Get rid of dark circles and bags under the eyes

They say that in order for your eyes to shine, you need to do what you love and look at life with hope, but the truth is that even the most loving and enthusiastic look can dim the unfortunate "framing" in the form of tired dark circles and bags under the eyes. Both give a tired and haggard look even to a young face, deprive him of vigor. Bring freshness and firmness to the skin around the eyes in 5 easy steps! 

Step 1: sleep works wonders

In a literal sense: sometimes it is enough to get a good night's sleep - and there will be no trace of dark circles (especially if they are not a symptom of any disease). On the other hand, for many, full-fledged cloudless sleep for 7-9 hours a day is just a dream, and it is not always possible to do something about it. What should be done in this case? Firstly, nutritional correction can help: make it a rule to eat something light, protein-vegetable for dinner, do not drink coffee and even more alcohol at night - and not only the area around the eyes, but the entire skin of your face will definitely tell you thank you and will be in excellent condition for the morning. Secondly, do not forget about fitness: very often bags under the eyes, swelling of the face appear in those who sit at the computer for a long time, move a little. Daily gymnastics for the neck and shoulders, even for 5-10 minutes, can already seriously help in the fight against edema and in maintaining the oval of the face.

Important: a drinking regimen - even pure water - is really important to combat both swelling and morning bags under the eyes. It is imperative to drink enough, but make sure that the lion's share of the water drunk per day falls on the first half of the day, before 18.00. In the evening and immediately before bedtime, it is better to limit yourself to small portions of liquid, and let it be not strong tea or coffee (and even more so not drinks with sugar, alcohol, juices), but weak herbal tea or pure water without gas. 

Step 2: cleansing as the base of the grooming pyramid

On the one hand, the skin around the eyes, like the skin in general, needs daily cleansing (not to mention removing makeup), but on the other hand, it is not always correct to use the same products for these purposes that you use to cleanse your face. If a mild cleansing foam works for the eyelids, for example, ubtan, biocleaning, ghassoul clay, and drying cleansers for oily and combination skin will definitely be too harsh for the delicate skin around the eyes. What to do? Use for make-up removal either special products suitable for removing eye make-up, or the mildest range of cleansing: milk, hydrophilic oil, micellar for dry and sensitive skin. For daily washing, get a gentle foam for dry skin or a lithocomplex for the eyelids. The good news: the same products are great for lip care. 

Step 3: you can't do without it

No, we are not referring to an eye cream, but a natural hydrolat. Why is it so important? After cleansing the skin around the eyes, it is the hydrolat that restores the correct PH and it is it that soothes and moisturizes the skin, ideally preparing it for treatment. But that's not all! The following two life hacks involving hydrolates are worth remembering:

Hydrolat to combat swelling of the eyelids. In the evening, put the hydrolat in the refrigerator, and in the morning after washing your face, close your eyes and spray a little cold hydrolat on the eyelids and skin around the eyes (and it will not hurt the whole face). Let the hydrolat dry completely without blotting with a towel.

Compresses with hydrolat. This is a way to refresh the skin around the eyes, remove the feeling of "sand in the eyes" after a long day at work, and restore moisture and softness to the skin. Soak cotton pads generously with hydrolat, lie down and place the pads on closed eyelids. Hold them for at least 5 minutes - and, again, let the remaining moisture dry. It is also good to apply a cream to the skin around the eyes immediately after such a compress.

Which hydrolat is suitable for the skin around the eyes? Two obvious candidates are cornflower and rose hydrolates. Hydrolates of linden, lavender, neroli are also well suited. But if your skin in the eye area is sensitive, opt for cornflower or rose. 

Step 4: The Right Night Cream = Fresh Look in the Morning

Lack of overnight care is very bad, but the wrong eye cream is even worse. It often happens that an overly oily or reactive cream, applied at night, just causes swelling, edema, bags and other troubles in the morning. It is very important to use an eye cream (or a universal care cream, which the manufacturer allows to use in the area under the eyes). Apply it in moderation: just a little bit; carefully but gently distribute the cream from the outer corners of the eyelids to the inner ones, and before applying, be sure to cleanse the skin and moisturize it with hydrolate. Tip: A light facial massage helps a lot to wake up the next morning without bags under the eyes and without swelling in general.

Can I use oil instead of cream? It is possible - but preferably not every day, but 2-3 times a week, alternating it with an eye cream. Which oil is suitable for the skin around the eyes? Green coffee, sasanqua, jojoba, rosehip oils are worth trying first. Moreover, green coffee oil, for example, works more for lifting and smoothing the skin, and jojoba oil - for softening dry skin, so before buying, read about the properties of each oil in the description in order to choose it individually for your needs. 

Step 5: day protection

If night care helps to restore, smooth and tighten the skin around the eyes, restore its elasticity, then the main goal of day care is protection. UV protection, from makeup, from drying out. Therefore, do not neglect the SPF eye cream, protective primer and base moisturizer for the eyes. Why is this so necessary? You probably noticed that sometimes, when you come home in the evening, you take off your makeup - and under it you see tired dark circles, dry skin around the eyes with a network of fine wrinkles, lethargy and downright flabbiness. Something that didn't seem to have happened in the morning. What happened? Not only the usual fatigue and stress played, but also the lack of protection: all day the moisture gradually left your skin, the delicate skin around the eyes was exposed to the sun's rays and dry air, you squinted, wrinkled, drank too much coffee, tea and not enough clean water and so on. If in the morning you did not apply a moisturizer, did not protect your skin, then by the end of the day it naturally "gave up". 

Should I use eye patches?

In the overwhelming majority of cases, patches are an SOS tool that is needed for one thing: to give you a divine appearance, if you woke up and, looking in the mirror, were seriously horrified. You put on patches, go about your usual business, and in the meantime they quickly remove swelling, refresh the skin, smooth it and soften it. In this role, they are very useful, especially if you have an important day with a photo shoot or promising meetings. But globally, patches do not change the situation, so if you choose between a good cream or serum for the eyes - and patches, then for long-term care it is better to prefer the former.

Caution: what kind of care can damage the skin around the eyes?

All aggressive, deep cleansing, drying products and procedures involving mechanical friction are potentially harmful to the skin around the eyes. Scrubs and ubtan (ubtan can be applied without massaging, hold as a mask and gently rinse off - only this way), clay cleansing masks, acid peels, whitening creams - those that are not intended specifically for the eyelids, waterproof mascaras, which at the end of the day Non-peel, tightening and quick-drying face masks - the list goes on and on. Just remember that the skin around the eyes is more delicate in terms of its properties, therefore, it needs the most careful care.