How to Use Parsley for Dark Circles Under the Eyes

Most people have some discoloration of the delicate skin under their eyes to varying degrees, particularly after a long day or big night out. But for many of us this is a more persistent problem.

There are many potential causes of dark circles under the eyes. While some people may have a genetic disposition, more commonly they are caused by lack of sleep, stress, eating unhealthy junk food, excess alcohol, menstruation for women, smoking, sinusitis and poor circulation to this area of the face.

Dark circles under the eyes and not a great thing to wake up to in the mirror in the morning but there is a natural treatment can help.

Crushed parsley, applied topically, is a simple remedy for skin discoloration and puffiness, that you can easily make and use at home.

There are several nutrients in parsley, such as vitamin C, chlorophyll, vitamin K and various volatile oils, that are suggested to be responsible for its skin lightening and puffiness reducing qualities.

More likely though, it’s a combination of the many different active compounds in parsley that make it work so well for reducing dark circles and eye bags.

Using Crushed Parsley for Dark Circles Under the Eyes

All you’ll need for this treatment for dark circles under the eyes is fresh parsley, hot water, cotton wool and a mortar and pestle, or some way to crush the parsley up.

Organic parsley is preferable as the herb can be sprayed. If you can’t find organic, soaking it in hot water with a splash of apple cider vinegar mixed in should remove most pesticides.

Even better, buy your own big parsley plant for the windowsill and use it in recipes like this parsley juice for kidney cleansing.

Parsley Dark Circle Treatment

1. To start, take a branch of parsley (one medium-size one should be enough), wash it and chop it up finely into your mortar. Using the pestle, grind it up into a rough paste. It doesn’t need to be too thorough. You just want the leaves well bruised and the juice out of the stems.
2. Next pour just two teaspoons of hot but not boiling water over the pestle and into the mortar. Gently stir and press the crushed parsley down into the small amount of liquid then put the mortar in the fridge to cool. If you’re in a rush you can put it in the freezer but it’s best to give it at least a couple of minutes.
3. Once the parsley eye treatment is cool, make two oval balls of cotton wool, around eye bags shape and size, and place them side by side in the mortar at the same time to soak up the juice.
4. Take the mortar to your bedside table, put down a towel on your pillow and lie back ready to apply the treatment to the dark circles and eyebags.
5. The parsley infused cotton wool should be reasonably moist without too much dripping when you put them over the skin under your eyes. If you don’t feel them as moist enough you could add a touch more cold water. If they’re too wet you can gently press them against the mortar to squeeze a little of the infusion out.
6. Make sure you keep your eyes shut while you have the cotton wool on your eye bags. As long as you’re head is on a pillow any drips should roll down the cheek rather than into your eyes, but it’s better to keep them away from the corner of your eyes just in case.
7. Relax and stay lying down with these over the skin under your eyes for 10 to 15 minutes. There may be a slight tingling, but stop immediately and rinse the area with cool water if it begins to sting or hurt in any way.

Twice a week seems to be a good frequency for significantly reducing the appearance of dark circles under the eyes with parsley over several weeks. For faster results or very noticeably discolored skin under the eyes, you could use them every second day.

The effect isn’t always immediate, but it becomes more and more noticeable the more often you do it. Make this crushed parsley eye bag treatment a regular part of your skin regime and dark circles under they eyes should become far less visible over time.

Parsley Tea Bag Dark Circle Treatment

There is a quicker way to use parsley for dark circles and eye bags. I don’t think it’s quite as effective as the method above but worth mentioning for those with little time.

1. To start, put two parsley tea bags in a cup and add boiling water to just half way up the tea bags. We just want them moistened, not too drained of their nutrients.
2. Put them in the fridge or freezer and leave until well cooled. Drink the small amount of parsley tea and take the cold teabags to your bedroom.
3. With a towel over your pillow to prevent spills, place the moist but not dripping tea bags over the skin under your eyes (but not on the eyes themselves) for at least 10 minutes.

This is another simple parsley remedy for dark circles under the eyes and getting rid of eye bag puffiness and discoloration. Afterwards you could use the same tea bags to make a strong tea for a little extra nutrition to help your body from the inside.

Aside from it’s benefits for the skin around your eyes, parsley can also be made into a face mask for acne and discolored skin.

I’d appreciate hearing how crushed parsley or the parsley tea bag method worked for your eyes if you try it out for yourself.