Dark Circles Under Eyes – Causes And Natural Remedies

If you have dark circles under eyes, you might think that you have a medical problem. The truth is that it is most likely not caused by any medical or internal problems, although it is one of the top two problems that dermatologists are concerned about when first consulted.

One thing is for sure though, having these dark circles and eye bags will get you looks that are embarrassing, humiliating, and it will definitely make you look a lot older than your age because you’ll appear stressed out and overworked.

Before discussing the things that will help you get rid of dark circles under eyes, you must first know the probable causes as to why you have these.

Some Causes Of Dark Circles

What may actually be a more solid cause of dark circles would be common morning allergies and colds that make us rub our itchy eyes.  Rubbing the eyes can cause the veins in the lower region to be irritated and become engorged.  They then strain into the thin skin in that area, which gives you blue-blackish tinges.

So, if you have this condition and are thinking of something that causes dark circles under eyes besides sleep, take a good look at your habits and lifestyle.  Changes to your lifestyle is usually the beat dark circles treatment that lasts the longest as well.

Having the skin condition called eczema can also be something that causes dark eye circles. Having eczema makes the eyes itch, which causes people to rub their eyes, discoloring them further.

Certain medications,  for example medication for ogan diseases like kidney and liver disease, can cause dilated blood vessels.  When blood vessels dilate they strain towards the skin of your lower eye region, bringing with them their bluish hue, which only contributes more to the darkening of that area.

So if you take medication for anything, be sure to speak to your doctor about this possible side-effect.

Lastly, discoloration of the area below the eyes can also be brought about by insufficient nutrients in the body.  If your diet is lacking in vitamins and minerals like vitamin K and folic acid, chances are, dark circles are bound to be more noticeable.

Here are some other common causes:

1 ) Nasal congestion – When you experience nasal congestion, the veins from your eyes drain into the nose area and this can lead to darker and dilated eyes and under eyes.

2 ) Eyelid swelling – Because of gravity, some fluids swell and form in your eyelids as you sleep, thus leading to dark circles.

3 ) From other skin diseases – There are other skin conditions that lead to dark under eyes like atopic eczema.

4 ) Inherited – Yes, even dark circles can be genetic and inherited from your parents.

5 ) Lack of sleep – Most people know that the reason for dark circles under eyes can be lack of sleep.

6 ) Diet & Lifestyle – If you are smoking or you are exposed to UVA light too often, you will have dark eye bags.  You may sleep well but how about your diet? If you are drinking so much coffee that you are immune to caffeine, chances are this is the one that causes dark circles under eyes. It can also be because you eat too much sugar or fatty foods that keep you up all night or lessen your sleep.

7 ) Womanly cycles – When you are pregnant or you are having your monthly period, your skin will look pale; thus, your under eyes, even if they’re not that dark, will show.

8 ) Vitamin intake – Less vitamin intake can also lead to having dark eye bags.

9 ) Make-up reactions – If you like putting on eye liner under your eyes and you are allergic to it or you do not remove it properly, it might affect your under eyes.

If you are one of those people who likes putting eye liner or shadow under your eyes, you will most likely get dark circles under eyes if you do not clean your face properly.

Most of the time, the make-up will react to your skin and this will lead to irritations and stains around the eyes. Use an eye make up remover to totally remove your eye make up. Make sure you remove it before you sleep and do not sleep with make-up on.

Recommended:  Clinique Naturally Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

If you do not have any makeup remover, or simply don’t want to use it, olive oil is fantastic for removing makeup. Here is a great video I found of a demonstration of how to use olive oil to remove your makeup.

If you are under any of the conditions mentioned above and you want to use natural remedies instead of eye creams that are misleading and even more hazardous to your skin, you can try any of these.

Natural Remedies

Honey or Almond Oil – These two are usually the ingredients used for eye creams. Since you do not want and should not use eye creams that have harmful chemicals, why not use ones that are safe like honey and almond oil? Dab a small amount onto your eyes for about ten minutes a day and then you can see the difference in just weeks.

Recommended:  NOW Foods Sweet Almond Oil

Cucumber or Potatoes – You can put cold cucumber or potatoes on your eyes for about 20 minutes a day and this will help your blood flow increase under your eyes.

Potato juice has been proven to have bleaching properties.  Extract the juice in a potato through a juicer or food processor; soak a cotton ball in the juice and let the cotton ball stay in the darkened area for 20 minutes, preferably while you are resting your eyes.

Almond powder + milk cream– Mix these two ingredients and gently massage it on the affected area. This is a good home remedy and it’s best done before you sleep.

Recommended:  Cook’s Pure Almond Powder

Lemon or tomato juice – A drop of lemon or tomato juice under your eyes will also help in eliminating dark circles. However, when you are doing this, make sure that you do not spill juice into your eyes because it might hurt. These fruits have high acidity.

Diet – Adjust your diet. If you have been drinking lots of caffeinated drinks, it would be best if you cut down on it a bit. Fatty foods and sugared foods and drinks also lead to this. Make sure that you take everything in moderation.

Honey & Milk Powder- Another natural remedy that may reduce skin discoloration under your eyes would be a paste made out of mixing honey and milk powder.  Mix a teaspoon of each thoroughly and apply them to your dark circles.  Rinse the paste from your eyes after 30 minutes.  You will notice a fresher, lighter shade in the part where you applied this paste.

Recommended:  Peak Instant Full-Cream Milk Powder & Ambrosia Pure Honey

Parsley – A natural remedy with ingredients readily available is making ice cubes with parsley.  This remedy is effective because ice cubes reduce any puffing or swelling of blood vessels in the eye region.  Parsley has chlorophyll that aids in easing the pigmentation.  Instead of putting eye cream, apply parsley cubes in the region by running the cube in the area in one direction.

Green tea bags are another great natural remedy. You simply cool two tea bags and place it about each eye. Leave it on for about 10 – 15 minutes before rinsing it off. Green tea is a natural antioxidant, and as such, it would help refresh your eyes therefore reducing the dark circles.

Recommended:  Kirkland Green Tea

These are natural home remedies that you can follow. This is a better way to eliminate dark circles instead on relying on eye creams that do not work and even lead to side effects causing your dark circles under eyes to darken more.

Be sure to also check out the Flawless Eye Formula, a holistic and permanent solution to dark circles and puffy eyes.  There are always great natural alternatives to dark circles treatments.