How to lighten the skin around the eyes at home. How to bring back a clear look to your eyes by whitening the skin around the eyes

Even the most beautiful girls who lead the most correct lifestyle have to face the problem of the so-called "panda eyes". There are a lot of reasons for this: constant work at the computer, and lack of sleep, and endless nerves.

In some cases, vascular diseases, kidney and thyroid problems can be the culprits. All this does not paint our face, makes the look extinct, adds age. In this article, we are looking for ways to remove dark circles under the eyes at home as quickly and inexpensively as possible.

What will the color of the circles under the eyes tell about your health?

In addition to the problems described above, it is worth considering that with age, the skin loses its elasticity and moisture. This leads to darkening and decreased tone. Bruises may appear under the eyes, the epidermis becomes greenish, yellow or red, and bags are formed. Here's what conventional medicine thinks about it:

Bruises- disturbances in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, malnutrition, a large amount of spicy, fatty and salty foods in the diet. The way to fight is clear - it is worth revising the menu, making it more balanced and only after that start cosmetological therapy. By itself, it will be useless.


To cope with the problem, you need to establish its cause.

Yellow circles- often such skin pigmentation is inherited from parents, but in combination with poor health, it can talk about problems with the liver and gallbladder. The signal cannot be ignored.

Green circles on the lower eyelids- can also be hereditary. Another reason is the habit of wearing glasses with metal frames and a banal allergy to it. It's easy to check - for a while, replace the frame with a plastic one and watch the reaction. The liver and gallbladder can also show a greenish tint in case of other symptoms of malaise.


Do a simple experiment with a plastic frame

Red- are a sign of allergy and intoxication. Their manifestation is characteristic in diseases of the respiratory system.

Bags under the eyes- we described in detail how to get rid of them in this article. But what could be the reason for the appearance? In addition to commonplace fatigue, stress and lack of sleep, the symptom can be associated with kidney disease. If the problem cannot be corrected at home, you should consult a doctor.

How to remove dark circles around the eyes at home quickly?

Special masks, compresses, lotions and simple gymnastics will come to your aid, which we will talk about further. They will, of course, be effective only if all of the listed health problems have been excluded.


You almost always have everything you need for healthy skin at home.

Thermal water compress

This miracle home moisturizer should be firmly embedded in every girl's makeup bag. Moisten two cotton pads with liquid, send to the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Then apply to the lower eyelids for a quarter of an hour. The procedure should be carried out every evening before bedtime.

Tip: This compress can be made with green tea. Apply the discs soaked in tea leaves to the eyelids both cold and slightly warm. Or you can freeze the drink and wipe the problem areas with tea ice cubes.

Herbal ice

In general, ice rubbing gives excellent results. There are a lot of ways and additives with which they can be prepared. For example, frozen cubes from a mixture of parsley decoction and a teaspoon of honey, chamomile decoction, potato juice. With regular wiping of the lower eyelids, removing the circles under the eyes at home quickly or in 1 day, of course, will not work, but the problem will become less noticeable. You will see for yourself in this.

Masks for the skin around the eyes from improvised means can also be considered simple and working methods. Let's dwell on their recipes in more detail.


Use cosmetic ice

Potato

Rub one raw potato on a fine grater. We wrap the gruel in cheesecloth, having previously folded it in several layers. Apply the compress to the eye area for half an hour. Then we wash ourselves with water at room temperature.

Cucumber

Every girl knows that the easiest way to refresh her eyes is to apply cucumber slices to the lower eyelids. Let's step up the moment and make a full-fledged mask. Mix a tablespoon of grated vegetable with the same amount of chopped parsley and sour cream. Apply the mask for 20 minutes and rinse with cool water.

Lemon tomato

If you believe the reviews on social media, she can get rid of the problem in one day. So it's worth a try, especially since tomatoes, thanks to the lycopene in their composition, are able to perfectly whiten the skin, and lemon rich in vitamins C relieves inflammation and irritation.

Mix equal parts of tomato pulp gruel with lemon juice and apply to the skin for 15 minutes.


Citrus fruits strengthen the walls of blood vessels and make redness less noticeable

Herbal

Sage, chamomile, cornflower, parsley and more than a dozen herbs fight against dark circles. Hot and cold compresses can be made from one and a complex of infusions.

