Getting Rid of Dark Circles

Dark under eye circles are a never-ending nightmare, especially if hereditary. Luckily, I have found quite a few easy tips on how to treat them at home, along with some lifestyle changes.

1. Put all those cups of tea to good use and refrigerate two black tea bags to put under your eyes for 10-15 minutes.

2. Wake up 15 minutes earlier and place a slice of cold cucumber on each eye.

3. Freeze teaspoons over night and press them under your eyes in the morning.

4. Stop rubbing those peepers!

5. Sleep on your back to avoid fluids building up under your eyes when lying down, or worse under one eye due to always sleeping on one particular side. Adding an extra pillow helps.

6. Use your ring finger to apply eye cream and concealer - it has the lightest touch of the bundle.

7. Remove all of your makeup before going to bed. Not only does this irritate the eyes and clog pores, but the skin care that we apply at night works best.

8. Find a calming and refreshing eye cream suited to your needs; dark circles, puffiness, fine lines, wrinkles, dehydration... Look up reviews before buying - there are so many eye creams on the market that it's easy to end up wasting money.

9. Steer away from processed and greasy goods. You are what you eat.

10. Slap on sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher. You don't want extra darkness resulting from pigmentation. Further coverage with sunglasses adds to the prevention.

11. Keep away from oil-based cosmetics. I used to have a tingling feeling under my eyes when I used to remove my makeup with a Nivea oil-based eye makeup remover. Water-based cleansers are much better, like the Bioderma Micellar Cleansing Water.

12. Keep hydrated with water. Dehydration is likely do cause blood vessels to dilate and swell up, resulting in dark under eyes.

13. Start your morning with a mug of boiled water with a slice of lemon. It's great for detoxifying your body and helping in cleansing the kidneys.

14. Eliminate sugar and sugary foods - it makes you crave even more sweet treats and is one of the most inflammatory food you can eat. I have recently switched to stevia, after reading an article on Vogue, for when I'm craving a sweet cup of coffee, and organic honey for a cup of tea, and I've noticed a little improvement.

15. Get enough sleep! This is such a cliche statement, but I do notice a difference in the appearance of dark circles when I sleep less than seven hours, as opposed to when I sleep more.

16. If you have extreme dark circles, consider doing a blood test to check for any iron deficiencies, particularly anemia, or adrenal problems.

Do you have any other tips for minimizing the effect of dark circles? Have you ever tried any of the above? Share in the comments below.