Have you ever woken up in the morning only to find that you don’t look like you’ve rested a wink? Days when your eyes are puffy and swollen and shadowed by dark under eye circles? Look, this can happen to the best of us even when we are doing our very best to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Thankfully there is something we can do about it! Homemade face and eye masks are great to breathe some fresh life back into your skin and eyes on days when your eyes look as masked as a raccoons.
Over the years I’ve concocted an eye mask that combines the perfect blend of all natural ingredients to help reduce inflammation and make your under eyes lighter and brighter. But before I dive into the good stuff, let’s learn a little more about dark circles.
Why Do We Get Dark Under Eye Circles?
Bags or dark eye circles are common and they look exactly how they sound; dark rings underlining your eyes in a blue to purple-ish tint. More often than not dark under eye circles are also puffy and inflamed, and can cause your eyes to appear bloodshot. There are so many reasons we experience this unfortunate skin incident. For starters, not getting enough sleep, allergies, or simply aging and genetics can play a role. For me, I mostly notice dark eye circles during my peak allergy season and of course, on days when I have restless nights of sleep.
Both situations cause me to rub my eyes more frequently, causing fluid from the tissue surrounding my eyes to leak into my under the eye and puff up. If you’re like me, that doesn’t conjure up the most pleasant visual and for good reason. There is nothing pretty about under eye circles. More good news though — there are some pretty effective preventative measures you can take apart from using my awesome coffee eye mask.
Like I said earlier, dark circles are caused by many factors. Lifestyle factors can contribute heavily to the potential of eye circles. For example, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Alcohol is very dehydrating (which is also why you experience hangovers) and can suck the life out of your skin.
The skin around your eyes is very sensitive and vulnerable to changes in the body. When you drink too much it makes the skin around your eyes extra dry and parched, which makes it easier for your blood vessels to shine through the skin.
Your best bet is to avoid binge drinking and limit yourself to a handful of drinks per week at most. Another preventative measure is to fuel your body with the right foods. Unprocessed, whole foods provide your body and skin with the nutrients they need to maintain healthy skin development and strength.
One of my favorite allergy hacks is to eat a little bit of local honey daily. Studies have found that locally raised honey contains the pollen that causes your allergic reactions and can help reduce your sensitivity to it over time.
Homemade Coffee Mask to Reduce Dark Circles
Somedays all the preventative measures in the world can’t stop you from getting eye bags, so you want to treat them with care. This homemade coffee mask will help give your under eye skin the moisture and hydration it needs to look fresh and clear in no time at all.
Here’s what you need:
- 1 tablespoon coffee grounds (must be caffeinated)
- 1 capsule vitamin E oil
- 1 teaspoon jojoba oil
- 1 teaspoon local, raw honey
- 3 drops chamomile essential oil
- Witch hazel
- Cotton pads
Step One
In a bowl, whip together all of your ingredients except the witch hazel.
Step Two
Clean your face before applying this coffee mask. Note, you can apply this all over your face, not just your under eyes.
Step Three
Make sure your hands are clean then using your fingers to gently massage this mask all over your face. Be sure to use circular motions for 2 minutes to help stimulate your skin.
Step Four
If you’re in a rush, leave this mask on for 5 minutes, but if time allows go for a full soak of 15 minutes. Once the time is us, rinse off with lukewarm water.
Step Five
The final step is to drench a cotton ball or pad with witch hazel and apply it all over your freshly dried skin. Let it soak in before applying your daily moisturizer and eye cream.
How This Coffee Mask Works
We love this coffee mask for so many reasons, but mostly because it contains all natural ingredients. Caffeine found in your leftover coffee grinds naturally stimulates blood flow to your affected under eyes. Increased blood flow brings with it oxygenated blood and nutrients that work to reduce swelling and redness. Vitamin E is a deep moisturizing agent that pumps hydration back into the dry skin, as well as heals damaged skin cells so they can look brighter and healthier.
Just like the tea, chamomile essential oil is soothing. It contains natural anti-inflammatory properties to help reduce puffiness and redness caused by fluid retention. Jojoba oil is a non-comedogenic oil that moisturizes your skin without clogging your pores.
Last but not least, witch hazel is a natural astringent that tighten your pores, as well as repairs skin damage for a clearer, younger-looking complexion. Between this effective eye mask and all the preventative tips I shared, you should enjoy brighter, fresher looking eyes in as little as 20 minutes.
But I’m curious, what have you done in the past to hide your dark eye circles? Share in the comment section below.
Author Bio
Hey there, I’m Sabrina! I’m a lover of all things DIY skincare, have been known to indulge in a Face Mask Friday session (or two), can’t get enough of my puppy and am on a mission to help women feel confident in their skin over at StrippedSkincare.com. Feel free to drop me a line on Facebook, but be warned — I’m a chatter!
