One of the most common questions that I get from my clients are about how they can get rid of those pesky under eye bags! Wedding season is in post pandemic full swing here for me and it seems like under eye bags show their full potential when people have special events. Often clients want to know if I can cover them up, but honestly that is almost impossible. And even my every day beauties are looking for the one product to give that “quick fix”. There are so many things that you can do that can decrease the size and minimize under eye bags. Read on for my tips on how to get rid of under eye bags.
Get checked for underlying health conditions
If you have been dealing with under eye bags I recommend that you see a health professional to make sure that you don’t have any underlying health conditions. They can check your sinuses or even your thyroid to make sure that there isn’t something health related causing your puffy eyes. You can also opt for an allergy test if they seem to flare up during certain seasons or even when exposed to certain known allergens. And if it’s been awhile since you’ve had an eye exam, you may want to do that too! They can make sure that you don’t have an eye infection.
Now what?
Once you have a clean bill of health, it’s helpful to try to narrow down what the potential cause of your puffy under eyes could be. It could be hereditary, but don’t panic, there are still things you can do!
But, you should know that after the age of about 25, your collagen and elastin production decreases, causing skin to become loose, saggy, and puffy-fun right?. The skin around the eyes is more fragile, more prone to dryness, and quicker to show age and fatigue, and fluids collect under the eyes and cause puffiness and dark circles. So you may see under eye puffiness more as you age.
Pay attention to what you eat
You are what you eat, and eating foods with a high sodium content can cause water retention which can affect the appearance of the under eye. Try to cut back on the salt and consider taking a collagen supplement, along with Vitamin C and Bromelain which are anti-inflammatory and water soluble and prevent swelling and puffiness.
As you get older, the muscles and tissues that support your eyelids weaken. This means that your skin may begin to sag, including the fat that’s usually around your eyes.
Upping your intake of vitamin C can also help your body absorb more hyaluronic acid. This essential acid is naturally found in the body, but the amount stored decreases with age.
Foods rich in vitamin C and amino acids can also help with collagen production through boosting your levels of hyaluronic acid, creating healthier skin.
Keep an eye on your water intake
Water makes up about 60 percent of your body weight. So, it may not be surprising that dehydration can contribute to under-eye bags. Dehydration can make eye bags look worse by amplifying the effects of excess salt, high alcohol or poor sleep. Upping your water intake should help.
How much water should you drink each day? It’s a simple question with no easy answer. Studies have produced varying recommendations over the years. But your individual water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active you are and where you live.
No single formula fits everyone. But knowing more about your body’s need for fluids will help you estimate how much water to drink each day.
So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is:
- About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men
- About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women
These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages and food. About 20 percent of daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks.
Get enough sleep!
Not only your quality of sleep, but how much you sleep is also a factor. Rest is important in general because you will decrease stress levels and therefore your cortisol levels, which ultimately help prevent eye bags. Rest not only gives your mind time to regenerate and rejuvenate, but also it does the same for your body, and has the same affect on your under eyes. Getting little sleep may also make your complexion paler. Any shadows or dark circles you have may be more obvious as a result.
Most adults should aim to get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night. Bet you haven’t heard that before!
Remove all of your makeup before bed
It is so important to wash your face before going to bed, for so many reasons!
If you sleep with mascara or other eye makeup on your eyes, you may: irritate them, experience an allergic reaction or even develop an infection that creates redness, puffiness, or other symptoms.
When you sleep in makeup, you’re exposing your skin to free radicals. This has the potential to create what’s called oxidative stress, which may prematurely age your skin.
Sleep with your head elevated
Elevating your head helps to prevent the pooling of fluid in your lower eyelids which creates puffiness while you sleep. Try elevating your head with a couple extra pillows while you sleep. You may even consider purchasing a special wedge pillow.
Lay off the alcohol
You may consider also cutting back on alcohol to see relief. Especially the week of an important event. Drinking alcohol contributes to dehydration, and dehydration may lead to bags and dark circles under your eyes.
If you’re craving a special drink, try grabbing a flavored sparkling water or infusing regular water with fruit.
Try taking an antihistamine
Allergies can cause puffy, dark circles under your eyes. You may also experience redness or watery, itchy eyes. This reaction is caused by your immune system’s response to something that irritates it, or allergens. You could try taking an over the counter antihistamine.
You may even want to try eye drops for irritation caused by allergies or dry eyes.
Certain personal care products, like soaps, makeup, or hair dyes, may be allergens. If you’re having trouble identifying the cause, consider journaling to see what substances or other things cause the most reaction. If this is a chronic problem talk to your doctor about allergy testing.
Raid your kitchen
You may have some home remedies right in your kitchen that can help!
I’m sure we’ve all seen those pictures of people with cucumbers on their eyes. The cucumber juice and the cold temperature act as anti-inflammatory compresses. Applying cucumber slices to your eyes for just five minutes can make a big difference.
Out of cucumbers? You can also use a chilled spoon, to just a cold wash cloth. Anything calling will be great!
And tea isn’t just for sipping. You can actually use caffeinated tea bags under your eyes to help with dark circles and bags.
The caffeine in the tea contains powerful antioxidants and may increase blood flow to your skin. Just make sure you chill your tea bag for at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Apply them to your eyes for 10-20 minutes.
Grab your tools!
Using a Jade Roller or Ice Roller can help improve lymphatic drainage and help push out fluids. This is so effective especially if you have fluid pooling and causing your eye bags.
Here’s a diagram to show you which way to “roll”.
Use the right products
Using eye creams with specific ingredients that are known to help with puffiness. Lumière de Vie Eye Balm helps to soothe and reduce the appearance of puffiness, while deeply conditioning and hydrating the delicate eye area. The appearance of fine lines and enlarged pores is dramatically improved while helping to firm the skin in the most delicate places. And it comes with an awesome little tool that you can use to apply your eye cream. The metal end will help soothe and reduce eye bags.
It contains ingredients like Pinoxide® (Pinanediol, Camphanediol); An exclusive blend of breakthrough ingredients that promotes healthy skin collagen and normal skin microcirculation to firm the under-eye area and reduce the appearance of under-eye, dark circles. Sodium Hyaluronate;
A vital moisturizer and lubricant found naturally in our skin. Hyaluronic acid provides superior, long-term hydration through its ability to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water. This property of sodium hyaluronate helps promote healthy skin elasticity and flexibility.
Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E); Vitamin E is a family of related compounds called tocopherols and tocotrienols. The vitamin E family is well known for its antioxidant capabilities, protecting the skin by neutralizing oxidative free radicals.
Reduce stress
I know, sometimes this is easier said than done!! Stress can cause the salt balance in your body to be off, causing your eyes to retain water and swell as a result. I am hoping that some of the above will help you reduce stress.
You may find my article about reducing stress and anxiety helpful. You can read it here.
You may also like: ARE YOU APPLYING YOUR EYE CREAM CORRECTLY? and EYE CREAM: DO YOU REALLY NEED TO USE IT OR CAN YOU SKIP IT?
