Work and school are already tiring enough and to look in that mirror and see your lovely face looking physically exhausted can be a real downer.

According to Doctor Charlotte Clark, a New York City dermatologist, dark under eye circles are not only caused by fatigue and stress but it can be hereditary in both men and women. It is not one of the most amazing things to inherit but there are many things that you can do to help reduce the appearance of dark circles.

Quick Fix:

Makeup is the obvious first choice that we all go to when the dark circles are in town, but lets make sure we are covering them up right with the right products!

Concealer is probably a product that people do not usually carry around in their kits because foundation at most does the trick, however when it comes to dark circles concealer can be a real eye opening experience for both men and women.

Concealer Tips-

1)   Take a look at your dark circles and try to determine the underlying colour of them. If it has a blue undertone, use a yellow-based concealer. If they have a yellow or a brown undertone, use a peach-based concealer. Different shades of the concealers are used so they can balance your skin tone and provide an even coloured finish.

2)   Make sure your concealer is half a shade lighter then your foundation and skin tone because you are trying to lighten the darker portion of your face.

Application:

The skin around our eye is one of the most delicate parts of our faces and so when applying makeup around that area it is important you be gentle. Use your fingertips or a soft concealer brush to apply the makeup.

1)   Wash your face and moisturize

2)   Taking your finger/brush, apply the concealer under your eye

3)   Take the same concealer and apply a bit by your tear duck to target the darkness around that area

4)   Apply your foundation

5)   Add a highlight on your cheek bones to make your skin look brighter

6)   Lastly to set your makeup apply translucent powder

Long-term solutions:

Humans are always on the run and so it is most obvious that we quite often look for quick fixes to solve our issues however, like many things in our life nothing ever goes away without a permanent fix.

1)   Neutrogena Healthy Skin Eye Cream (or any other creams) that contains Vitamin E will help reduce dark circles over time.

2)   Pamper your eyes by applying chilled cucumber juice
with cotton balls around your eyes for 10-15 minutes per eye. Cucumbers are very hydrating, which is why they are widely used for under eye treatments because our skin is lacking hydration!

3)   Speaking of hydration, it is important that we drink plenty of water; 8-10 glasses to be exact! It is important to keep our selves hydrated because water helps clean toxins so they don’t destroy our skin.

4)   Taking multi-vitamins every day will show great results in reducing those dark circles, in particular vitamin E.

5)   Reduce your salt in-take! Too much salt is not only bad for your blood pressure; it’s bad for your skin too. Try reducing the amount of salt your have in your diet and you will slowly notice your skin look and feel a lot healthier.

6)   Sleep. It’s hard to keep up with work sometimes because there are only so many hours in the day however, a good nights rest will not only revitalize your mind and body but also your skin.

Don’t let dark circles bring your mood down; bring in the light by trying these steps to healthier skin.

References: Real Simple Magazine: 7 Ways to Get Rid of Dark Circles Under Your Eyes

- Simrin Dhillon & Chandni Patel