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!

100% Pure Organic Acai Berry Anti-Aging Eye Cream

My mom looks fantastic for her 57 years.  She has nearly poreless, creamy skin with just light crow's feet around her eyes—which is remarkable for a woman whose only dermatological help has been a simple Mary Kay skin regime for two decades. 

But she's been fighting tired, puffy eyes recently and asked me to research a cream that might help. Anything for you, Mom. Your winner: 100% Pure Organic Acai Berry Anti-Aging Eye Cream.

Pretty factor: The base of this cream is organic white tea—not H20 like most cosmetics—which protects skin from oxidative stress (e.g. sun and pollution).  It's followed by organic cucumber juice, an anti-inflammatory and reputed puffiness reducer, then a load of antioxidant-packed fruits: blueberry, blackberry, pomegranate, and acai.  Beeswax, cocoa butter, and avocado butter lend supple hydration.

Tip: Store in the frig. The coldness restricts blood vessels and reduces the flow of fluids to the under-eye area.

Eco factor: 100% Pure products lack parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, sulfates or other harsh detergents, propylene glycol, PEGs, animal by-products, filler ingredients (e.g. thickeners and emulsifiers), artificial colors or fragrance, or genetically modified ingredients (GMOs)

To buy: $25 at some Bath & Body Works stores and 100percentpure.com

Aveda Green Science Firming Skincare Review

Aveda has launched a new anti-aging, firming skincare line called Green Science that could easily go head-to-head with any "high-tech" department store brand. The line is composed of a firming face and eye cream, a lifting serum, and intensive line-minimizers packaged in cool, tiny tubes. According to the press release, clinical results show a 41% more lifted appearance and a 37% reduction in the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
Pretty factor: After water, the main ingredients in all four products are rosemary leaf extract and spike moss. Rosemary is a potent antioxidant that's also thought to stimulate blood circulation.  Spike moss helps rebuild the skin's barrier while glucosamine, organic argan oil, and peptides renew and plump the skin.

I've been using the Lifting Serum for 2 weeks and love how it tingles on application and gives my face a healthy, rosy flush. 

Ideal for: normal, dry and mature skin

Eco factor: Aveda has been dedicated to environmental responsibility long before "green" entered the public vernacular and every other celebrity drove a Prius. Its manufacturing facility in Minnesota is powered entirely by wind energy, and its cosmetics contain organic, sustainably sourced, fair trade ingredients. Products come in 80 to 100% post-consumer recycled cartons. . No parabens, phathlates, petro ingredients, or animal testing.

To buy: $45 to $85 at Aveda concept salons and spas nationwide

100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Eye Cream

Know how a cup o' joe gets ya going in the morning? Well, topically applied caffeine also perks up the skin. It encourages circulation, making it an ideal ingredient in facial moisturizers, cellulite lotions and, especially, eye creams. 100% Pure's Organic Coffee Bean Eye Cream is the best peeper product I've used. Dark circles are notoriously difficult to treat, but I've seen a small improvement in mine and a big boost in overall hydration.

Pretty factor: A caffeine combo of organic green and white tea plus green coffee de-puffs, gets that blue blood moving, and provides antioxidant protection. Blackcurrant oil—a rich source of essential fatty acids—moisturizes, plumps and reduces inflammation. The souffle-like cream gets bonus points for its hygienic pump container.

Eco factor: 100% Pure products lack synthetic chemicals, parabens, phthalates, petrochemicals, sulfates or other harsh detergents, propylene glycol, PEGs, animal by-products, filler ingredients (thickeners, emulsifiers, etc), artificial colors or fragrance, or genetically modified ingredients

To buy: $19 at 100percentpure.com and skinbotanica.com

Ingredients