Let’s be honest for a moment- there are probably fifty things that you should be doing to take better care of your skin.  You could get more sleep every night, eat a more balanced diet, avoid stress, focus on exercise, skip that morning Mocha Latte…the list is almost endless.  But that’s just not how life works; we can’t always get what we want, regardless of our best intentions.

So let me knock out a big myth right from the start- those dark circles under your eyes are not a badge of honor that every woman of a certain age is forced to wear.  They’re not a curse either.  They are simply a sign that you’re working too hard or staying too stressed out, without allowing the body some time to rest and reset.

As you’ve probably seen at your favorite salon or beauty website, there are many different kinds of creams and serums that are designed to remove those dark spots over time.  But I’ll tell you firsthand- none of them can completely cure a deficiency in your body.  They may help for a short period of time or mask the problem, but there’s no cosmetic around that can deliver an actual cure.  Instead, try these home remedies on for size-

Sleep at Least Eight Hours per Night

I know- you’re busy.  You probably work a long day just like I do, then you come home from work, get a meal ready, get everyone else in bed, and then you can relax.  The only problem is, you’ve been running since 6 AM and you’re so wound up by the end of the day, you need an hour or two in order to unwind.  You’re not alone there sister.

At the same time, however, there is no replacement for enough rest.  If you’re not sleeping enough, then you’re denying your body the proper time to regenerate every night.  This leads to a cumulative effect over time and it’s probably how you earned those dark circles under your eyes to begin with…so start getting in bed sooner.  It is 100% essential for your well-being and mental focus as well (which ties in directly to some of the other tips below).

Additionally, red circles under the eyes could be a problem with your circulation while you sleep.  An extra pillow under your head will temporarily solve this issue, however, and a diet rich in Omega-3 acids will provide a long-term cure.  An eye cream with caffeine may also show some short-term benefit since it will help constrict the blood vessels in your face.

Consider a Women’s Multivitamin

Sometimes dark circles under the eyes are a sign of malnutrition.  Vitamins A, C and E are all essential for proper skin rejuvenation, plus dozens of other minerals that are included in a simple multivitamin.  So while my best advice would be for you to eat three healthy, well-balanced meals per day and have the perfect meal plan laid out for the entire week, it’s safe to say that none of us would actively follow that for long.  So do yourself a favor and grab a multivitamin specifically designed for your age group from a local pharmacy.

Try an Over the Counter Allergy Treatment

When I was nine years old, my mother brought me to an allergy specialist in hopes of a better treatment for my asthma.  And to this day, I can still remember laying there on the table as a nurse stuck needle after needle into my back, all with a different allergen attached to it.  It turned out that I was allergic to everything under the sun.

As I aged though, my body adapted and many of those allergies went away.  Yet others managed to appear/reappear, and it took me months to figure out that the redness in my face wasn’t from diet or skincare- it was an allergic reaction to our cat.  And the solution was so ridiculously simple; I took one Singular or Claritin per day and the redness was gone.

These types of drugs have almost no known side effects and they are available over the counter now as well.  So if you’re unsure what’s causing puffiness or circles under your eyes, it makes sense for you to invest a few dollars and see if it’s allergy-related.

 Take Time for Some Stress Relief

I definitely saved the best tip for last, because it’s ultimately the one that I want to stick with you throughout the day today.  The easiest way to eliminate dark circles that form from lack of sleep or stress is to start focusing on yourself.  That means to take a walk during your lunch break or go see that Broadway play that everyone’s talking about.  If that’s not possible, then maybe settle for a romantic night at home while the kids are at the neighbor’s house- my rule of thumb is to take what you can get.

So remember this one crucial point- aging is a natural process that all of us face, and there’s absolutely no way to avoid it completely.  But the more you take care of yourself by eating well, getting the necessary amounts of sleep and finding happiness in everyday life, the better your body will respond.  So do whatever you have to in order to claim a little more “Me Time”…even if it’s just an extra hour per week.  That one hour could be what makes everything else you deal with worth tolerating.