JOIN USThe reasons are plenty — heredity, lack of sleep, staring at bright lights for prolonged periods, stress or an unhealthy diet — but it’s not uncommon to see a person’s eyes lined with dark circles. Irrespective of age, one can get them and even if you wish them away every day, they tend to stubbornly stay put.
However, instead of making regular visits to the dermatologist or using various chemical-filled cosmetics, one can use natural ingredients found in the kitchen to get rid of the marks. These simple recipes, used my many in the city, aren’t magic but they keep your skin healthy and glowing. Another plus side is that they have no side-effects, unlike chemical substances.
Usha Ananth, who developed dark circles post pregnancy due to lack of sleep, applied castor oil under her eyes before going to sleep to lighten the circles. “And I’d wash it off in the morning. It worked wonders in just 15 days! I also tried rose water patches but castor oil worked faster. Since I don’t like cosmetics, unless it’s sun block, I prefer finding home remedies,” she says. People also find almond oil and coconut oil useful.
Shilpa Bhat mixes almond oil and milk to make a usable cream for her eyes. “I got dark circles because of lack of sleep. I craft after my kids go to sleep, till around 2 am, and I came across the remedy when I was researching best oils for soft skin. I was looking for chemical-free options for skin care and oil cleansing method was what I liked the best,” she says. Around 3 times a week, she uses oil to cleanse her pores.
Vegetables and fruits like potato, tomato, cucumber and lemon are used by others, who use the skin or juice. Mythreyi Lakshminarayanan uses a variety of techniques to keep her skin sparkling. “My grandmother’s recipe was to use castor oil and rose water dipped in cotton. I apply aloe vera jelly and cucumber juice at night.” Diet is also a large part of the process so she makes sure she has enough iron in her body. And meditation helps her relax and get sleep, which then helps her physical body keep fresh.
There are many home remedies that have also been lost to time, but there are some who remember the value of such techniques, which were simple to make and had multiple health benefits. “In my grandmother’s tie, they used to make kajal from the smoke of a lamp burnt and mixed with castor oil. This was supposed to cool the eyes and help avoid dark circles. My mom used to have that when she was young and made it for us too. But unfortunately, this is the pencil kajal age and people don’t use the mix anymore,” says Mythreyi.
Christine Karnatak doesn’t make recipes on her own but swears by organic products from ‘Juicy Chemistry’. “I have been using amazing under eye cream made from green tea and other organic ingredients.”
Whether it is made at home or bought from the store, most people prefer chemical-free options as they are skin-friendly.