Help For Dark Circles Under The Eyes

Bags under the eyes are different from person to person. For some these bags are more vivid in colour, others have dark circles with more depth to them. Some of the causes of dark circles are:

• Fatigue
• Age
• Eye Strain
• Alcohol
• Allergies
• Dehydration
• Sun overexposure
• Genetics
• Diet

The skin under the eyes is very thin, it doesn't have the usual layer of fatty tissue. Instead, there are lots of little blood vessels and lymph glands. If the body lacks oxygen or fluid, the blood can flow slower and is darker in colour. Blood vessels are visible through the fine, almost transparent skin around the eyes. Depending on your skin type, the shadows, bags or dark circles under your eyes will either be brownish or blueish. In some families, dark circles are genetically determined, meaning that particularly fine skin around the eyes has been passed on in your genes.

The skin under your eyes correlates with age, generally getting darker as your get older. As you age your skin becomes thinner, this can lead to the skin around the eyes darkening, resulting in visible dark circles.

Sleepless nights often occupy parents lives with newborns or especially young children. Bags under the eyes are a common sign of a parent's up-in-the-night-to-give-the-little-ones-some-TLC lifestyle. One could say the dark circles are a symbol of new parental love. But make sure to give yourself some time too. Self love and relaxation time are important. Eye cream for dark circles can also help alleviate the visibility of dark circles.

• Our lifestyle is often a primary cause for the dark circles under the eyes. Partying through the night, smoking or a glass of wine too many will result in a lack of oxygen in the blood.
• If you do not eat a balanced diet, you will often suffer a lack of vitamins and minerals: if your body lacks vitamin C, iron or zinc, the first signs of deficiency may be dark circles under the eyes.
• Dark circles can also be caused by not using the right products for this area of sensitive skin, such as eye cream for dark circles.
• Dark circles can sometimes also have a medical cause. But don't worry! Speak to your GP about it on your next visit.
• Also, suffering from hayfever can be a leading cause of dark circles under the eyes. Frequent rubbing irritates the sensitive skin and can exacerbate dark shadows under the eyes.
• Spending long hours staring at a computer is a great strain on the eyes and can also be a reason that dark circles form.
• Underlying psychological causes? Stress at work, worrying about exams, issues with anxiety can all be reasons for dark circles.
• Find out more about relaxation exercises, anti-stress tips and massage ideas for inner harmony here. 

• Tannins in black tea reduce swelling and supply the skin with antioxidants: place two cool tea bags on your closed eyes for about 10 minutes. This should help reduce the swelling of dark circles.
• Almond oil massage for better circulation: Gently massage the skin around the eyes with a few drops of oil. Always work from the inside out.
• Cucumbers are a tried and tested method for getting rid of dark circles, because they are full of vitamins and supply lots of moisture: place cooled slices of cucumber on your closed eyes.
• Rapid help from the fridge: Special eye gel masks are a slightly more expensive version. These are stored in the refrigerator and help to constrict the lymph vessels and blood vessels in the eye area.
• Natural medicine recommends Schüssler salts to fight dark circles under the eyes, because they balance out the lack of minerals in the body.

Almond oil is a great way to help lighten dark circles under the eyes and reduce the puffiness. Almond oil is rich in antioxidants, which actively help to reduce any swollen look.

Exercise is a wonder for many things, it releases endorphins, keeps us healthy, improves strength and improves stamina. But can it help dark circles? Exercise improves circulation around the body, and an improvement in circulation will improve blood flow under the eyes. However, the effect on dark circles will be minimal, as it cannot reverse thin skin. But hey, exercise keeps us fit and healthy anyway though.

Eye creams can be highly effective for helping to remove dark circles under the eyes. These supply the skin with important ingredients that have a positive effect on the thin tissue under the eyes. To help with anti-ageing around the eyes, use NIVEA Q10 Plus Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream, especially formulated with Q10 and Creatine. This formula, alongside the skin's own active ingredients, alleviates wrinkles and dark circles under the eyes. Or for an eye cream for dark circles that will provide eyes with energy and vitality, try NIVEA Q10 Plus C Anti-Wrinkle + Energy Eye Cream.
Pat eye creams on gently; do not rub. Use the tip of your finger, patting from the inner corner of the eye to the outer edge.

Irrespective of whether you suffer from genetically inherited dark circles, or if you have simply had too little sleep, one way to help diminish visibility of dark circles under the eyes is concealer. Concealer is available in stick form or as a thin cream. It should always be a shade lighter than your natural complexion or the make-up you use. As a rule, a small quantity is sufficient to hide dark circles. Eye cream for dark circles should always be used as well as concealer to help reduce the problem instead of only covering it.
Apply concealer either with a fine brush or with your fingertip right under the eye and smooth it in evenly. Blend carefully so that you cannot see the contrasting colours. Alternatively, you can use Cellular Perfect Skin Eye Care with tinted micro pigments, lumicinol and magnolia extract daily. It immediately corrects darker areas under the eyes and dark circles, reduces puffiness, moisturises and refreshes the eye area and even smooths laughter lines.