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If you are one of the countless in the human population that has bags under your eyes or puffy eyelids, rest easy. More often than not, it has nothing to do with your health, unless perhaps you have seasonal allergies or are not getting enough sleep. Mostly, it’s more of an annoyance than anything concerning. After all, when you’ve got puffy bags beneath your eyes no matter how rested you might be you just look tired and puffy. Who has time for such nonsense of tired eyes? We have to look our best if we want to go out and slay, right? Read on to discover the causes and treatments including natural skin care products.
What are Bags Under the Eyes?
Bags under the eyes is just a term people use to describe the collection of excess fluid in the skin around the eyes that creates a puffy look. Puffiness can appear beneath the eye as well as in the eye lids. Sometimes the skin around the eyes can also look darker than the rest of the face.
Why Do I Have Bags Under My Eyes?
There are a few reasons people get under eye bags.
Genetics
Sometimes that’s just the roll of the dice. If your parents and family members are prone to dark circles and puffy eyelids and eye circles, then chances are, you will be too. Frustrating to be sure, but there are things you can do to help reduce their appearance.
Allergies
This is arguably one of the most common reasons people develop bags under their eyes. Seasonal allergies seem to plague nearly everyone these days with all of the pollution and toxins we are exposed to daily. With allergies comes common allergy symptoms like inflammation and congestion, which can trigger eye puffiness.
Aging
Unfortunately, though no one likes aging, it’s a reality. Some people develop dark eye circles eye circles and puffy bags because the muscles in your face and around your eyes just aren’t what they used to be, and your skin just isn’t as firm and youthful as it once was.
Underlying Medical Issues
There are certain health problems, such as thyroid dysregulation that can contribute to eyes that look swollen and puffed.
Too Much Salt
If you’re eating too much salty food for your body to stay balanced, you could be retaining water. Fluid retention can show up in your face and in the eye area.
Poor Sleep and Stress
When you sleep, everything circulating tends to slow down. The result is excess fluid beneath your eyes that can take awhile to dissipate one you’re up and moving around. If your body is tired, it can take even longer. The same goes for if you’re stressed. Have you ever wondered, “what is beauty sleep?” The benefits of sleep for your skin are tenfold, and having reduced eye puffiness is definitely one of them.
Too Much Alcohol
Yes, that bender you went on over the weekend can play a role in why you look like death today. Drinking causes massive dehydration, which can make your skin look terrible, especially the delicate skin around your eyes. Smoking is also a big no-no if you want to avoid eye bags, FYI. It wreaks havoc with your skin’s elasticity.
Skipping Your PM Beauty Routine
If you skip your nightly beauty routine and leave your makeup on all night, it can cause irritation to your eyes. Again, that tissue is delicate skin, so if it’s irritated, puffiness will be the result.
Do Bags Under Eyes Ever Go Away?
This really depends. In some cases bags can go away on their own, if they are caused by poor sleep for instance. However, if you have an underlying health issue, or your bags are the result of genetics, they probably won’t completely go away, at least not without help. However you may be able to significantly reduce the appearance of bags with a healthy eye and skin care routine.
What Can I Eat to Get Rid of Bags Under My Eyes?
There are many foods that you can add to your diet that may help improve the appearance of eye bags or dark circles. There are also foods you may want to avoid eating, because they could contribute to puffy eyes. Below are just a handful of recommendations.
Some Foods to Avoid
- Sugar and processed foods: these food items are highly inflammatory and won’t do your health or your eye bags any good.
- Hot peppers and tomatoes: both contain a poison called solanine and peppers also have capsaicin, which can cause tissue inflammation.
- Wheat: usually has gluten which can wreak havoc for some.
- Dairy: Lactose can cause a reaction in some people. Reactions equal inflammation. Inflammation equals puffy eyes.
- Canned goods: Hello excessive salt. Skip the canned veggies (or opt for the no added salt kind) and your skin might thank you.
Some Foods to Eat
- Watermelon: this is a delicious fruit, both for your tastebuds and your eyes. It’s nearly entirely water, good for hydrating, and it’s loaded with antioxidants that your eyes love.
- Celery: if you need a one-stop-shop type of veggie to regulate your electrolytes, try celery. They are packed with sodium and potassium. Sodium is different from salt. Sodium is good for your health, table salt, not so much.
- Cucumbers: cukes are also loaded with water, great for rehydrating. They also have collagen-boosting and skin strengthening goodies. Overall, a wonderful option for good health.