To prepare a healing broth, you need to steam 10 g of grass with 200 ml of boiling water and leave for 10 minutes. Then moisten cotton pads in the solution and apply to the eyes. Apply cold or ice.

Curd

Only the cottage cheese you need is not the one with which you are on a diet, but fatty. Add a little green tea infusion to it, mix thoroughly and apply to the area under the eyes for 15 minutes. Then we wash ourselves with water at room temperature.

Tip: among the mass of reviews on the network, you can find enthusiastic about the benefits of troxevasin and bodyagi (a drug based on a spongilla sponge), but professional cosmetologists speak out against their use for thin and especially vulnerable skin.


Train yourself to massage

How to remove bags and dark circles under the eyes at home quickly with massage?

The exercises below are considered to be quite effective. The main rule is to massage every day after washing with your fingertips, without strong pressure or stretching. The movements should be light and tapping, we go from the corner of the lower eyelid to the temples, after the same movements, be sure to apply the cream according to the skin type. This will help improve the venous return of blood from the lower eyelid.

  1. We close our eyes and rotate our eyeballs clockwise. We repeat four times and do the same exercise in the opposite direction.
  2. We look up, then down, close our eyes. We open it, look up and down. Do 10 reps.
  3. We look as high as possible up to the left, lower our gaze, lift up to the right. We carry out 10 times for each side.

How to remove blue circles under the eyes quickly with cosmetic procedures?

Mesotherapy, lymphatic drainage, hardware and manual methods will come to your aid. Laser whitening is considered an effective but expensive procedure. Laser beams brighten the epidermis, thereby reducing circles and bruising. The effect will not be noticeable immediately, but after two to three weeks, and, most likely, after you will need repeated procedures.


Mesotherapy will help to cope with the problem

Mesotherapy

This is a way of introducing nutrients through injections. To some, the procedure seems painful, while others are just crazy about it. Substances that stimulate cell metabolism are administered in courses. After that, especially careful care of problem areas is necessary. Contraindications are pregnancy, allergies, diabetes and cancer.

Correct cosmetics

A cosmetologist will help you choose a good comprehensive care for the skin around the eyes. Products in this series should be especially soft and delicate. If you pick them yourself, first figure out the color of the bruises. For brownies, creams with vitamin C and caffeine are suitable. Bluish and purple will like the composition with vitamins K and A - they perfectly strengthen blood vessels.


Get enough sleep!

And, of course, don't forget about prevention. The best remedy would be a full eight hours of healthy sleep. Try to go to bed no later than eleven in the evening and sleep on your back, since sleeping on your side or stomach provokes fluid stagnation in the body. It is also important to find a good orthopedic pillow.

Tip: soy and citrus based creams will help make blackouts less noticeable; with a chronic problem, the first changes will become noticeable in about a month.


Choose the right makeup

How to remove circles under the eyes at home quickly for a woman, taking good care of the skin?

Perhaps the most important thing about dark circles is learning how to properly care for the skin around your eyes. She, by the way, is ten times thinner than the one on the shoulders. It is she who first gives out age, tk. always open and more exposed to outside influence.

  1. The basis of the foundations is regular hydration. Water tones, nourishes and restores cell structure. The optimal product for regular use is a gel based on water, vitamins and plant extracts.
  2. Nutrition. Use products that compensate for the lack of natural lipids and stimulate collagen production. As part of such products, you will find natural oils, phytoestrogens, lecithin, retinol.
  3. Never fall asleep with makeup on your face.
  4. Perform the exercises described above regularly. This will also keep the epidermis in good shape.
  5. Use a cream high in vitamin C - it strengthens the walls of blood vessels. Vitamin A remedies are also good - it enhances the flow of blood to the tissues, thickens them and thereby reduces the severity of dark circles.
  6. Store all products that you apply on problem skin in the refrigerator.
  7. Sleep on a high headboard.
  8. Do not apply greasy creams before bed, use soft gels.
  9. Wear dark glasses if you squint in the sun all the time.
  10. Wash your face with cool water - warm water promotes puffiness and makes the "panda eyes" more pronounced.
  11. And most importantly - say no to bad habits. Lack of sleep, smoking and alcohol are the main causes of darkening of the lower eyelid.
  12. Try not to drink a lot of fluids before bed - this can cause swelling in the morning.

