Regardless of whether you’ve got a hot date, a big meeting, it’s the first day of school, or you’ve just woken up and had to go to the grocery store to get a carton of eggs – No one likes having to go about their day with puffy eyes. There’s almost nothing worse than feeling like a million bucks yet looking like you haven’t slept in days, right?
Lucky for you, there’s actually a great number of things that can help you get rid of that puffiness naturally; in fact, you probably have at least one or two of the things you need to have brighter, healthier-looking eyes lying around your house right now!
Why Your Eyes Look Puffy (Even if You’ve Slept)
You’ve probably heard at least once that you look like you haven’t slept when you’ve been out and about with your puffy eyes, but what if you have? Even people who are getting more than eight hours of sleep each night can fall victim to the rather unappealing puffiness. If you’re getting enough sleep every night yet still waking up in the morning looking like you haven’t slept a wink, one of these could be the culprit:
- Hormonal Fluctuations
- Dehydration
- Low Blood Sugar
- Iron Deficiency
- Water Retention
- A Reaction to the Medication You’re Taking.
- The Heating or Air Conditioning System in Your Home.
- Exposure to Bright Lights and/or Straining to See in Dim Light
- Staring at a Computer Screen for hours on end
- Tobacco Smoke
- Dust and Other Air Pollution
- Allergies
- Sinus Issues
… And more.
As you can see, just about anything and everything you’re exposed to on a day-to-day basis can be causing your eyes to react. So what do you do about it now?
Puffy Eyes Repair Start in Your Kitchen
Here are a few things you very likely already have on hand that will make you look like you’ve just had the best night’s sleep of your life. Not only are they all-natural, but they cost a lot less than many of the ‘miracle’ creams that don’t even work most of the time.
Cucumber
The spa industry has had it right all along – Cucumber does help reduce the puffiness in your eyes! Slice up a cucumber and chill those slices for about ten minutes before placing them on your closed eyes for another ten minutes to help reduce any inflammation you might have.
Cucumbers can also be used to aid in wrinkle reduction and skin brightening. Use this method whenever your eyes need a little pick me up.
Potato
It’s hard to find organic produce in most places unless it’s in season. You might not have cucumber or strawberries in your fridge, but just about everyone has a bag of potatoes in their pantry. The starch in this vegetable has anti-inflammatory properties that aid in reducing the swelling and puffiness around your eyes.
For this method, you’ll need a cloth and a potato. Peel, wash, and dry a potato (medium size is fine), Then grate the potato into a clean cloth (the thinner, the better – A Jay cloth would be perfect), tie it up and place it over your eyelids for about ten minutes.
Strawberry
StrawberryStrawberries are just good for you – inside and out – period. The same alpha-hydroxy acid in this miracle berry that makes your skin look soft and young when you ingest it can also reduce eye puffiness. Once your strawberries have been sitting in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, all you need to do is slice a couple of them up and place those slices under your eyes until they aren’t cold anymore.
Cold Spoons
If you’re in a hurry or if you have makeup on already and don’t want to have to deal with the (very small bit of) messiness that can come along with using the above methods, no worries – All you need to do is stick a bunch of metal spoons in the refrigerator for ten minutes or so and then once they’re chilled, place the rounded parts of the spoon on your eyes until its warm. Once it’s warm, replace it with another spoon from the fridge. Do this three or four times and you’ll see a huge difference.
More Puffy Eyes Remedies
Just in case you don’t happen to have any of the above things hanging out in your kitchen (or you don’t want to put spoons on your skin), here are a few more things that you can find around your house that will help your eyes look their very best:
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is an incredibly hardy and easy-to-grow plant that can be used for everything from healing cuts and scratches to soothing sunburns and even helps reduce the puffiness of eyes! The Vitamin E in this wonderful little plant helps improve the blood circulation around your eyes, which will, in turn flush out the fluids that are being retained in the area and reduce the swelling. Please keep in mind that when you’re using Aloe Vera around your eye area you need to be very careful not to get it directly in your eyes. Alternatively, a skin care product that contains aloe will work in a pinch.
Rose Water
Rose water is good for so many different things, and reducing the look of puffy eyes is one of them. This wonderfully soothing and incredibly anti-inflammatory water can be chilled ahead of time, and then all you have to do is soak some cotton balls in it and place them over your eyes for 5-10 minutes. If you happen to have roses in your garden or cut on your kitchen table, you can make your own rose water easily.
Cold Water
If your eyes are puffy because you didn’t get enough sleep the night before, splashing cold water on your eyelids should give your face a more refreshed look almost instantly. Also, ensuring you’re drinking lots of water will help prevent you from retaining it in places like your eyes.
By keeping these simple tips in mind, you’ll never have to face looking like a zombie again! If you try all of these methods and you still happen to have puffy eyes, you should make an appointment with your health professional just to make sure that everything’s as it should be with your health.
