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Under Eye Puffiness & What To Do About It (with video)
Let's get rid of puffy eyes!
Under eye puffiness is something that can occur at any age, but tends to appear especially as your skin matures. Even though it is not normally something that should be cause for real concern, it can still be totally pesky– and with so many simple ways to help reduce (or even eliminate) the puffiness, there’s no reason to put up with it for any longer.
The Culprits
Under eye puffiness is caused by a few main culprits– dehydration, decreased elasticity (which causes skin to both weaken and sag), the movement of fat pads around the eyes, water retention, allergies, and of course your genetics play a big role as well.
A Bit of Prevention
There are some fairly straightforward lifestyle choices that will help to prevent (or reduce) under eye puffiness for everyone such as not smoking and limiting alcohol consumption (or even mostly eliminating– some women report always noticing increased puffiness the day after having even just a drink or two, so be aware of your body!).
Brrrrrrrr
Another trick that will work to help reduce puffiness on the spot is applying something cold– such as a chilled wetted tea bag or a spoon (keep either on hand in the fridge & ready to go in the mornings). It doesn’t matter a whole lot what you use because the cool temperature is what works its magic. This is a quick fix that will temporarily help out in reducing puffiness, however for a more long term solution it is important to figure out the root cause of your under eye puffiness and tackle that– while keeping this trick in your back pocket to whip out when needed along the way.
Added bonus? It feels sogood! Other remedies for puffiness will help more or less depending on exactly what the cause ofyour under eye puffiness is– so it will be incredibly helpful if you can pinpoint what the culprit (or perhaps there are a few!) of your puffiness is. If you sleep on your stomach or your side, gravity could be to blame for your under eye woes. Simply sleeping on your back can reduce the water retention by getting gravity onyour side! Adding a 4” to 6” wooden block under the two head posts can also help as this will create a slow but steady incline that can work to decrease fluid accumulation under your eyes even more effectively. This is a great alternative to simply adding in an extra pillow to prop you up because you don’t have to worry about shifting around in your sleep and moving the pillow, and propping your head up too high with pillows can be just plain uncomfortable. (Plus, adding in this gradual incline during sleep has been shown to help with sleep apnea in multiple studies).
Another major cause of under eye puffiness? Seasonal allergies. This is an extremely common cause for under eye puffiness at any age. Many people don’t associate the two, but if you suffer from allergies that may be your culprit when it comes to under eye puffiness too! In this case, as your allergies get better with the change of seasons (or if you take an allergy medication, for example) you will notice a big decrease in under eye puffiness.
Solutions
A few more fairly universal suggestions are to try reducing your sodium intake, try using a neti pot (a neti what?), and to always remove your makeup before going to bed! Depending on the cause of your puffiness however, you will have mixed results with these– for example, if your puffiness is caused by allergies, reducing the salt in your diet may not have much of an effect on it. However these are all great suggestions and it can’t hurt to give them a try– plus making sure to always remove your makeup before bed… please always do that no matter if you have under eye puffiness or not! It’s so important for your skin!
Last but definitely not least, investing your time into applying a high quality eye cream every day both morning and night is a crucial part of any skin care regimen– but this is especially so for those who wish to reduce under eye puffiness. Over time, and with consistent use (don't expect to see results for 6 to 12 weeks), this will help to both moisturize the delicate under eye area and aid it in retaining elasticity while regenerating your skin. Because the under eye area is oh-so-delicate and sensitive, it is crucial to use a gentle, high quality product– we recommend our Pure Bliss Eye Creme (you can read about all of its other amazing benefits here). When picking out a product for your under eye area just be sure that it is gentle and safe for use in that area because further inflammation is the last thing you want– and it is important to be extra careful with the delicate, sensitive under eye.
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Abby is a photographer and blogger who never says no to a hot cup of tea or a new shade of lipstick. She lives in Monterey, CA with her husband where they enjoy hiking, cooking/eating everything vegan, and basically living the (neat and tidy) hippie dream. You can follow her @abby.roe.photo on instagram, or find her + her organic handmade mineral lipsticks HERE.
Lisa's Notes: As a woman moving towards her sixth decade, I am no stranger to puffiness under the eyes. Having a combination of healthy prevention tips and cover-up tricks is crucial.