Treat your face with care

How to remove circles under the eyes at home quickly, if there is absolutely no time, and the face should be clean and fresh? We use little feminine tricks - a proofreader. For a life hack on the makeup of the problem area, see the video below:

Dark spots are not only unpleasant from an aesthetic point of view, but often far from harmless, since a serious pathology can be the cause of their occurrence.

The mechanism of their appearance on the skin is simple: in the area of ​​the lower eyelid there are a large number of small vessels. With a low tone of the vessel walls, the blood begins to stagnate, the decomposition products of hemoglobin (bilirubin, biliverdin and iron) accumulate. Overflowing capillaries show through the skin and we see spots.

What influences a decrease in the tone of the walls of blood vessels?

  • Severe fatigue and lack of sleep, stress.
  • Superficial location of capillaries and very thin, light skin in this place.
  • Compliance with a diet aimed at rapid weight loss.
  • Prolonged sun exposure causing hyperpigmentation.
    Drinking alcohol and smoking.
  • Diseases of the heart and kidneys.
  • Hormonal Disorders.
  • Anemia.
  • Diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract.
  • Adenoids, sinusitis.

First of all, you need to consult a doctor, undergo an examination and cure the disease that caused the darkening of the skin around the eyes. If the spots are caused by stress, the wrong way of life, it is worth eliminating the cause and only then trying to solve the problem on your own.

Reasons: why does the skin darken?

A common cause of dark circles and bags under the eyes is fatigue and nervous exhaustion. In this case, they signal a lack of oxygen in the brain and impaired blood circulation. This also includes improper body position during sleep, uncomfortable clothing, and even disproportionate underwear.

Orthopedic pillows fix the head so that it is in line with the body. If you sleep on a very low or, conversely, a high feather bed, then the venous and lymphatic outflow of fluids is disturbed. The same thing happens when wearing a small bra or shirts with a narrow collar. The result is a puffy face with "tired", dark eyelids.

Do not forget about the characteristics of the body. Each person is different. Some people have too thin skin through which capillaries, blood vessels and veins can be seen. This gives the impression of dark circles.

Other causes of circles under the eyes:

  • Age-related muscle weakening. There is a huge amount of muscle tissue on the face. Most of them relax with age without gymnastics and special massages. The result is crow's feet, drooping eyelid and dark spots.
  • Hormonal changes. Often a similar phenomenon occurs in girls during pregnancy, lactation, and also, with menopause. It is caused by the release of a large amount of "unusual" hormones.
  • Weight gain, or dramatic weight loss. Here the reason lies in a sharp change in metabolic rate and deterioration in lymph drainage.
  • Injury. In this case, red circles appear, burgundy and yellow (in the healing process). Injuries include shock loads, tattooing, eyelash extensions, and even lens changes.

Diseases

Unfortunately, most often, circles under the eyes are symptoms of diseases of the liver, kidneys and cardiovascular system. As a rule, such bruises are accompanied by concomitant signs of an ongoing illness. It can be edema, cyanosis of the extremities, an increase in body temperature.

How to visually determine the cause of under eye circles:

  • Brownish, purple, and yellow circles indicate liver damage. Pay attention to the shade of the white of the eyes. If he, too, has become close to yellow, this is a reason for an urgent visit to the doctor. Most likely, the liver is damaged by toxins or hepatitis virus.
  • Gray bruising is characteristic of kidney failure. Such circles accompany swelling of the eyelids, problems with urination and other signs of diseases of the excretory system.
  • The bruises associated with the cardiovascular system are most striking.
    These are blue circles and bruises under the eyes, sometimes with a slight greenish tint. If the walls of capillaries or vessels are fragile, they may slightly tint red.

The diet should include juices from citrus fruits, herbs, vegetables, fruits, while the intake of sweets should be limited. Be sure to eat iron-rich foods. Be sure to take a balanced multivitamin.

We must avoid overwork and stress, give up nicotine and alcohol.

Daily exercises for the skin around the eyes are also beneficial.

The exercises are pretty simple:

  • rotate the eyeballs to the right and left, up and down;
  • close your eyes tightly and open sharply, while you should not squint;
  • repeat the above steps 1-3 times a day.

If you follow all these simple tips, the skin under the eyes will always shine with health and youth.

