I don’t sleep enough and I need to know how to get rid of under eye dark circles! There I said it, out loud for the world to hear. Ok maybe that is pretty much everyone, right? While I’d love to think of myself as a beauty blogger, I often opt for the “natural is beautiful” look every day and use makeup to correct minimally unless I’m headed somewhere special. For me that means under eye circles are one of the top priorities in my beauty routine or they stand out on my face. Those under eye circles are stubborn though, and not everything works for everyone. Here are some tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the years that can help you to reduce the raccoon tired eye look and get rid of under eye dark circles!
How To Get Rid Of Under Eye Dark Circles
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To get rid of under eye dark circles there are a couple different things you can try. Applying cold tea bags, a paste of tomato and many other creams and DIY treatments will help you reduce under eye circles easily.
Try Applying Cold Tea Bags
Caffeinated Tea Bags have long been an easy home remedy to perk up tired eyes. To try, soak tea bags in warm water. (Or just brew yourself two cups of tea!) A black tea with more caffeine or chamomile tea will likely have better results, but any tea will work. Place the tea bags in the refrigerator until they are cold. Place cold tea bags over your eyes for at least five minutes. You should see a reduction in puffiness, and your skin will feel super fresh!
Try Tomatoes And Cucumbers
Another home remedy I’ve tried with success is applying fresh crushed tomato (or tomato paste) under my eyes for about ten minutes. I like to also add cucumber for a cooling effect. Tomatoes have a gentle lightening effect on skin, just be careful not to get tomato in your eyes! You can also use the classic idea of putting cucumber slices over your eyes. The cooling effect is relaxing, but unfortunately won’t last as long as other methods.
Be Gentle On Your Skin
The skin under your eyes can be super thin, and depending on your genetics for some people it’s extra thin! Take care to use gentle, moisturizing products when removing your eye makeup. I also personally use a cotton pad with my makeup remover. I like Almay Eye Makeup Remover Pads because they are both gentle and kind to my contact lens.
Try An Under-Eye Cream With Retinoid
Retinoid, also known as vitamin A, plumps the skin and encourages collagen to build to give it a brighter and smoother appearance. There are many creams on the market that include retinoid, but be careful as it can dry the area under your eyes or irritate if the cream you’re using has too much retinoid for your skin. For a good under eye cream that isn’t expensive, try Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream. This formula is lightweight, and one I always go back to.
Take An Antihistamine
Do you have allergies? You might notice your dark circles increase, mine do in the spring with all of the pollen floating around. The more you rub your eyes, the more you may notice they look darker. An antihistamine not only will clear up your nose, it may help reduce those dark circles too!
Get More Sleep
I know this isn’t always possible with the busy lives we lead. Lately, I’ve been noticing I’ve been letting sleep drop off my priority list and it shows both in my reactions, my stress level and under my eyes. Make a goal to get to bed a little earlier and under your eyes will thank you!
Concealer
Concealer is every girl’s secret weapon, am I right? Not sure what color to use? Here are the details! Sometimes a combo of colors can be used to cover and conceal multiple issues.
- Green or Yellow Concealer- reduces redness, can correct some color for fair skin
- Orange Concealer- great for medium to dark skin tones to reduce circles
- Blue Concealer- Works well to banish sallowness from fair skin (when skin has a yellow almost sickly hue)
- Pink Concealer- Brightens under eyes for fair skin to light skin
Use a colored concealer, followed by a concealer similar to your skin tone to effectively cover dark circles. I use NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer for my super pale skin.
These are some of the simplest ways I know to reduce under eye dark circles. Do you have any remedies, DIY or favorite products? Tell me about them in the comments!
Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Thanks for the tips! I had never heard about tomatoes under the eyes.
As a mom there are moments when dark circles are just inevitable! I love these tips and the idea of taking an antihistamine is definitely something to make a note of. I am going to brush up on my sleep though!
Ugh, I never thought I would have to deal with dark circles and then I had kids.
All the sleepless nights made me look like a zombie.
Loves these tips and ideas for taking care of them. There are a few that are new too me and I am going to have to give them a try!
I’ve heard of teabags and cucumbers but not tomatoes being placed under your eyes! I’ll pass that tip along if I hear anyone complaining about under eye dark circles! Welcomed advice!
I used to do cucumbers all the time. It was more of a spa time and it just felt good with the coolness on my eyes. But like the previous comment, I’d never heard about tomatoes working.
I am one of those people who really struggles with dark circles. Actually, the natural things like cucumbers and tomatoes worked every time! I used to put them on before every interview I had.
These are SUCH great tips. I totally never knew you can use tomatoes to help with dark circles. I am totally going to need to try these ASAP.
These are great tips! I use to always use tea bags when I would experience dark circles and they work great! Thanks for sharing these tips!
I feel like this blog post was written directly for me. Under eye dark circles have plagued me for years even when I’m not tired or hungover. Some of these remedies I have already tried. But some I haven’t so thanks, I’ll give them a go!
This couldn’t come at a better time. At the age of 40, I have the darkest circles underneath my eyes. It started a few years ago. I’m thinking I should start giving this area some TLC.
I’m addicted to concealer and my never ending goal is more sleep!!!
I will remember this next time I have dark eye circles. Thank you for sharing.
I use an UNDER-EYE CREAM WITH RETINOID! It really helps with my dark circles and I am going to try the cold tea bags idea!