For many of us, it doesn’t matter if you get your requisite eight hours of sleep or not, we still wake up with bags and dark circles under our eyes. And as we all know, if we do, we look like we partied just a little too hard the night before, when it may just be that those bags are part of our genetic makeup. Lucky us!
If you’re like me, you’ve probably spent more money than you care to acknowledge trying to combat the “raccoon eyes,” with varying degrees of success. Below are some easy and inexpensive suggestions to help you face the day looking like you have treated yourself well — even if your DNA hasn’t!
CHANGES YOU CAN MAKE
Drink More Water: Surprisingly, puffiness under the eyes can be a sign of dehydration. Most people drink far less water than they need to (sodas, caffeinated beverages and alcohol unfortunately do NOT count). Drinking 64 ounces of pure water daily can help flush the system of built-up toxins that result in puffiness in many areas of the body, including under the eyes. Alcohol adds to dehydration, so if you have to have that drink in the evening, be sure to have a glass or two of water as a chaser. You will look and feel better in the morning!
Switch Your Sleep Position: The least healthy sleep position, for many reasons, is on your belly. Not only is it worse for your spinal health, but if you’re a belly sleeper, you’re also more likely to have under-eye bags, dark circles, and wrinkles. Gravity causes fluid to collect and stay under your eyes, resulting in puffiness, and causes blood to pool, resulting in dark circles. The pressure of your body weight on your facial skin and muscles causes your skin to wrinkle and eventually sag. To avoid these scary side effects, try sleeping on your back, with your head slightly elevated. If you absolutely cannot handle sleeping on your back, try sleeping on your side. While it is still not as good for your body and face as sleeping on your back, it is still better than the tummy. Aim for 8 hours of sleep a night, if possible, to give your body a chance to truly reset itself.
Reduce Your Sodium Intake: A diet heavy in sodium causes fluid retention in the body. When you reduce your sodium level, your body releases the fluids and you may see a reduction in your under-eye puffiness, as well as less fluid retention in other areas of the body as well. Make sure to reduce your consumption of processed foods, which are loaded with sodium – sometimes half a day’s worth in one meal. Check your food labels – you will be amazed at the sodium levels of most foods.
QUICK FIXES
Cool Compresses: Placing a cold compress on your eyes is a great easy way to calm down under-eye bags and get dark circles under control. No need to invest in expensive compresses when many things around the home will do: cucumber slices, refrigerated spoons, bags of frozen veggies (I personally like corn or peas) or a bag of crushed ice wrapped in a towel are but a few of the options. Pick your favorite, lie back and let the cool compresses get to work. These are great when you have to put on makeup first thing in the morning, or after watching a sad movie!
Cool Tea Bags: Keep a supply of cool, moist tea bags in your refrigerator to fight dark circles and puffiness. Black or green teas are best, as you’ll want a tea that contains a combination of tannin, caffeine and antioxidants, which work together to reduce swelling and fight the free radicals that are a primary case of dark circles. Leave the tea bags on for 10-15 minutes at a time for optimal results. And you don’t need to invest in anything expensive — plain old Lipton will do just fine!
Under Eye Massage: Massaging your eye cream with an under-eye roller helps reduce puffiness by encouraging the drainage of excess fluid through the lymph system. If you don’t want to spend money on a product, you can gently massage, or outwardly press, underneath your eye area with your moisturizer or eye cream. Be careful not to tug or pull the delicate skin under your eyes, and be sure to always roll/drain the fluid toward the outside of the face, away from the nose. Keeping your moisturizer or eye cream in the refrigerator give the added benefit of cooling those puffy eyes.
I have spent as much as $100 for one ounce of product that promised to clear my under-eye circles (it didn’t). Why not start with these suggestions, before bringing out the “big guns” that may or may not offer better results? Good luck! I’m off to buy some more tea bags now!