How to get rid of bags under eyes and dark circles fast and easy? Have you ever felt like there is an elephant sitting on your face when you wake up in the morning? In fact, it’s a common problem for the majority of us. Have you ever looked at the mirror and all you see were these puffy, tired looking eyes, or dark circles around the eyes? You may think you have probably tried everything to de-puff the area around your eyes. You may have tried drinking more water to stay hydrated, using eye creams, applying cold compress around the eyes and even sleeping for 12 hours but still you get this puffiness once in a while. So what do you do?
First of all it is always a good idea to dig deeper and think what causes your eyes to get puffy first thing in the morning. Ultimately, you should find the reason for your eyes looking swollen so you can better address the problem. Think about:
allergies
chronic fatigue
stress
aging
lack of nutrition
lack of proper hydration
maybe it’s your natural appearance inherited from your parents or grandparents
pigmentation issues
sun exposure
eczema
Whether you determine the reason or not there are plenty of tips that you can use to reduce the appearance of puffy eyes and dark circles.
Remove your makeup before bed
As simple as it sounds, there are still many women going to bed with their makeup on and that’s a cardinal sin! Your eyes may get irritated during your sleep, you may experience a sudden allergic reaction to the mascara during your sleep, not to mention you can simply get your eyes infected with numerous bacteria that cause swelling, redness and tearing. Your face constantly rubs down the pillow during your good night sleep and chemicals in the mascara, eyeshadow or glitter can easily penetrate into your eyes harshly irritating them and even scratching the cornea that would require a visit to an ophthalmologist . Improving your makeup removal routine may also help you avoid bags under your eyes.
Remember when your mom used to tell you “wash your face before bed”?
It’s very true! Not washing your face or removing your makeup before bed can expose your skin to free radicals and cause oxidative stress. You may develop premature wrinkles, and also bags underneath your eyes. In the worst case scenario not washing your face may cause demodex mites to start occupying your eyelash area. In this case a small mite would live and lay down their eggs in your eyelashes. Convinced enough?
Remove your eye contacts before bed
Again, it’s a simple routine that everybody should follow but there are many of us who feel too tired, too lazy or too comfortable to remove eye contacts before bed. Trust me, I’ve been there. The thing is that going to bed in eye contacts can cause serious damages to your eyes, including scratches to cornea, dry eye syndrome, irritation, infection diseases and blepharitis . Least but not last, sleeping in your eye contacts can significantly increase the risk of eye puffiness, tired looking eyes, and swollen eyelids.
Apply cold green tea bags or chamomile tea bags around your eyes
Cold compresses made of green or chamomile tea bags is a perfect remedy for swollen eyelids. Green tea contains caffeine and antioxidants that stimulate the lymph to flow away from your eyes reducing puffiness and swelling. It also increases blood flow around your eyes making them look fresh. Chamomile tea calms the irritated puffy skin and reduces eye swelling. Remember, next time you make yourself a delicious cup of green tea in the evening, put some aside to the fridge for a night and use it the next day first thing in the morning. Tea isn’t just for sipping.
How to prepare the compress:
Put 4 tea bags into hot water for 5 minutes.
Let the tea bags chill in the fridge over night.
Apply cold bags to your eyes. Remember to remove extra liquid from them. Leave on for 20 mins. If tea bags become too warm, switch them to your other pair of cold bags.
Use a good sunscreen and eye serum for puffiness
It’s important to start a good daily skin care regimen to protect the skin around your eyes from aging, dryness, hyperpigmentation, or even skin cancer. Start your day by applying a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher with broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB and combine it with a good eye gel serum that helps reduce swelling and get rid of dark circles. Consider using an eye cream that is effective and as natural and organic as possible to avoid further eye irritation. Although there are countless products on the market which claim to help reduce swelling and lighten the area under the eyes, they don’t always work. A good eye cream should be able to de-puff the eyes, improve circulation, restore collagen deficiency and moisturize delicate skin around the eyes. I personally love Collagen Eye Gel Serum by Body Saver with herbs and natural ingredients that works deeply in the skin.
If your eye puffiness is a result of seasonal allergy, then consider taking antihistamine.
If your eyes are itchy, red, swollen and you find yourself sneezing like crazy, then you probably have hay fever. Your allergy might not only be a seasonal allergy to grass and pollen. Maybe you are allergic to certain fruits, foods, protein, milk, almonds, peanuts? You may consider taking a food allergy test to determine what and if you are allergic to certain foods. Would it be the reason for your eyes getting so puffy? Check it. It’s also important to avoid common allergens that are present in certain personal care products, like soaps, makeup, henna or hair dyes.
Use a neti pot to clear out your sinuses
If you struggle with a stuffy nose, it may also affect your eyes. Some people say that using a neti pot can help remove your under-eye bags and dark circles. A neti pot is a device you fill with a saltwater (normal saline) solution. You place the spout in your nose and irrigate your sinuses, removing mucus and other debris.
Change your lifestyle
Try to sleep with your head elevated on an extra pillow. Elevating your head may prevent the lymph fluids to accumulate underneath your eyes causing puffiness.
Workout during the day. Minimum 3 times a week for 30 minutes to improve cardiovascular strength and increase blood flow.
Try creating a sleep schedule, or a regular bedtime and wake-time.
Avoid caffeinated beverages and foods 6 to 12 hours before bed.
Finish all meals and snacks two hours before bedtime.
Finish all strenuous exercise a few hours before bedtime.
Avoid sleeping with TV, cell phones, and other electronic devices on.
Eat more collagen-rich foods.
Eat foods rich in vitamin C and amino acids like oranges, kale, strawberries, red peppers. They can also help with collagen production.
Eat more iron-rich foods like red meat, pork, and poultry.
Eat more seafood.
Include leafy green veggies into your diet, like kale and spinach.
Add more fiber into your diet like raisins, apricots, and other dried fruits.
Cut back on salty foods.
Cut back on alcohol.
Quit smoking.