One morning last week, I woke up with extremely puffy eyes. This isn’t how I regularly greet the day, so at first I thought this was just another joy of ageing.
Then I remembered that my hormones had convinced me to ingest a LOT of salt the day before. The result was fluid retention, most of which seemed to be trapped in my eyes. Enhanced no doubt because I’m a stomach sleeper.
Knowing this kind of puffiness takes several hours to dissipate if I leave it on its own, I pulled out my gua sha and got to work. The cool stone helps move along the lymph, draining the area. I ran the Chinese jade tool from inner eye corner to outer corner, about 10 times each on the upper and lower orbital bone on both sides of my face and voila, the transformation was dramatic.
I wish I had taken a before and after photo as I wrote on social media, however I hope the video demonstrates just how easy this whole process was!
If you don’t have a gua sha, chilled spoons and fingers will also work to drain your eye area. Here are some other deflation remedies, if you need them:
Tea bags: Chill a couple of used tea bags and then lay them on your eyes for about five minutes. The caffeine will help constrict blood vessels, which reduces the puff.
To effectively use this option, remember your tea must not be herbal and the bags need to have been at least soaked in warm water before use to release the caffeine.
Sleep: Be sure you’re getting enough sleep as your eyes will betray your lack of zzzs.
Also, elevate your head with an extra pillow and sleep on your back, if possible, as this will prevent fluid from accumulating.
Hydration: We all know how important water consumption is for our bodies. And of course, this applies to the eyes, not only to keep skin hydrated, but also to help flush toxins from the body, which can prevent puffiness.
Note to self: an excess of salt is categorised as a toxin.
Eye cream: If under eye bags are a regular feature for you, seek out an eye cream that contains caffeine. Just like when using the tea bags, this will constrict the blood vessels to reduce the bloat. A few options to try are: Origins GinZing, Clinique PepStart or this serum from The Ordinary.
What do you do for puffy eyes?