There are so many things that can cause dark circles and puffy bags to appear under your eyes; from dehydration and water retention, to late nights, excessive consumption of salty foods or alcohol, and even over-sleeping. As we age, our proclivity for developing bags and dark circles only increases as the skin around our eyes loses its elasticity.

So how to get rid of dark circles under the eyes? If you want to banish puffy bags under your eyes and make your eyes look younger, there are a number of things you can do. Treatment for dark circles can range from lifestyle hacks and specialised products and devices designed to treat the area around your eyes, to cleaning up your diet and taking the right supplements to keep your body in balance.

The obvious answer: make sure you are getting between seven and nine hours of good quality sleep per night. When we’re in REM (deep) sleep, our eyes are subconsciously microblinking, helping to “return the retained fluid that can accumulate during a given day back into the body”. This, in turn, results in our eye area looking less puffy and smoother come morning. If you can sleep on your back with your head raised a little, fluid drainage potential will be at its best.

Not only does a good night’s sleep help to keep your body and brain healthy, keep your immune system strong and stop you reaching for the offending high-carb salty snacks (that can contribute to the development of puffy bags and dark circles), but sleeping well will - fairly obviously - help you to look more rested and reduce the appearance of dark circles.

The premium grade root-extracted Sensoril® ashwagandha has been clinically proven to enhance sleep quality and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. Ashwagandha is in fact a member of the species somnifera which, in Latin, means ‘sleep-inducing’.

If you need some tips on how to improve your sleep routine and get more shut eye, then you may enjoy our guide to developing the ultimate bedtime routine.

Dehydration is a leading cause of dark circles and bags under the eyes. Try to drink the recommended eight glasses of water per day, and include a wide variety of hydrating fruits and vegetables in your diet too (most fruit and veg is majority water); we recommend eating organic wherever possible. Whenever you’re out and about, consider carrying a topped-up reusable water bottle with you.

Coffee is a leading offender when it comes to dehydration; you should also keep your coffee consumption to a minimum and cease drinking coffee at all after lunch. Not only will reducing your coffee intake help you to maintain better hydration levels throughout the day, it will also support a healthy sleep cycle. Win win!

On another note, caffeine-based creams are great to reduce dark circles under the eyes. We tell you more about this in our piece on how to improve the under eye skin.

Experts recommend facial massage and rolling as an effective remedy for puffy eyes. There are a plethora of techniques to choose from - lymphatic drainage, acupressure, and Japanese Kobido are just some examples.

Investing in a jade roller which you keep in the fridge (the cold acts as a vasoconstrictor, shrinking the blood vessels around the eyes and making the skin appear tighter) is a great option, as is giving yourself a daily self-massage using vitamin C or hyaluronic acid. Simply apply a few drops of oil to the skin around your eyes and gently encourage build up of fluid away from your eyes by fluttering your fingers - almost as though you’re playing a delicate piano - towards your temples. You can flutter your fingers along your jaw and cheekbones too for extra lift.

We suggest you try a combination of different massage techniques to tone and revitalise the skin around the eyes, and see which works best for you.

Caffeine is another vasoconstrictive treatment that can help to reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffy bags under the eyes. There are tonnes of caffeine-containing serums, creams and oils available to buy online, but there are some effective home-remedies too. The most effective home remedy we’ve come across is actually the most simple and the most cost-effective: place a couple of cold-steeped tea bags over your eyes. You can use any tea bags so long as the tea is caffeinated, but we like green tea bags for the added antioxidant boost. All you need to do is wet the tea bags, place them in the freezer for ten minutes, and then sit back and relax with them gently positioned over your eyes until you feel the urge to get up and get on with your day. You’ll be amazed at the results.

Daily supplementation with LYMA can help you to banish dark circles and puffy bags for good. In addition to containing a clinically backed dose of Ashwagandha to support sleep and homeostasis, LYMA also contains Lycored Lycopene™.

Lycored Lycopene™ is an effective remedy against hyperpigmentation, discolouration and ‘collagenases’: the enzymatic breakdown of the skin’s natural collagen that happens with age and which results in reduced skin elasticity. All of these things contribute to the development of dark circles and bags under the eyes. The body is unable to manufacture lycopene itself and, as formulated at 30mg in LYMA, Lycored Lycopene™ is the most potent lycopene on the market.

By employing a combination of the above techniques, you should notice a visible reduction in the appearance of dark circles and puffy bags under your eyes. In addition to enhancing your appearance, the patented ingredients in LYMA have a myriad of other benefits for your health and wellbeing: our formula supports anti-ageing, boosted immunity, enhanced cognitive function, reduced inflammation and so much more. LYMA is in a class of its own and promises you support when you need it most. Find out here how LYMA can help you reach your full potential.

Always consult your medical professional if you have a medical condition, or existing health protocol, before beginning any new supplementation regime.