Gentle massage around the eyes - in the morning after washing, gently massage the lower eyelid with your fingertips, lightly tapping them on the skin.

To prevent the occurrence of dark circles under the eyes, you need to follow simple rules.

  • Get enough sleep. Sleep not 8 hours a day, but as much as you need. For some, 6 is enough, while others feel overwhelmed even after 10 hours.
  • Avoid stressful situations.
  • Do a facial drainage massage regularly, use moisturizing cosmetics, do not go out into the scorching sun without glasses.
  • Drink plenty of water. Remember that the main reason for bruising around the eyelids is a lack of moisture.
  • Use moisturizers and protective creams. This could be Mary Kay's TimeWise, 45 Pure Line, and any other suitable product.
  • Apply nourishing masks regularly. We recommend fruit or vegetable.
  • Take vitamins, avoid alcohol, and walk a lot in the fresh air.

Also, try not to go out in the sun in extreme heat. Dry air is detrimental to the delicate and thin epidermis of the eyelids. By adhering to all the recommendations, you can not only hide aesthetic problems, but also get rid of them forever.

Many women face the question every morning: how to remove dark circles under the eyes at home? This sounds especially poignant if there is some important event or meeting ahead of you. Agree that no one wants to look tired and aged. After all, eyes most likely attract the attention of others, we do not want to look bad.

Quite a common problem in cosmetology. Their cause: stagnation of blood in the capillaries and poor oxygen supply to skin cells.

Most often, they manifest themselves when we do not get enough sleep, endure frequent stressful situations and eat irrationally. Bruises are almost impossible to hide with makeup. But they can be dealt with using homemade masks and compresses.

You can make from products that are always at your fingertips. They will relieve you not only of bruises, but also of puffiness under the eyes, and tighten the skin around the eyes. All masks contain substances that can improve the blood supply to delicate skin, which is very important.

Choose from the recipes that we offer you the ones that suit your skin type the most and apply them at least 2-3 times a week.

Effective compresses for dark circles

Please note that we use chilled products to get rid of dark circles around the eyes. Compresses should be alternated with masks, so you get the best result. To get rid of dark circles, do simple cold compresses more often - they will remove bags under the eyes. Soak a tissue in water or milk and keep it on closed eyelids for 5-7 minutes. You can take an ice pack from the fridge or chill a tea bag - these will have an immediate effect on your skin too.

Cucumber compress for moisturizing and whitening

Cucumbers are one of the most amazing skin care products in the world: they brighten, moisturize and tone the skin well. This simple vegetable will come to your rescue when you need to remove dark circles under the eyes quickly. Simply chill the cucumber in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, cut into thick slices and place them on the eyelids and eye area for 15-20 minutes. These slices instantly relieve puffiness and swelling of the skin, brighten it and make the look fresh and bright. The procedure is carried out twice a day: in the morning after sleep and at night. It is recommended to add a few drops of lemon juice for greater effectiveness, but be careful not to get the acid in your eyes.

Herbal compresses

There are many herbs that can help solve dark circles: sage, chamomile, parsley, cornflower. We make hot or cold compresses from the prepared infusion of these herbs. Try to use a contrasting method of applying compresses: steam the herb with boiling water (10 grams per 100-200 ml of water) and leave for 10 minutes. We drain the infusion, then you can freeze the cosmetic cubes from it, which again will be useful to you for eye skin care. Put the squeezed grass mass into napkins and place one part in a hot infusion, and the other in a cold one. Apply the mass to the eye area one by one.

Making masks at home

Potato juice for puffiness and dark circles

Potatoes have excellent whitening properties and are guaranteed to relieve puffiness from the eyes. Take potatoes from the refrigerator, grate them and squeeze out the juice. Soak cotton swabs in potato juice and apply to dark areas around the eyes for 15 minutes, then rinse. You don't need to wash off the juice from the skin, leaving it until the morning.

It is good to make a mask with grated raw potatoes and skim milk. Apply the resulting mass around the eyes and leave to dry. Rinse off the dried mixture gently and rub the skin with the potato juice, leaving it overnight. The result will delight you. Do not forget that the skin dries out from potato juice, so in the morning after washing your face, be sure to apply a moisturizer around the eyes.

