How to Use Home Remedies for Dark Circles

At one time or another, we've all woken up to find a pair of raccoon eyes staring back at us from the bathroom mirror. Whether the dark circles under your eyes are due to a lack of sleep, a terrible cold, allergies or just because they run in the family, there are ways to treat them. While some people opt to conceal dark circles or have surgery to get rid of them for good, many of us prefer to rely on a few good old-fashioned home remedies.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Tea bags
• Cucumbers
• Grated potatoes
• Hot/cold compresses
• Tomato juice
• Lemon juice
• Almond oil
• Turmeric powder
• Powdered fenugreek

Increase Circulation and Reduce Puffiness

1. Soak two new tea bags in cold water. Squeeze them out and, while lying down, place them over your closed eyes. Leave them there for no less than 10 minutes.
2. Place thin slices of cucumber on your eyelids for 20 minutes. This stereotypical home remedy increases circulation and soothes the tired skin under your eyes.
3. Dip cotton balls or small gauze pads in the juice of freshly grated potatoes. Place the coverings over your eyes to relax them. Potatoes also have the added factor of containing the enzyme catecholase, which is often used in cosmetics as a skin lightener.
4. Alternate using cold and hot compresses underneath your eyes for 15 minutes. The heat will get the circulation going, while the cold will reduce any swelling.

Lighten Dark Circles Using Home Remedies

5. Combine almond powder with milk cream to create a natural lotion. Gently rub the mixture under your eyes at bedtime and leave it on until morning. As an alternative, try massaging the skin under your eyes with almond oil.
6. Apply a paste of powdered fenugreek and milk on your dark circles and leave it overnight. Fenugreek is an herb found in many home remedies for healing skin ailments. It can be purchased at a local health food store.
7. Use tomato juice as a remedy for dark circles. There are many different remedies that use this ingredient. Among them are combining equal parts lemon and tomato juices and making a paste of tomato juice, turmeric powder and flour. Both combinations should be applied carefully under your eyes twice a day.

Tips & Warnings

• Choose a home remedy and stick with it for a couple of weeks before giving up. Home remedies that increase circulation will reduce puffiness and show some immediate results. Other home remedies can take up to 4 weeks to reduce and lighten the dark circles.
• Do not use fenugreek if you have asthma or diabetes. The herb can aggravate symptoms of both diseases.