Eye bags and dark circles are among the most common skin issues people face today. These conditions may be brought by a lot of factors including what you eat, how you sleep, and what you are exposed to throughout the day.
But sleep deprivation is one of the common factors that aggravate eye bags and dark circles. Often, sleeping long enough doesn’t get rid of these skin issues. Treatment for eye bags and dark circles requires effort and time.
Include Sun Protection in Your Skin Care Routine
Apart from sleep deprivation, one of the common triggers of dark circles under the eyes is overexposure to the sun. Under the sun, skin cells produce melanin, which provides the skin with pigment. Too much of this, however, can cause the skin around the eyes to darken.
It’s important to include sun protection in your skincare routine. Korean skincare brand COSRX offers sun creams formulated to protect the face against harmful UV rays. This also improves the skin’s moisture barrier, keeping it from getting dehydrated – which can also cause dark circles around the eyes.
Other skin care products that aid in preventing dark circles are overnight serums that contain caffeine extracts. This topical ingredient, when concentrated, can compress blood vessels beneath the skin, reducing the dark appearance around the eyes.
Remove Your Makeup Before Going to Bed
Washing your face at the end of the day is especially important in reducing bags under the eyes. Eye puffiness and swelling can likewise be attributed to impurities, such as dirt and oil buildup from makeup, pollutants, and other elements you were exposed to during the day. The contaminants and chemicals from eye makeup may also lead to irritation, redness, or even allergic reactions.
Give Your Eyes a Cool Down After a Long Day
Eyestrain can also lead to the darkening of the skin around the eyes. Daily exposure to a computer screen can cause the blood vessels to become more visible.
Aside from your extensive skin care regimen, you can get instant relief from eye bags and dark circles by simply applying cold compress after a long day. In the comfort of your own kitchen, you can come up with different do-it-yourself methods for cooling your eyes down:
- Chill 2 teaspoons in your freezer for a couple of minutes and let them rest on your eyes while lying down. Alternatively, you can use a frozen vegetable bag.
- Chilled tea bags contain caffeine and antioxidants work wonders in refreshing the eyes. They can also be applied while damp. Leave these under your eyes (or on top of closed eyelids) for ten minutes for optimal efficacy.
- Chop down a cool cucumber and place a slice on each eye. This method is very popular because cucumbers have lightening properties that are good for diminishing eye bags and dark circles.
Bonus Tip: Keep Salt Away and Stay Hydrated
Did you know that even a salty dinner can affect the skin around your eyes? Eye puffiness is a result of the water in your body moving to areas with high concentrations in order to balance out its levels of sodium. That’s why it’s important to refrain from eating salty food at night and also to load up on water. Not only does this keep your eyes from swelling but it also keeps your skin moist through the night.
When treating eye bags and dark circles, you shouldn’t expect effects overnight. Through consistency, good sleeping habits, and regular application of skin care products, you can reduce – and eventually, even get rid of – eye bags and dark circles to achieve brighter, more beautiful skin around your eyes.
