So many women are bothered by dark circles – even my fourteen year-old daughter is freaking out because she thinks she has them, and uses every organic concealer that graces my doorstep in an effort to obliterate them! Here’s the deal – if they are genetic (and in my daughter’s case they are because my husband’s side of the family have them), there’s precious little you can do except accept them with love, and cover the darn the things up with really good concealer. But, there are other underlying issues that can cause dark circles, or exacerbate the ones you were born with:
1. Allergies: If you suffer from allergies, dark circles can unfortunately be part of the package – puffy eyes, dark circles, and streaming nose. The histamines released in the body cause the tissues to become inflamed. Many women have find a huge improvement when they give up dairy products.
2. Aging: When we age, our skin becomes thinner, which often reveals the tiny veins and capillaries underneath – they gives the appearance of “dark” circles, or discoloration. The best way of dealing with this is to make sure you use a really good eye products.
3. Build up of lymphatic fluid: You might be in need of a full-on detox to reduce general inflammation and excess build-up of lymph (which is your body’s way of trying to deal with inflammation). If this is the case, you might find it helpful to sleep with your head elevated (never sleep on your stomach), and to cut salt out of your diet as much as you can.
I recommend:
Cucumber: That old cucumber remedy does actually work to sooth irritated and puffy eyes because cucumbers contain flavanoids and antioxidants, and when you chill the slices prior to applying them, the coolness will also help.
Calendula Eye Balm by Indie Lee: This rich, soothing balm will deeply nourish and moisturize the your under eye tissue, and the calendula will help to sooth and take down puffiness and inflammation.
Eye Serum by Kahina Giving Beauty: This serum is miraculous – filled with botanicals to soothe inflammation, and peptides to help build collagen and increase your skin’s thickness. I absolutely love this, and although pricey, it will last you for a very long time.