Dark circles have a number of causes, including genetics and aging. As you age, your skin loses collagen and moisture, causing it to sag. The blue-toned blood vessels under your eye may begin to show through. Certain ethnic groups are also more prone to excess pigmentation than others---if you're Asian, Hispanic or African American, you're in the high-risk group for undereye pigmentation. No matter the cause, you can make a few simple changes to your daily routine to fight dark circles under your eyes before camouflaging them with moisturizer and makeup.
Treat the Source
Step 1
Wear sunblock on your face every time you leave the house. The founder of the Lahey Center for Cosmetic and Laser Surgery in Massachusetts, Dr. Brooke Seckel, warns that sun exposure can cause dark brown pigment to form under your eye.
Step 2
Skip the milk. According to Dr. Nicholas Perricone in "The Perricone Prescription: A Physician's 28-Day Program for Total Body and Face Rejuvenation," allergy to dairy products is a common cause of undereye circles.
Step 3
Slather on the alpha lipoic acid. Perricone praises eye creams with this ingredient because they stimulate nitric oxide, which controls the blood flow beneath your skin's surface. If your blood vessels become dilated or too much blood gathers beneath the surface of the eye, it can show through the skin, resulting in a dark bluish-gray color.
Step 4
Use chamomile tea bags. According to Bridget Doherty and Julia VanTine in "Growing Younger: Age-Defying Secrets for Women," this natural herb can constrict your undereye blood vessels, decreasing the look of dark circles. They suggest steeping one chamomile tea bag for each eye and placing the cooled tea bag under your closed eye for up to 20 minutes each morning.
Camouflage the Symptoms
Step 1
Dab your dark circles with a shimmery moisturizer or primer. Ramy Gafni of Ramy Beauty Therapy tells "Marie Claire" magazine that the shimmer reflects light, brightening dark circles.
Step 2
Apply a yellow-toned concealer one shade lighter than your skin. According to Doherty and VanTine, yellow tones conceal purple, red and pink tones in your skin.
Step 3
Set the makeup with a light dusting of powder that contains mica. Petra Guglielmetti of "Glamour" magazine's beauty blog reveals that celebrity makeup artists use these subtle, sparkly powders to bring more light to the shadowy undereye area. You can dab the powder on lightly with a fingertip or use a large eyeshadow brush.
Things You'll Need
- Facial sunblock
- Eye cream with alpha lipoic acid
- 2 chamomile tea bags
- Shimmery moisturizer or primer
- Yellow-based concealer
- Pressed or loose powder with mica
References
- Dr. Seckel.com: Dark circles under eyes
- The Perricone Prescription: A Physician's 28-Day Program for Total Body and Face Rejuvenation; Nicholas Perricone; 2002
- Growing Younger: Age-Defying Secrets for Women; Bridget Doherty and Julia VanTine; 2002
- "Marie Claire" magazine: How to Hide Dark Circles
- "Glamour" magazine: Celebrity Secret: Face Posers with Mica in Them
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