My mom calls them her raccoon mask, I just call them a nuisance (see photo above). I absolutely loathe the dark circles under my eyes that make me look tired, angry and just plain ole ugly. Before becoming an esthetician I tried everything from caffeine roll on eye gels, to spot removers and any other toxic brew that I could find on the shelf of the drug store for some relief. To no avail, I was left broke with eyes that still looked like I just recovered from a beat down.
Some of the main causes for why we get these nasty little beauty blunders can include:
- Allergies
- Heredity
- Emotional stress
- Smoking
- Obssesive rubbing of the eyes
But seriously, I understand that we as people of color have this pigmentation irregularity issue that typically plagues our skin no matter what shade our brown is. But don’t turn to the toxic tallies of terror that are filled with OBV Blaq listed ingredients! Check out a few of my natural remedies and recommended products that can give you some relief.
Tea Bags and Spoons:
Save your tea bags to keep as cold compresses in your fridge and apply to your eyes. You can also try cold spoons or frozen vegetables to temporarily reduce puffiness and dilated blood vessels.
Vitamin K:
Sometimes all that we need is a little Vitamin K. Dark circles under the eyes, outside of being genetic, can also signal a deficiency in potassium or other essential nutrients. Remember my favorite saying? We are what we eat! Check out your local vitamin or health food store for assistance with choosing the right Vitamin K supplement for you.
Nature-Based Gel designed for brown skin:
Aloe For Mocha Dark Circle Eye Gel is a great nature-based solution to remedy this issue. A little goes a long way and you must be consistent in applying it every day. Check it out at www.aloeformocha.com.
Other resources
Sometimes, this issue can’t be solved with supplements or products alone, and many of you will need to reach out to your dermatologist for solutions. Check out our resource directory and find a dermatologist in your area.
Don’t give up the fight! While you are treating your skin, pick out a great concealer. My favorite dark circle cover up is Saude Pele, a radiance booster by Christopher Drummond Beauty that I use every day to lighten the areas under my eyes and give myself a light touch of glow. A little goes a long way so the entire kit will probably last you a year or two! It will literally turn your eyes from oooh to aaaahhhhhh.
Let me know what solutions you try or if you have any other remedies to suggest. As always, if you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or contact me!
Love and Beauty,
OBV
Yes, I am a racooner too! I am hoping that with all the work I have to do just to keep myself looking great will keep paying off. Unfortunately, I get tired of the daily required maintenance and let myself go from time to time. But, I feel extremely well when I keep up with my self care.
Thanks so much for reaching out! As exahusting as it is to keep up with our skin, hair and body, it definitely has its rewards. Keep up the good fight lol! Thanks for the support!
thank you for this post! i was so overwhelmed after looking up how to make my own under eye gel!!! is it hard to get specialized ingredients like kojic acid? is it worth mixing up complicated concoctions in you opinion?
iv noticed my circles get bad during allergy season, or if i start missing sleep-but i am def prone to them, have been childhood. : / i will try the vitamin k, aloe4mocha, and look n2 the Saude Pele. the last concealer i like was josie maran-but i’d like to find a brand developed for brown skin!
again thx-and any suggestions greatly appreciated
*c
Of course Candace! So glad I was able to offer some solutions. Just make sure to not rub your eyes. In terms of making your own, I’m all for kitchen solutions but there are great products that can deal with the issue and you won’t have to run around looking for ingredients and mixing them up. IF you have the time and resources, by all means try it out! The difference with making beauty products at home and buying from a brand is really all about the molecular size. Many products are designed to perform based on the smaller molecule size of its ingredients and the ability to really penetrate the skin and treat the issue. Sometimes you can’t get that with kitchen solutions. They really just operate on the surface. I say try both out and see what you like. But I do swear by my Dark Circle Eye Gel and Saude Pele. Please feel free to reach out if you have any more questions!
[...] Cream: Like toner, this is another pricey extra that you can create at home at almost no cost. Organic Beauty Vixen suggests using cold tea bags and spoons to reduce dark under eye circles and puffiness. Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has an easy, two [...]