Woken up looking more worn-out than refreshed? It happens from time to time. We’re here to save the day with a list of natural remedies to get rid of puffy eyes.
There are many reasons why the puffy-eyed monster may greet you in the mirror on a casual Saturday morning. Perhaps you have indulged in one of the following:
a) A late night out with a few too many rounds of cocktails
b) A ‘sad movie’ marathon on Netflix
c) Social media browsing or online shopping in bed that goes on way past your bed time
Or maybe not. There are numerous other reasons why you could wake up like this. It could be from lack of sleep, allergies, or even diet. Personally, I have experienced this problem because of hay fever and even an allergic reaction to an eye cream!
Natural remedies for puffy eyes
We’ve all tried the ‘classic methods’ – cucumber on the eyes, cold spoons underneath the eye or putting an eye cream in the fridge. The cold spoon method used to be my ‘go-to’ remedy when at university following a late night and early morning lecture. If you’re looking to try other methods to banish puffy eyes (and even prevent them) then give these a try:
Apply your eye cream around the eye
Many of us are guilty of putting eye cream on incorrectly. It’s not an intentional move, often just an application error. I realised this when working for a big beauty brand. It feels natural to apply the cream directly on your under-eye area. Shocking news: This is not the best area to apply it.
It’s advised to very gently tap your eye cream along your orbital bone. Your body heat will help absorb the eye cream and it will organically spread to the under eye. This means you get just the right amount of absorption from your product. Over-applying your eye cream directly under the eye can irritate it! Get more out of your eye cream by making this simple adjustment before you go to bed or when you wake up.
Try using rose water
Rose water has multiple skin-boosting benefits. This natural product is soothing and has anti-inflammatory properties making it ideal to tackle puffy eyes (plus is smells really refreshing).
Dab an organic cotton bud soaked in rose water along your orbital bone. For a cooling effect, keep your rose water in the fridge or make up rose water ice cubes. If you do use the ice cubes, be sure to wrap these in a muslin cloth before applying to your skin. Nobody wants ice burn under the eye; it can be very painful!
This is also a wonderful solution because you can make rose water yourself at home. The Healthy Maven has great DIY tips on how to make rose water.
Opt for avocado oil
Move aside cucumber; If there’s any fresh food that we will be applying to our eyes these days, it’s avocado! Avocado is moisturising, rejuvenating and can help boost blood circulation. These properties make it ideal to de-puff your eyes in the morning.
To give this a go, you will need to peel the avocado, remove the stone and slice into halves and then quarters. Apply the avocado directly to your eye area and have a ‘zen moment’ by relaxing for 20 minutes. If you have anti-aging concerns, this is a great one to try regularly to nourish your eye area. Alternatively, look for an avocado oil based under eye cream like this one from Dr Hauschka.
Give yourself an eye massage
If you are looking for a completely natural solution then put your hands to effective use and try a gentle eye massage. This method can help drain fluid around the area which causes that ‘puffy look.’
If you suffer with allergies – especially hay fever – this is a fantastic remedy to try out! The trick is to gently apply pressure in the right places around your eye area. When giving this a go I like to sit somewhere quiet to avoid distractions. If you would like to try out an eye de-puffing massage YouTube has many great tutorials, like this one right here.
Adjust your sleeping position
Following on from the above tip to drain fluid around the eye, you could prevent this from building up in the first place. They say, ‘great hair starts in the shower’ so apply this type of thinking to your sleep routine to get refreshed eyes.
Besides getting enough rest to fully restore eyes, also be mindful of your sleeping position. Sleeping positions can cause fluid to build up under the eye. If you sleep on your stomach or on your side then this could be the cause of your puffy-eyed problem. It’s advised to sleep with an extra pillow to elevate your head and prevent fluid from building up.
And there you have it! A few natural remedies to try out and banish those puffy eyes! Will you be giving these a go? Drop us a comment below or tweet us @totmorganic.
This post was written by Fee, Marketing Executive at TOTM
