How to get rid of dark circles under your eyes

Having dark circles is one of the biggest beauty issues everybody has to face. If you feel like your eyes are starting to make you look like a vampire, don’t worry; you are not the only one.

There are a whole bunch of reasons to explain how dark circles appear, and if you want to completely make them vanish, you first need to know why you have them.

The main reason as to why you have dark circles is because the skin around your eyes is the thinnest in the body. When blood passes through the veins closest to the skin, it gives the skin a bluish tint. As you age, you lose a protein in the body called collagen that causes the skin to become more translucent; the more translucent the skin is, the darker the circles become. Other reasons include lack of sleep, allergies and asthma, as well as a diet lacking in iron.

So, how do you get rid of them?

Of course, improving your sleeping patterns and your diet, treating allergies and drinking a lot of water will help them go away, but if you want quicker fixes, here are some techniques for getting rid of those dark circles.

• Brightening gel — You can make a brightening gel at home with three easy ingredients: licorice extract, vitamin K and aloe vera gel.

Using a small container like a contact-lens case, get a vitamin K capsule and punch a hole in it. Squeeze out three drops into the container. After, add two drops of licorice extract. Lastly, add a tiny drop of aloe vera gel, and mix everything together. Note that the consistency shouldn’t be too oily or sticky.

All the ingredients are essential in reducing dark circles. Vitamin K strengthens the capillary walls and reduces the visibility of blood vessels, while licorice is a very gentle skin-whitening agent. Aloe vera is the best ingredient for helping heal the skin.

Apply this right before sleeping and voila! You have your own brightening gel that is really good for you and cheap.

• Tea bags — Another way to brighten your eyes is by using tea bags. After drinking your tea, place your tea bag onto a teaspoon and squeeze out all the extra liquid from it. Then, place it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. After it has cooled down, you can lie down and place the chilled bags on your eyes.

Any tea bag can work for this, but the best ones to use are chamomile tea bags, green tea bags and black tea bags. They have the most antioxidants and caffeine, which help with anti-inflammation and blood circulation. It is quite relaxing as well!

While you are treating your dark circles, you can always use concealer to cover them. As much as dark circles can be annoying, they are completely normal to have, and more importantly, they don’t make you any less beautiful.