A tomato and lemon mask to relieve dark circles in a day

Tomato is excellent for skin whitening, as the lycopene contained in it has photochemical properties. In combination with lemon juice, rich in vitamin C, tomato mask from dark circles copes with them at once, and even protects it from inflammation. Mix the tomato pulp and lemon juice in equal proportions and apply the mixture to the eye area for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cold water and apply a light nourishing eye cream.

Almonds and milk

The combination of these products is incredibly effective in fighting dark circles. Almonds contain vitamin E, which is essential in preventing the appearance of wrinkles around the eyes. And milk, due to lactic acid, moisturizes and whitens the skin. It is not for nothing that since ancient times, beauties washed themselves with milk, from this their skin acquired an inner light and seemed translucent.

For the mask, take some cold milk and mix with finely grated almonds. Apply the prepared paste to the skin around the eyes (do not forget to close your eyes) and rinse off after 10-15 minutes with cool water.

Curd eye mask

We take fatty cottage cheese, about a tablespoon, and add a few drops of strong tea, black or green. Make two flat cakes from the resulting mass and place on closed eyes for 15 minutes.

Parsley mask

Everyone knows the whitening properties of parsley. Very often it is used to remove freckles and age spots. So in the fight against bruises around the eyes, it is also indispensable. Grind fresh parsley (20-30 grams) in a blender and add a little lemon juice (2-3 drops). The mask for use is ready: apply on the eye area and hold for 10 minutes.

Walnut mask for bruises

This mask, due to its ingredients, has a powerful antioxidant effect, nourishes and whitens the skin well. For the mask, you will need 10 grams of nuts crushed to powder, 10 grams of warm butter and 4 drops of lemon or pomegranate juice. We keep the prepared mask on the skin of the eyes for 20-25 minutes.

Sour cream mask

The mask is very similar to a salad, but it is not intended for food, but for the skin. For the mask, take cucumber, parsley, cilantro and sour cream. Grind small portions of this greenery (5-10 grams each) and mix with 10 grams of sour cream. We keep the vitamin mask on the skin around the eyes for 20 minutes and wash off with warm water.

Remember that the skin in the eye area is very sensitive and needs careful care: it needs to be moisturized and nourished every day, it cannot be injured by scrubs, and it does not need to be stretched during the cosmetic treatment process.

Do not forget to use ice cubes made from infusions of parsley, chamomile, sage, dill, cornflower in your daily care. Cosmetic cubes based on freshly squeezed fruit juices perfectly help moisturize, whiten and relieve puffiness.

Bruises under the eyes: causes in women

  • Inadequate sleep less than 8-9 hours a day. Chronic lack of sleep is immediately imprinted on our face: the skin looks pale and bluish, especially under the eyes.
  • Love for fried, fatty and spicy, coffee and alcohol abuse is a direct path to swelling and dark circles.
  • Overwork and stress during the day lead to what we see in the mirror in the morning: bags and bruises around the eyes.
  • Health problems such as disorders of the thyroid gland, heart, kidneys, liver, various types of allergies.
  • A sedentary lifestyle and a rare stay in clean air also does not add to our health and beauty.
  • Various chronic diseases (thyroid, heart, kidney, liver, allergies, etc.), prolonged use of hormones or antibiotics, strict diets, vitamin deficiencies - all this causes swelling and bruising in the eye area.
  • And of course, age, over the years the skin around the eyes becomes thinner, blood vessels work worse and the skin does not receive sufficient nutrition.

Health and beauty are directly related to our lifestyle. Try to avoid those listed above and you will keep your skin youthful for a long time.

The effectiveness of the fight against dark circles around the eyes depends on the correct diagnosis. If you do not have problems with the intestines, heart or kidneys, you can try to solve the problem with the help of cosmetics.

It is good to do every morning after washing your face. In this case, the lower eyelid is massaged with finger pads with light tapping movements in the direction from the temple to the bridge of the nose. The procedure takes about 2-3 minutes.

After massage on the skin around the eyes, you need special or gels designed to remove circles and swelling. They usually include components that improve the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluid: nettle, horse chestnut, butcher and others. The funds are applied on both eyelids along a trajectory from the temple to the bridge of the nose.

After that, several strong pressing movements are made along the edge of the orbit in the same direction for 1-2 minutes. This procedure enhances the effect on the eye muscle, tones it up and stimulates the outflow of fluids stagnant in the skin tissues.

