Natural Treatments for Dark Circles

Happy inauguration day, readers!  It's been a goosebumps-giving treat to be able to work from home and watch the historic events in D.C.

But onto today's post: treating under-eye circles! The Obamas aren't the only Americans likely getting less than their recommended eight hours of sleep a night these days.  Few of us are.  As a result, those stubborn, bluish half moons under our eyes are becoming ubiquitous.

Dark circles are caused by a plethora of factors: allergies, irritation, heredity, thinning skin from collagen loss as we age, and lack of sleep.  As a result, they're notoriously difficult to treat.  But there are steps you can take to improve them:

1) Get more sleep. Since moving to Chicago and getting better rest than in rat-race NYC, my under-eye circles have noticeably lightened.

2) Invest in a moisturizing, vitamin K-based eye cream.  Hydration helps reduce dark circles' appearance, while vitamin K aids blood coagulation—it helps moves the blood pooled in capillaries under the eyes.  Here are my must-try products:

Splurge: Naturopathica Vitamin K Brightening Eye Cream. This is the best, most elegant eye product I've tried—and I've tested a lot!  It boasts vitamin K and elderberry extract to lighten dark circles plus camellia, grape seed, and sea buckthorn oils to luxuriously moisturize and nourish.  Finally, mica and silk powder refract light, making you look more awake.  $72 at naturopathica.com.

Save: JASON Vitamin K Crème Plus. This recently reformulated cream (now paraben-free) employs vitamin K, bioflavonoids, horse chestnut, and chamomile to minimize bruises, redness, spider veins and yep, under-eye circles.  It can be used on the entire face (it's a favorite of those with rosacea) or as a dark circle-lightening eye cream. $18 for a 2 oz tube at drugstore.com and Whole Foods.

Must-have: Jane Iredale Active Light Concealer.  I've gone through three tubes of this wander wand since discovering it two years ago.  Read my review here!