Friday, November 26, 2010

Remove Dark Circles Under Eyes

Dark Circles Under Eyes

Black or dark circles under or around the eyes can be 

caused by many different factors. Most people inherit 

the tendency for dark circles. The following are the most

 common causes of those unattractive dark circles.

Fatigue, lack of sleep: A lack of sleep or excessive 

tiredness can cause paleness of the skin, which 

again allows the blood underneath the skin to become 

more visible and appear more blue or darker.

Nutrition: The lack of nutrients in the diet, or the lack of a 

balance diet, can contribute to the discoloration of the

 area under the eyes.

Stress: A too fast-paced lifestyle, especially if you spend 

long hours on the computer can contribution to black bags

 under your eyes - perhaps mostly because you don't 

get enough sleep.

Heredity: Like varicose veins, dark circles under the eyes

 are usually an inherited trait. If you have dark circles, 

there is a good chance that others in your family also

 have them. The skin under the eye is very thin. 

When blood passes through the large veins close 

to the surface of the skin it can produce a bluish tint. 

The more transparent your skin, also an inherited trait, 

the darker the circles appear.

Exposure to the Sun: Even in darker skinned people, 

exposure to sunlight, especially during the summer months,

 can cause a higher-than- normal level of skin pigmentation

 (melanin) under the eyes. People get suntans because

 exposure to the sun increases the natural pigmentation 

of the skin and draws that pigmentation to the surface. 

The same principle applies to the skin under the eyes.

Allergies, Asthma and Eczema: Any condition that you have

 that causes your eyes to itch can contribute to darker 

circles under the eyes because rubbing or scratching the 

skin can darken the skin. Hay fever sufferers particularly

 will notice under-eye "smudges" during the height of 

the allergy season. Some food allergies can also cause

 the area under the eyes to appear darker.

Medications: Any medications that you are taking that 

causes blood vessels to dilate, can cause circles under

 the eyes to darken. Because the skin under the eyes is

 very delicate, any increase blood flow shows 

through the skin.

Pregnancy and Menstruation: The skin can also become

 more pale during pregnancy and menstruation, 

which again allows the underlying veins under the eyes 

to become more visible.

Age: If you have a propensity to have dark circles under 

you eyes, as you grow older, they are likely to become 

more noticeable and permanent. Excess folds of skin under 

the eyes will also make dark circles more pronounced.

Adrenal exhaustion

Kidney energetic deficiency - recognized in Chinese 

medicine.

Natural Remedies

VisionTone and Purple Gold Cream: According to Chinese medicine,

 dark circles under the eyes is often due to what is referred to as 

"Kidney Deficiency". This does not necessarily relate to the Kidney

 organs, but more to the Kidney "meridian", or flow of energy. 

VisionTone is an excellent Kidney tonic. Kidney deficiency can be 

caused by a number of reasons including: lack of sleep, chronic 

stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, excessive drinking, smoking, 

drugs, etc.

Eight hours of sleep is a must for all of us, especially for people 

having dark circles under their eyes.

Diet: Eat a whole-foods, plant-based diet, drink plenty of water

 (eight 8-ounce glasses daily), and avoid alcohol, coffee, 

tea and caffeinated soft drinks. These go a long way in preventing 

bags, circles and wrinkles.

Tea Bag Treatment: Try applying a cold compress of rosemary 

tea to increase circulation, which helps reduce swelling around 

the eyes. Make tea by bringing a half-cup of fresh rosemary and 

a quart of water to a boil. Steep for 20 minutes, then strain and chill.

 Soak a washcloth in the tea, ring out extra liquid anal place over 

eyes for 15 to 20 minutes, once a day, as needed.

Acupressure: Another circulation- boosting treatment is acupressure.

 This is an easy exercise that you can also do every day. Close your

 eyes and gently press your ring finger underneath one eye, 

moving from the inside corner to the outside corner. Do this 

10 to 15 times. Then repeat on the other eye.

Cold compress: Close your eyes and cover them with a cold washcloth

 for about five minutes. Repeat several times throughout the day.

 That will help constrict your blood vessels, minimizing darkness, 

and it may help minimize tissue swelling and eliminate 

some of the darkness.

Moisturizer: To minimize the appearance of bags, plump up skin 

with moisturizer, one that contains vitamin C, an antioxidant that 

protects skin cells from damage and supports collagen production;

 licorice (or fennel) extract, an anti-inflammatory; and stabilized 

oxygen, a form of hydrogen peroxide that promotes circulation.

Spread on the sunscreen. Use a sunscreen especially made for 

the face with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, but 

preferably 20, "all day every day," to keep the sun's rays from 

darkening the skin under your eyes,

Freeze some parsley in ice cubes. Use the parsley cubes instead

 of eye creams to diminish dark circles and puffiness. Parsley is 

packed with chlorophyll which helps fade darkness, 

while the ice cubes reduce the swelling.

Potato/Cucumber combinations are helpful.

Close your eyes and cover eyelids with slices of raw potato or 

cucumber for 15-20 minutes. Wash with warm water and apply

 a cream.

Grate a cucumber, squeeze to take out its juice and refrigerate.

 Make a mixture of lemon juice, lanolin cream and cucumber 

juice and apply around the eye for 10-15 minutes.

Dip some cotton in a 1:1 mixture of potato and cucumber juices.

 Put the cotton on your eyelids and keep for 20 minutes. 

Wash your eyes with cold water.

Lemon/Tomato combinations are helpful.

Apply a mixture of lemon and tomato juice(equal parts) on the 

black circles 2 times a day.

Make a paste out of the following:

1 tsp. tomato juice,

1/2 tsp. lemon juice,

a pinch of turmeric powder, and

1 tsp. of flour.

Apply around eyes. Leave on for 10 minutes before rinsing. 

Apply a paste of turmeric powder with pineapple juice for dark 

circles under the eyes. Apply crushed mint around the eye. 

Massage with almond oil under and around eyes at bed time 

daily for 2 weeks and see the improvement. Almond helps to

 remove dark circles, and is an excellent "skin food". Vitamin E 

Rub the area with a powdered Vitamin E capsule and wipe off 

with a mixture of honey and egg white. Put hot and cold 

cloths alternatively under eyes for 10 minutes. Then apply some

 almond oil on the dark surface before going to bed. Smooth 

Puffy Eyes with Egg White: Astringent egg white tightens your 

pores and reduces puffiness. Additionally, its high concentration

 of the B vitamins promotes circulation and reduces inflammation.

 Check with the farm that produces your eggs to make sure 

they have been tested for Salmonella, a bacteria that can cause

 serious infections, cautions Annie Berthold-Bond, the Rhinebeck,

 N.Y.-based author of Better Basics for the Home 

(Three Rivers Press, 1999). Use your fingers to dab 1/2 

teaspoon of one raw egg white onto the clean, dry skin around 

your eyes, avoiding your eyes themselves. Leave it on until it dries, 

about 15 minutes. Then rinse the area well with warm water 

and wash your hands with soap and water.