It must be remembered that all tapping and pressing movements should be point and accurate. At the same time, the skin around the eyes should not move or stretch.

In addition to morning procedures, you can additionally do lotions and compresses to whiten dark circles on the skin. As a result of these procedures, the area around the eyes gets a fresh and smooth look.

To prepare contrasting herbal compresses, take 1 tsp. chamomile (or dill) and pour it ½ cup boiling water. Then the broth is infused for 10 minutes, filtered and divided into 2 parts. One half is used cold, the other is hot.

Among the masks that whiten the skin around the eyes, raw grated potatoes are very popular. Wrap it in gauze and place it on the skin of the eyelids for 10-15 minutes. This is applied once a week for a course of 1.5 months.

You can make parsley gruel. The mask is applied to the eyelids for a third of an hour, after which it is washed off with warm water. It is used in a similar way to raw potatoes.

Take 1 tsp. parsley and rub in a glass or china dish. Add 2 tsp to the resulting mass. sour cream and apply the resulting mixture to the area around the eyes for 20 minutes, and then rinse with cold water. It is advisable to do the mask daily for one and a half months.

You can eliminate dark circles under the eyes with the help of white bread. Soak its crumb in milk and apply to the skin around the eyes. After 15-20 minutes, carefully remove the remnants of the product with a napkin. Apply the mask 3 times a week for one month course.

If you believe the beliefs, then the eyes are the mirror of the soul. In order to want to look in the mirror all the time, you need the mirror to have a beautiful frame, and, of course, to be beautiful, or at least try to be so. So with the eyes, when there are bruises under them, and the skin around them is dark, then the eyes themselves seem dull and unkempt. Regular creams and whitening face masks are not suitable for the delicate skin of the eyelids, therefore, in order to brighten the skin around the eyes, it is necessary to use only those products that are specially created for this.

How to lighten the skin around the eyes without damaging it

To begin with, of course, it is necessary to find out the reasons for the darkening of the eyelid skin and only then look for the answer to the question "How to lighten the skin around the eyes?" The reasons can be different, these are fatigue, and banal lack of sleep, and stress (both from negative emotions and from positive emotions), and improper nutrition (diet, starvation), and the most unpleasant thing is a disease of the internal organs. It is necessary to undergo a medical examination to prevent an allergic reaction to the components of a cream bought in a store or a mask made from ingredients of home production.

Those who do not suffer from similar problems can use the following tips.

Brew two tea bags as usual. Then remove from the cup and let cool. Put the cooled bags on the eyes and hold for 4-6 minutes. The procedure can be repeated after a few hours.
Mash a few strawberries with a silicone spoon (so as not to cause a reaction of strawberry juice and steel), cool the resulting gruel and cover with cotton pads. Place the discs that have absorbed the juice over the eyes.
If you want to lighten the skin around your eyes, but do not waste time preparing masks and gruel, you can simply put tomato slices and pieces of cabbage leaf on your eyes.

You should not expect an instant effect. The procedures will take effect after at least a week has passed from the moment of their application (the beginning of the procedures). In order to lighten the skin around the eyes and maintain the achieved result for a long time, it is worth carrying out prevention at least twice a week.

What is myth and what is reality?

Myth. Specialists working in beauty salons often use cucumbers or gels based on them for their masks.

Reality. Yes, cucumber circles soothe the skin, but nothing more. An ordinary piece of ice can give this effect.

Myth. Brightening creams of neutral origin are suitable for all skin types.

Reality. Cosmetologists around the world are looking for a unique product that would help brighten the skin around the eyes without damaging sensitive and thin skin. But their creams and gels are not effective enough. You will have to spend a lot of time to find a product that is right for your skin.

Myth. Lotion made from parsley is suitable for whitening the face.

Reality. Parsley juice can damage the thin skin of the eyelids. contains a high concentration of retinol. To lighten the skin around the eyes with parsley, it is best to consume it internally. Among its medicinal properties is the removal of excess fluid from the body, which relieves swelling and bruising under the eyes.

Myth. Along with creams and masks, cosmetologists recommend using essential oils.

Reality. After their application, the skin really becomes pleasant and soft, but there is no need to wait for a long-lasting brightening effect.