain, Senior Consultant in Dermatology, from Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, Delhi, India lists out effective home remedies to rejuvenate the under eye skin.

Before we can get to the practical natural remedies, Dr. Jain explains why we have such dark circles under our eyes. She says, “Dark circles or under eye circles occur when the blood vessels and the blood within the vessels appears distinctly visible from below the thin layer of skin below our eyes.”

Here’s a list of important causes of under eye circles that we tend to ignore.

Tiredness/fatigue: When our body is tired, the production of cortisol hormone increases to provide the energy required to keep the body awake. The increase in cortisol production increases the volume of blood in our body that causes enlargement of all blood vessels including the ones below our eyes.
Allergies: Due to various allergies, at times hyperpigmentation occurs which means there is an increased production of melanin, which leads to the area below the eyes looking darker in color.
Alcohol and caffeine: Intake of alcohol, tobacco or coffee should not be much as this causes dehydration that makes dark circles more visible.
Exposure to the sun: Long hours of exposure to sunlight increases melanin production which in turn causes dark circles.
Aging: As you age, your skin loses elasticity, and there is fat and collagen loss. The skin below your eyes becomes thinner further exposing the blood vessels and causing dark circles.
Heredity: Dark circles can run in your genes for which there is no cure.
Prolonged crying: Dark circles may also be due to a combination of the above factors. Dr. Jain suggests some interesting remedies, which can be prepared easily at home, to reduce dark circles naturally.
Cucumber: This has skin-lightening properties and acts as a great astringent. Cut cucumber into thick slices and chill them in the refrigerator. Take them out and put them over the affected area for 10 – 15 minutes. Then wash it off with normal water. Instead of cucumber slices, you can also use potato slices.
Tomato: Like cucumber, this too acts as a great skin lightening agent. You can take one teaspoon of tomato juice and then mix it with one teaspoon of lemon juice. Gently apply the mixture on the dark circles. After keeping it for around 10 minutes, wash it off with cold water.
Crushed mint: Crush six to seven mint leaves and apply them around the eye. Keep it for around 10 – 15 minutes and then wash it off with cold water. However, you must be very gentle in applying this so as not to cause any harm to the eyes. Besides lightening dark circles, mint leaves also soothe the eyes.
Almond oil: Before going to bed every night, gently massage almond oil into the skin around your eyes.
Rose water: Soak two cotton balls in rose water and place them over the eyelids. Keep them for 10 minutes and then remove them.