Dark circles under eyes plague most of us at some time or another, and they're a chronic issue for lots of people. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to give raccoon eyes a temporary lift. To see how you can brighten up your peepers in a flash, just keep reading.
- Black tea bags — Tea of any kind reduces inflammation and helps decongest the sinus area (which can be a dark circle factor). Heavily caffeinated tea is also a vasoconstrictor, so it shrinks the veins that are visible through your skin.
- Gentle massage — Everyone recommends cucumbers for puffy, dark eyes, but gently massaging the area (with the help of oil or lotion) is another spa trick that can work wonders. Just use a gentle circular motion around your eyes, moving from your under eyes up past your nose and then back around.
- Hydration — Dark circles look much worse when your skin is dried out, both because it makes your skin even thinner and because the texture just looks less healthy in general. So use oil or a heavy-duty cream, and instead of rubbing it in, let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes to plump up your skin.
- Arnica — This herb is known for helping with bruising and muscle soreness because it reduces inflammation and ups circulation, both of which help flush out retained water and low-oxygen blood that give eyes a bruised, puffy look.
- Raw potato — If your dark circles are from pigmentation, not visible veins or thin skin, using raw potato on them is a great way to temporarily lighten up. Potatoes contain an enzyme called catecholase that, when exposed to air, oxidizes into a benzoquinone derivative, a gentler relative of common skin lightener hydroquinone.
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