Healthshots

Dark circles may be caused due to many reasons that include genetics, poor sleep schedule, or too much screen time. That’s what keeps us on edge about how to treat dark circles. To find a complete step-by-step routine that focuses only on clearing our under eyes of pigmentation, we got in touch with a skincare expert.

Dr Nivedita Dadu, a renowned dermatologist, spoke to Health Shots about possible causes of dark circles and a skincare routine that gets rid of them.

“The skin around the eyes is not only extremely sensitive but quite thin and delicate as compared to other parts of the body. There are many changes happening within the deeper layers of the skin. With ageing, we start losing collagen and fat underneath the eyes. As a result, the skin gets thinner and our skin starts to show dark blood cells. Not just an AM routine but, you need to also follow an effective night time skincare routine that targets to treat dark circles,” says Dr Dadu.

Here’s a skincare routine to treat dark circles: 1. Makeup

If you’ve got dark circles, steer clear of using waterproof eye makeup. By using waterproof mascaras and long-lasting eye pencils, you don’t want to damage the thin eye area or tug at the skin needlessly while removing them. Stick to a creamy concealer and setting powder only.

2. Cleansing

“Before sleeping, clean the area around the eyes. The importance of regular clean-up is important. Always keep in mind to remove makeup properly from your under eye area. Since the skin around eyes is delicate, use a gentle oil based cleanser. You can also rub 4 drops of almond oil to melt the makeup off from your under eyes. Then , continue with a foaming cleanser that’s tearless and gentle on the eyes,” says Dr Dadu, who is also the founder and chairman of Dadu Medical Center.

3. Cold compress

Cold compress works wonders for the under eye skin. Apply a cold compress for around 10 minutes to the under eye area. If you have an eye mask or ice globes, refrigerate them for a while and apply it on your under eyes to soothe the area. You can also make your own ice pack by wrapping crushed ice in a muslin cloth. Continuous use of this will reduce the dark patches under the eyes.

4. Eye serum

Apply an eye serum with caffeine in it. Caffeine is known to reduce the pigmentation and visibility of blue swelled up nerves on the undereye that give our a dark appearance. Apply 2 drops of it and tap it gently on the eyes. You can make your own eye serum by mixing coffee grounds into aloe vera gel and 1 tsp of rose water. Let this mix sit overnight. Strain it using a fine cloth and pour into a dropper bottle. This serum will work like magic to treat dark circles. It can be used for 15 day when stored in a refrigerator.

5. Cold milk patches

For this step take two cotton pads and dip them in cold milk. Apply the patches on your eyes and wait for 5-6 minutes. Regular use of cold milk will not only treat dark circles but also soothe and moisturize the skin. The lactic acid in milk acts as a mild exfoliate that’s perfect for eye area. The moisturizing properties in milk provide a good amount of hydration to the delicate skin.

6. Eye massage

The final step in this night time skincare routine will be a gentle eye massage. Mix coconut oil and almond oil and a vitamin E capsule together. Massage this oil gently in circular motion around the eyes from inwards to outwards. Leave it on overnight. This step like others should be followed daily to treat dark circles.

A good sleep schedule is as crucial as a skincare routine. Try to sleep on time every day and get a good beauty snooze. Follow these steps for a month and you will be amazed to see the results.

Ref: Healthshots