How to depuff your eyes

How to depuff your eyes

Whether you’ve had a late night at work, didn’t sleep well or drank a few too many glasses of wine the night before, nobody likes waking up with puffy eyes. Puffy eyes are a common symptom of an allergy, inflammation or physical irritation. They result from the retention of excess fluid in the soft tissues surrounding the eyes.


Causes of puffy eyes

  • Poor sleep: If you don’t get enough quality sleep at night, your under-eye area is bound to be puffy and swollen the next day.
  • High-salt diet: Eating a lot of salty foods causes you to retain water and leads to swelling.
  • Excess alcohol: It dehydrates your body and makes your eyes dry and puffy.
  • Allergies: Sometimes, eye allergies can affect the skin around your eyes. Inflammation and stuffiness from allergies, like pollen and pollutants can cause puffiness under the eyes as well.
  • Medical conditions: Some health conditions such as thyroid can cause the eye area to swell up.
  • Genetics: Having under-eye bags and puffiness can be a physical characteristic that runs in your family. 
  • Natural aging process: Loss of firmness in the skin (due to lesser collagen production) and muscles happens as you age.

DIY home remedies to treat puffy eyes

Dr. Kiran Sethi, a Delhi-based celebrity dermatologist and integrative aesthetician suggests the following at-home treatments for puffy eyes. “These remedies cause vasoconstriction of vessels resulting in less fluid accumulating in the under eye area,” she says.

  • Use cold cucumber slices on your eyes for 10 minutes
  • Place cold used green tea bags on eyes for 10 minutes
  • Try using a cold spoon or face roller on your eyes for 5-10 minutes

Dermatological treatments and ingredients for puffy eyes

Dr Kiran says, “Generally, retinol and peptide based creams can be topically used to boost elasticity and collagen. Also, caffeine is excellent for topical use as it enables vasoconstriction of the under eye muscles and reduces puffiness. Tightening treatments like Transform 4D, Under Eye Rescue and Ulthera are used to treat the under-eye area.”


How to prevent puffy eyes from occurring 

  • Get enough sleep
  • Make sure you stick to a fixed sleep schedule, stop drinking caffeine at least 6 hours prior to and finish dinner about 3 hours before bedtime. Don't exercise close to your bedtime and try to stay away from your electronics for at least an hour before you sleep.

  • Drink plenty of water
  • Eye bags can result from dehydration. Drink plenty of water every day to keep your skin healthy. The general rule of thumb is to drink 8 glasses of water per day.

  • Avoid alcohol
  • Try to limit or avoid alcohol and other drinks that can dehydrate you. Dehydration can lead to puffy eyes.

  • Skip the salt
  • Eating too much salt can lead to additional water retention in your body. Prepackaged foods like instant soups are often high in sodium. Reading labels can help you identify excessive amounts of salt. Instead, eat more whole foods like fresh vegetables and fruits.

  • Eat more potassium-rich foods
  • Potassium can help reduce excess fluid in your body, so increase your potassium intake. You can do this by adding bananas, beans, yogurt, and leafy greens to your diet. If you are already on a high potassium diet, ask your doctor if your potassium levels are okay as is or if it is safe to add potassium supplements to your daily routine.

  • Use a face roller or cool compress
  • Try the RAS Luxury Oils Rose Quartz Face Roller—use the smaller end around the eye area—for 5-10 minutes after you wake up to effectively reduce puffiness. For a cool compress, dampen a clean washcloth with cool water. While sitting upright, press it to your eye gently for a few minutes. The coolness helps reduce swelling and inflammation.

    RAS Products to Try on 

  • Try a hydrating eye cream
  • Some ingredients to look for in an eye cream include chamomile, caffeine and cucumber. These ingredients contain properties that can soothe the eye area, reduce inflammation and tighten the skin.

    RAS Products to Try on  

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