Adding This One Ingredient to Your Skin Regimen Can Eliminate Dark Circles

Whether it be because of work, family or even the holidays, life can get stressful fast. But just because things are piling up doesn’t mean your body has to take a toll. If you’re waking up each morning with dark circles under your eyes, adding this one ingredient to your morning and nightly routine can help you look and feel refreshed and rejuvenated: vitamin C.

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If you’re a fan of store-bought orange juice, you might be used to seeing labels boasting how much vitamin C just one glass contains. But what exactly is vitamin C, and what does it do? To put it simply, it’s an antioxidant that helps to restore the body’s immune system and thus helps to prevent and treat numerous health conditions. It protects your cells from radiation and other free radicals that can lead to life-threatening conditions like cancer. Unlike other nutrients, vitamin C isn’t naturally produced by the human body, but berries, potatoes, tomatoes, broccoli and — you guessed it — oranges all supply the body with its needed dosage of vitamin C.

Your body needs vitamin C to form collagen, a protein fiber that keeps the skin plump and prevents sagging. The acidic nature of the vitamin strips away dead cells from the surface of the skin and reduces dark spots and hyperpigmentation, a harmless condition characterized by parts of the skin being left darker than others. Vitamin C is a natural remedy that can erase under-eye circles and make skin baby soft, and adding it to your skin regimen is easy to do.

If you have oranges or lemon juice in your kitchen, you’re already on the right track to eliminating dark circles. One orange contains approximately 70 milligrams of vitamin C, and lemon juice is packed with vitamin C and citric acid, natural skin brighteners. To treat dark circles with oranges, squeeze out the juice and let two cotton balls soak in the glass. Drain any excess drops from the cotton balls and rub the cotton under your eyes in the morning and before bed each night. Lemon juice can be applied in a similar manner, but if you want to go the extra mile and make your new skin routine relaxing, mix a few drops of lemon juice with an essential oil of your choice. The mixture will reduce dark under-eye spots, along with puffiness and inflammation around the eyes.

Achieving healthy skin is easier than you think. Add vitamin C to your routine to get the refreshed, dewy look you’ve always desired. But remember: The key to keeping your body in top shape is exercise, staying hydrated and getting enough sleep every night.