- Blueberries: these yummy treats are great for snacking and packed with nutrients and antioxidants that are beneficial for your eye health.
What is the Best Home Remedy for Eye Bags?
There isn’t a single home remedy that eliminates eye bags completely, but there are a few things you can try to help reduce their appearance.
1. Sleep with your head elevated.
2. Pay attention to the foods you eat
3. Try a green tea compress
4. Apply a cold compress
5. Rest up!
6. Stay hydrated
7. Clear your sinuses.
8. Try lymphatic drainage
This helps prevent the buildup of fluid and improves blood flow.
Eat a healthy, low-carb diet and avoid foods that trigger inflammation and cause you to retain water.
Try using green tea compresses on your eyes for about 10 minutes. Green tea may help reduce swelling and encourage blood circulation.
Any kind of cold compress can also help minimize puffiness and swelling. There's a reason for those cool cucumber masks all the spas use!
Get plenty of sleep and avoid excessive sun exposure to slow down signs of aging, including puffy eyes.'
Drink water and stay properly hydrated. Dehydration tells your body it must hold on to every bit of water it can, because you are thirsty. Try increasing your water intake if puffy eyes are a persistent problem.
Keep your sinuses clear. You can do this naturally by using a neti pot. You fill it with saline solution and use it to clear out your sinus passages and rinse away debris and mucous that may be contributing to inflammation.
Lymphatic drainage is the process of draining the excess lymph fluid that may be causing puffiness. This can be done at home with a simple facial massage or jade roller!
What Skin Care Products Help with Eye Bags?
There really isn’t a magic bullet. However, you may be able to significantly reduce the appearance of dark circles and underage bags, using the right products for your skin. Remember that a daily skin care routine is vital to keep your face looking flawless and that includes proper care of the skin that surrounds your eyes.
9.Retinol Creams and Serums
A Retinol cream may help improve a deficiency of collagen in your skin if you use it regularly, by stimulating its production. This helps your skin to thicken and may help reduce darkness around the eyes. Try our AHA serum at night and wake up with glowy, smooth skin. If looking for an eye cream, opt for one with retinol or hyaluronic acid to keep your under eyes moisturized and reduce fine lines. Another ingredient to look for is vitamin c which also promotes collagen production and healing.
10.Use a Gentle Makeup Remover
The skin under your eyes is incredibly delicate. Even minor irritation and trauma can cause inflammation. Makeup remover wipes and oil based cleansers are great for removing eye makeup as well as hydrating, and allow you to remove makeup gently, without excessive wiping, pulling, or pressure on fragile tissue.
11. Incorporate Essential Oils in Your Routine
You can use pure essential oils, or look for products formulated with essential oils, but there are several that may help reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffy eyes. Essential oils like rosemary, lavender, chamomile, fennel, and rose geranium are all purported to have wonderful benefits for your skin and eye bags.
12. Apply Daily Sunscreen
Premature aging causes eye bags and dark circles and is exacerbated by too much sun exposure. Applying a daily sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 can help combat this and prevent eye bags. Try our tinted moisturizer with SPF to add a healthy glow to your skin.
Getting rid of eye bags under the eyes isn’t a one and done kind of process. There are multiple factors that can contribute to your eye bags and dark circles. Find any underlying issues and treat them with the help of your doctor. Improve your health and diet so that your skin remains healthy and elastic. And incorporate a daily skin care routine to keep your face looking youthful and glowing, with products formulated for your skin type. It’s both as simple—and complex—as that!
Tried all these tips and still not seeing results? Talk with your dermatologist about other professional options and get to the root cause of the problem. There are many options, like laser treatment, a chemical peel, or a topical treatment to target under eye bags at the source.
References:
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Bags Under Eyes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bags-under-eyes/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20369931.
Gilmerm. (2021, April 27). How to get rid of bags under your eyes. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-get-rid-of-bags-under-your-eyes/.
Vrcek, I., Ozgur, O., & Nakra, T. (2016). Infraorbital Dark Circles: A review of the Pathogenesis, Evaluation and Treatment. Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4924417/.
Bags under the eyes. American Academy of Ophthalmology. (2021, August 25). https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/bags-under-eyes.
Desai, S. C. (n.d.). How to get rid of bags under your eyes. Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/how-to-get-rid-of-bags-under-your-eyes.
We aim to provide you with the most honest and credible information possible. This article was reviewed for accuracy by The Honest Team and its internal technical experts.
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