Skincare tips to follow for dark circles and baggy eyes explains dermatologist Dr Ajay Rana

Every day we do many things to make our skin healthy and glowing. But the under-eye area is one of the thinner areas and is easily neglected in this basic skincare. The skin around our eyes is very delicate and has fewer oil glands in comparison to the rest of the face. As we grow older, the skin loses collagen and elastin and the proteins found in our skin which leads to the skin under our eyes getting wrinkles and dry. 

There are many causes attached to the dark circles under the eyes and baggy eyes such as lack of sleep or poor sleeping habits, allergies hyperpigmentation, the area under the eyes can appear darker due to constricted blood vessels, due to result of which the body produces more melanin and causing hyperpigmentation, or from thinning of the skin around the eyes, reduced levels of fatty tissue around the eyes, thinning skin under the eyes, anaemia from iron deficiency in our body, overexposure to sunlight, frequent rubbing of the eyes, ageing, smoking, thyroid conditions and dehydration. In some people, genetics also play an important role as the cause for dark circles or baggy eyes.

 There are many tips you can follow to reduce dark circles and baggy eyes *

- To prevent the blood from accumulating under the eyes as it leads to darker under-eye colour, it is essential to tap massage lightly with fingers twice in a day. Please keep in mind that you don’t need to rub it.

- Cucumber has skin-energising and mild astringent properties. Which is used for dark circles and baggy eyes? For this, refrigerate fresh cucumber and cut it into thick slices. Apply these slices over your eyes for 10 minutes. The cucumber juice that remains over eyelids, you can gently tap it using fingertips.

- To reduce dark circles and baggy eyes, it is very important to flush out toxins from your body constantly. So drink at least 10-12 glasses of water in a day to hydrate your body.

- Potato is a great remedy to cure dark circles and swollen eyes. It contains enzymes with astringent properties. Which helps to reduce inflammation and tighten the skin. For this, cut the potato into slices, prick and keep in the refrigerator. Apply this daily over the eyelids for 10 minutes and then rinse with water. Apply a good under eye cream after applying potatoes.

- Dark circles and baggy eyes are caused by increased pigment, either from rubbing or from sun damage. For this use topical lightening agents such as vitamin C, kojic acid, and liquorice extract. These agents help to decrease skin pigmentation, ultimately resulting in the lightening of the dark circles. Use a broad-spectrum physical sunscreen that contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

- Use caffeinated tea bags under your eyes to reduce dark circles and bags. The caffeine in the tea contains powerful antioxidants and increases blood flow to the skin. It also protects against UV rays and slows down the ageing process. Steep two tea bags for 3 to 5 minutes. Keep the tea bags in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Then, squeeze out the extra liquid and apply to your under-eye area and leave the tea bags on for 15 to 30 minutes.

- Add retinol cream to your skincare routine. Retinol can improve collagen deficiency in your body. Apply retinol to your skin once a day, about a half-hour after washing the face. 

- Tomatoes make for an excellent exfoliating agent, which is very effective to reduce dark circles and baggy eyes. For this, Mix lemon juice and fresh tomato juice and massage the eye area with this daily. Leave the toner for about 20 minutes and wash with coconut water.

- Sleep well and take less stress. Because these two are important factors for dark circles and baggy eyes.

- Mix coconut oil and almond oil and massage gently in a circular motion around the eyes. Leave on for about an hour. You can apply this daily or can also apply face masks to reduce dark circles and swollen eyes.

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* Please consult your dermatologist & physician for proper guidance, if your dark circles & baggy eyes can’t be reduced using natural remedies as mentioned above.

- Inputs by: Dr Ajay Rana, A world renowned Dermatologist and Aesthetic Physician