6 Simple & Proven Tips To Combat Dark Circles

Do you know what the first thing people look at when they meet you is...? Your eyes! That's why the last thing you want is to have puffy, dark, haggard-looking eyes when you want to make a good impression!

If you struggle with getting rid of dark circles under your eyes, covering them with concealer should be a last resort. It’s best to get to the bottom of it and cure the problem with a more permanent fix. Those dark circles are trying to tell you something! Modern life can sometimes battle our skin, but you can combat the bags with these simple tips.

CAUSES OF DARK CIRCLES:

There are two reasons why the skin under the eyes can become shades darker...

1. Blood Vessel Dilation

When blood vessels dilate, the flow of blood increases through the veins. This causes inflammation, which in turn causes the blood to pool around the eyes. And the fact that the skin just below the eyes and on the eyelids is much thinner than the skin in other parts of the body means its more visible than it would be elsewhere on the body. That’s what causes those pesky dark circles under your eyes!

The dilation of blood vessels itself is caused by factors in our lifestyle. The most common include:

• Lack of sleep
• Dehydration
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Nicotine
• Allergies
• Crying

2. Hyperpigmentation

Sometimes genetics can come into play. Some people are more prone to skin pigmentation, which can leave the under eyes looking darker and more tired. It’s the same pigmentation that’s linked to sunspots and melasma.

Hyperpigmentation relies less on your lifestyle, but you can still fight the appearance of dark under eyes. Now that you know what causes these unsightly under-eye bags, how can you get rid of them?

HOW TO GET RID OF THEM:

Now you know the cause of the dark circles under your eyes, it's time to discover our 6 guaranteed tips to erasing them for good, and rejuvenating your eyes. Imagine how good you could feel without dark circles, making you looking 10, 15, maybe even 20 years younger.

1. Hydration

The number one rule for keeping your skin from looking dull and tired is by keeping yourself hydrated! Ensuring you drink enough water throughout the day, and get water from healthy foods, will brighten up the skin.

It’s a simple task, but often things get in the way. Things such as cups of coffee, cigarettes, or an alcoholic drink. Being dehydrators, they cause the skin to become lackluster, which gives more rise to dark circles!  

A salty diet also keeps skin feeling dry, because it takes the much-needed moisture away from the skin! You’ll notice you’re thirsty after eating some salty fries for example, and it’s not just your mouth gagging for water, it’s your whole body, including your skin!

Keeping hydrated may help reduce the appearance of bags under your eyes. So, think about swapping that morning brew for a glass of water instead, and you may notice a difference.

2. Open Up Congestion

As with congestion on a road, congestion of the nasal passage can be infuriating! But more than being an irritant, it also causes your skin some turmoil. If you struggle to breathe properly, the blood vessels start to dilate and cause the under eyes to get darker.

If you have allergies – perhaps their seasonal or caused by a particular animal – take an antihistamine when you feel the symptoms. Or if you’re struggling with the common cold or flu, make sure you stay hydrated and use rubs that clear the nasal passage. It’s not just for your health, it’s for the sake of your skin too!

3. You Need Collagen

Collagen is the component in the skin that keeps your skin plump and looking young, including the skin under your eyes. The more deflated the skin is, the dryer and thinner it looks, which increases the appearance of dark circles.

You can take supplements to help increase your body’s production of collagen, or eating more protein-rich foods, such as meat, fish, beans, eggs and dairy products.

Cel Pro Tip: Eating Vitamin C rich foods along with collagen boosting foods will help the process along, for your body to produce collagen. You can find Vitamin C in citrus fruits and green vegetables.

4. Eat Essential Fatty Acids

The trend of avocadoes may actually have some health benefits! Foods that are high in natural fats, such as avocadoes, olives, cheese, salmon, and dairy help to regulate cell functions and maintain healthy cell membranes. All that means is that they help the body to hold the water and nutrients you're consuming so that your skin looks healthier and brighter!

5. Get To Bed

Sleep is essential for overall good health, and it’s also vital to having healthy-looking skin. Without good quality sleep, your body can’t rest, and the natural cycle it goes through won’t happen. As we sleep, our body restores itself at different stages in a cycle called the circadian rhythm – and the skin goes through it too!

But the reason why the eyes, in particular, suffer from a lack of sleep, is because the blood vessels are dilating. The body’s function isn’t resting, as it should be when you sleep and makes the bags more prominent.

Plus, without sleep, the stress hormone known as cortisol, starts to increase, which puts the body in fight or flight. When this happens, your body naturally sends oxygen to the vital organs – unfortunately, the skin is not one of those. When the skin lacks oxygen, skin becomes dull and the thin skin under the eyes becomes vulnerable to showing the dark circles.

Cel Pro Tip: Whether you’re sleeping well or not, and still find that you have visibly dark circles under your eyes, it could be because of your sleeping position. Lying on your front or with your head low down allows blood to pool around your eyes, so tomorrow night, try adding a pillow, or lie on your back to avoid the dark circles!

6. For Hyperpigmentation, Use SPF

Hyperpigmentation is often down to your skin’s vulnerability to the sun, so the best way to overcome dark under eyes is by protecting the thin, sensitive skin with an appropriate SPF cream. The skin on the face, generally, is more sensitive than other parts of the body, and therefore requires a face sunscreen or SPF moisturizer.

Also, make sure you intake enough Vitamin C. It can be found in citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, tomatoes, and peppers. Vitamin C helps the skin protect itself from damage from the UV rays naturally (but not as a replacement for sunscreen)!

Final Thoughts

Dark circles under your eyes are a sign that something in your lifestyle could need to change. Whether that be too much salt in your diet or a lack of naturally made collagen, there are simple ways to combat those undesired bags! If you do suffer from dark circles, try these proven tips, and watch your skin become younger and healthier, before your very own eyes!