The best home remedies for puffy eyes
We understand wanting the best home remedies for puffy eyes. Whether you look in the mirror and notice your eyes are looking less-than-ideal due to:
- Allergies or dry eyes, such as contact lenses or flying
- A lack of sleep
- Tears - as if the reason for crying wasn’t hard enough already
First, we want to share a loving reminder that for whatever reason your eyes become puffy or came from crying, know that this puffiness will pass.
To help remedy this, we’re going to share:
- Why our eyes become puffy
- The surprising ways to decrease puffiness, naturally
- Our favorite way to soothe eyes, before puffiness can even start
The best natural home remedies for eye bags
Just as you try to purchase organic fruits from the grocery store, you try to keep your beauty and health routines as chemical-free as possible. That’s why you’d rather know about the best natural home remedies for eye bags vs. a synthetic over-the-counter cream.
First, why eyes become puffy
Whether from exhaustion, allergies (hello hayfever) or a tear-filled night, eyes mostly become puffy due to fluid swelling beneath the eyes. In addition, if you find yourself rubbing eyes from itchiness or holding eyes to face during crying, this can cause irritation and incite further puffiness.
Now, that knowledge in mind, here are our top, most recommended natural home remedies for eye bags.
Instead of drinking tea, do this
While sipping tea has many of its own health benefits, there’s a way to use tea bags that may be powerful for helping relieve puffy eyes. Take tea bags and (after laying down on a sofa or bed) place the tea bags on top of your eyes.
Reduce salt intake
Another of the best home remedies for eye bags is nutrition-related. Diets that are high in salt can promote the retention of water. Because puffy eyes are the result of fluid pooling beneath the eyes, being less hydrated through salt intake makes your body more prone to retaining that fluid - and staying puffy.
The startling part is that high-salt-content food can contribute over time OR even just one meal with a wild amount of salt can affect eye bags.
If you have this ongoing or even right now, as you read this, be conscious of how much salt is in the next few meals or snacks you eat.
Give yourself a massage
A lack of circulation contributes to having puffy eyes. That’s why we recommend tapping or massaging the area around your eyes as it contributes to creating blood flow and circulation.
Use this witchy ingredient
While it may not be Halloween month, it’s still the perfect time to channel some cauldron inspiration with → Witch hazel.
The best part is witch hazel is not magic, it’s scientifically proven by nature to work. The official name of this plant is “Hamamelis virginiana” - it’s a North-America-native shrub that has been used for decades.
Because this natural from-plant ingredient is an astringent, this is known to help with reducing redness and (because of factors like its tannins) acting as a calming anti-inflammatory.
Puffy eyes also have a tendency to get redder, which is another perk of witch hazel. One study cited that use of this plant helped to suppress erythema (skin getting redder due to irritation) — by as much as 27%. That means witch hazel has been seen to reduce redness by up to ⅓! This is why this is one of our favorite home remedies for eye bags.
Cool down with 1 of 2 methods
You press an ice pack onto a twisted ankle or torn muscle to help reduce inflammation. Likewise, you can reduce puffiness of the eyes by cooling the area. We recommend one of two ways:
- Place a cold compress onto your face
- Apply a cool moisturizer onto the skin
To do the latter, simply take your favorite (natural!) moisturzer and place it briefly in the fridge to get the lotion to cool down. Then, work the hydrating lotion into your skin from there.
Serve potatoes to your face
While most of us think about using cucumbers on our face (which are, to be fair, effective as well) - not many people realize that this baked/mashed/boiled root vegetable can be one of the best home remedies for eye bags.
There is an anti-inflammatory enzyme within potatoes called catecholase that is known to help with reducing dark, baggy circles. To use, cut the potato into slices and then lay one slice on each eye for 10 minutes. If you still see puff, swap out with a fresh slice.
After, it’s important to get the skin hydrated because potatoes are highly drying. One great way? Use coconut oil.
Lather up with coconut oil
Coconut oil gives deep, hydrating nourishment - which is fantastic for giving love to under eyes and letting them feel need to release fluid from beneath.
The best way to combine natural methods AND reduce puffiness, before it starts
There’s an easy way to combing the anti-inflammation properties, apply a cooling moisturizer, using coconut oil AND apply witch hazel...in one, simple NON-messy way.
