I Spy With My Little Eye…Tips & Tricks To Treating Dark Circles, Under-Eye Bags, and Puffiness!!
A question I get a lot as an aesthetician is, “What can I do about the bags under my eyes?” Puffy eyes, dark circles, and under-eye bags are something most of us can relate to. Just yesterday, about 4 hours after I had already been up and at’em, someone asked if I had just woken up because my eyes looked puffy. In my defense, I didn’t get enough sleep, which is a sure way to ensure tired-looking eyes.
Aside from having contact dermatitis under my eyes, I was pretty lucky in the fact that I never struggled with dark circles or bags under my eyes until I was about 27. And even now, it is usually due to some less than noble choices the day before (don’t judge me). However, there are genetic components attributed to lackluster eyes. Some of us come from a long line of undereye-baggers. Que será será, folks. But fear not, there are things you can do to help your eyes look alert and bright!
Common reasons for dark circles, under-eye bags, and puffy eyes – aside from genetics:
Get your beauty sleep – It’s so important, not just for your eyes or skin, but for your entire body and mind!
Take it easy on the salt – Salt can retain water and therefore leave your face looking puffy and bloated.
Stop rubbing your eyes – Your skin around your eyes is THE thinnest on your entire body. Try to avoid touching it, rubbing it, and only remove your eye makeup with very gentle, high-quality products.
Don’t drink till you drop – Excess alcohol has no benefits to your eyes, and booze goggles have tricked us all. Avoid bloodshot eyes and shameful flashbacks the next day and drink with moderation.
Don’t smoke – I don’t think I need to explain this one. Just don’t, y’all.
Manage your allergies – For those of us who struggle with sinus problems or allergies, getting on top of it is the key to helping manage dilated blood vessels (dark eye circles). Talk to your doctor about what medications or indications are best for you and your lifestyle.
SPF is your BFF – I will never tire of telling you this. Use sunblock around your eyes, and pair that with some sunglasses that have UV protection. Your present & future self will be super grateful!
Hydrate – Drink enough water, eat your veggies and use the right products for your skin type to ensure that your skin properly drinks in all the goodies those products have to offer.
Manage stress – It affects us all in different ways. Maybe it impacts your sleep pattern or your digestive system. Implementing stress reduction practices in your daily life will help you navigate hard times better, therefore, handle stress better.
Weight fluctuations – Loss or gain of fat pads have a very immediate effect on some people’s facial structure and eye area.
Now that we went over what can trigger our blood vessels around our eyes to dilate, let’s go over how to treat it:
Cool it down – Using a cool tool around your eye area can do wonders to depuff it and bring down inflammation around the eyes. Tools like Ice globes, rollers, gua sha, and even ice wrapped in a clean towel – remember to keep moving the cool object around, not leaving it stagnant over your eye area.
Caffeine Caffeine Caffeine Caffeeeiiine – A cheap, easy way to help calm the skin around your eyes is to freeze your favorite caffeinated tea bags after you drink your tea. I place my green tea bags in the freezer after I drink my tea and use them over my eyes when I need them to look refreshed. A lot of eye creams have caffeine in them, so look for that when shopping around.
Use an eye cream day and night – I wish I started using an eye cream much earlier; it’s been such a game-changer for me. Just be careful not to use a product that is too heavy for your skin. Since the area around your eyes is so thin, too thick of a product can cause little white pumps under the skin that look like pearls, called milia, which are not easily extracted.
Ingredients to look for when shopping for an eye cream:
Caffeine
Green Tea
Hyaluronic Acid
Vitamin E & C
Vitamin A (not if you have sensitive under eyes)
Copper Peptide
Silver Ear Mushroom
Mulberry Extract
CBD
Shea Butter
Jojoba
Ceramides
Antioxidants
PS: You don’t have to find a product with all of these ingredients together. These are my top indications for the most effective ingredients in eye creams.
Suggestions:
MYSTIQ Perfecting Eye Creme – Reach out to me to order this product.
Have you heard of some of these triggers, tips, tricks, or ingredients before? Let me know in the comments below:)
XO – Pachee
