The old saying is, “Any woman over 25 needs to keep cucumbers in the house!” Now, get your mind out of the gutter and onto your face: your eyes!
Cucumbers have long been used to help prevent puffiness around the eyes, particularly on the upper lids and the area right under your eyes. This is, in part, because cucumbers have a high water content that helps keep your eyes moisturized while drawing the puffiness out.
Using veggies to soothe your puffy eyes is not limited to cucumbers (which botanically are fruit). Zucchini is also good at helping remove puffiness. Additionally, fresh wet ginger root, particularly when mixed with the zucchini, can help with puffiness. Dice the vegetable into pieces and mix with the fresh ginger, lightly mash the two ingredients together with a fork and place the mashed mixture on your eyes for up to five minutes. Works wonders!
Using any veggies like cucumber and zucchini on your eyes will work better if the treatment is slightly cooled, but not ice cold. The coldness will help with the puffiness much the same way an ice pack helps with swelling. Placing the veggies in the fridge before slicing them and using them while still cold helps.
Another puffiness reducer for your eye area is tea. While you can take plain tea bags and soak them and then apply them to your eyes, people with very light or sensitive skin may notice light tea colored stains around their eyes. To prevent this, using chamomile tea bags works better since chamomile is not a dark tea and chamomile is a plant known for its soothing properties. Of course, Jasmine tea is also a light colored tea that will work for reducing puffiness around the eyes.
If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to use the natural ingredients above to reduce puffiness around the eyes, in a pinch for a very quick puffy pick-me-up, Preparation H really does help remove bags and puffiness around the eyes, particularly when caused by allergy symptoms or from a night of crying (not that any of us want to stay up all night crying, but hey, it does happen sometimes.) The problem with using Preparation H is that you need to be very careful not get any product in your eye, but only on the skin that is puffy surrounding the eye and use as little as possible.
If your puffiness also comes with dark circles under your eyes, you can help reduce the look of the puffiness and cover the dark circles by apply your concealer makeup over your foundation makeup and then following up with a matte powder over both. Using the foundation first gives a good base for adding the concealer and prevents a liquid foundation from removing the concealer when it is applied. The powder over both will smooth and blend it as well as brighten the entire eye area. After this, you can apply your makeup as usual.
Of course, you can always purchase expensive products from the salon or beauty supply store, but these tried and proven natural products or inexpensive ways to reduce puffiness around the eye truly work just as well, and will save you a ton of money.
Lastly, the best way to deal with puffiness around the eyes is to prevent it completely if at all possible. Rest well, sleep regularly, avoid exposure to allergens, try not to cry (hard to do, I know!), and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated – all of these things will help prevent eye puffiness before it even starts.
