It can be heart-wrenching to get ready for your first date, a wedding, or a job interview and look into the mirror, only to find puffy, tired eyes staring back.
Whether or not you had sleepless night or exhaustion rode over your eyes, you wouldn’t want your eyes to look haunted. So, what can you do to get rid of them? Are there any homemade remedies or foods that reduce puffy eyes?
Yes, there are, and you can effectively counter their presence by including them in your diet and applying few of the specific foods to the affected area. Changing your lifestyle and foods can alter water metabolism and reduce swelling.
What Causes Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles
Eye bags may appear like a skin trouble because that’s where they appear, but actually, the process of puffy eyes begins under the sin. The under eye area is an extremely sensitive area which gets affected when something happens internally.
Puffy eyes are a type of edema or water retention, which appears under eyes. Oedema can be caused due to various reasons, few of them have been mentioned below.
- Lack of sleep is one of the most common reasons for eye bags.
- Sinus problem can increase water retention around the eyes.
- Some allergies and medications can also cause puffiness under eyes as they can alter the natural balance of water.
- Fluctuations in blood sugar, body hormones, and haemoglobin can all contribute to eye bags and dark circles.
- Dehydration can also be a cause of swollen eyes.
Our bodies function in a set of systems that work in sync and they are all fed in the same way, trough the blood circulation. Unbalanced diet and fluctuations in body chemistry can affect the water balance and cause puffy eyes.
So, it’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle and increase intake of healthy foods to reduce eye bag.
Also read: 10 Best Foods for Skin Whitening?
10 Foods to Get Rid of Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles
The skin around our eyes is thin, and the vessels under them become prominent to create dark circles and puffiness. Contributing factors include ageing, genetics, caffeine, and alcohol.
But fret not, because the circulation boosters, hydrating, and antioxidant-rich foods can make a noticeable difference. So, increase the intake of below-listed food to get rid of dark circles.
#1 Cucumber
This classic beauty food has a high-water content that can hydrate the skin, boost production of collagen and skin-tightening elements. It has many beauty-boosting vitamins, essential nutrients, and minerals.
How to eat: Eat ½ a cucumber as part of your diet every day.
#2 Blueberries
Blueberries are well-known for their beneficial effects to eye health. They are the main source of anthocyanins and lutein, powerful antioxidants that can protect delicate under eye skin.
How to eat: Snack on a handful of blueberries every day.
#3 Watermelon
Watermelon is an excellent moisturizer as it is made of approximately ninety per cent water. It has abundant of minerals and antioxidants that protect delicate under eye skin and improve the blood circulation to the eyes.
How to eat: Snack on a slice of watermelon every morning.
#4 Tomatoes
The dense, bright red colour of tomatoes hints at their powerful antioxidant that supports eye health and protects the blood vessels under the eyes. They are rich in vitamin C and lutein.
How to eat: Have 1 medium tomato daily.
Also read: How to Use Tomato to Whiten Skin?
#5 Mulberries
Mulberries contain age-defying antioxidant, resveratrol, hydrating sugars, and iron. Consumption of mulberries can improve blood circulation and protect under eye skin. It is rich in protein, vitamins, resveratrol, and minerals.
How to eat: Have a handful of mulberries daily
#6 Celery
Celery is a rich source of sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes that act as powerful fluid regulators to reduce swelling in the under eye skin. The electrolytes promote uptake of nutrients and other elements.
How to eat: Add celery to salads or snack on a stick.
#7 Beetroot
The red pigment in beetroot detoxify skin from toxicities, thus they are used for eye health. Rich in vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and betalains, beetroots can effectively prevent the formation of bags under eyes.
How to eat: Up to 100 gram a day.
#8 Baobab
Being nutrient-rich, Baobab can prevent puffy eyes and balance the fluids. They contain a high amount of vitamins, calcium, bioflavonoids, and fiber to remove the puffiness from under eye skin.
How to eat: Add 2 tsp. of baobab a day to evening snacks.
#9 Bee Pollen
If you’ve heard of bee pollen, you must know that it is the most effective foods that reduce puffy eyes? Bee pollens are known for having abundant of proteins and antioxidants that aid circulation and renew elastin production.
It contains a total of 18 vitamins, plenty of amino acids, fatty acids and essential nutrients.
How to eat: Take up to 1 tsp. of bee pollen daily.
#10 Goji Berries
Rich in carotenoids and vitamins, goji berries can effectively boost the circulation in the skin around the eyes. Include this brilliant ingredient in your diet for getting rid of puffiness from your under eye skin.
How to eat: Have a small handful once a day.
Homemade Recipes to Reduce Puffy Eyes
Here are our top three recipes for reducing the appearance of eye bags and dark circles.
#1. Cucumber slices
This one really brings the magic to your skin. A combination of powerful antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals make cucumbers an ideal food to reduce eye bag.
- Peel the cucumber and slice it into thin pieces.
- Place the slices over your eyes.
- Let it sit for 15 minutes.
This simple recipe has been proven time and again for tightening skin around the corners of eyes, reducing eye bags and smoothen the look of your skin.
#2. Egg Whites
Egg whites are rich in vitamins that can tighten the saggy skin and simultaneously reduce the puffiness of delicate skin. People with puffy eyes must try this recipe to get rid of eye bags. Topical application of egg white can lighten dark spots.
- Beat two egg whites stiffly in a bowl.
- To the bowl, add a few drops of witch hazel.
- Now apply this mixture under your eyes using a brush.
- Leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Rinse off with lukewarm water.
This simple recipe will make the under eye skin look firmer and much better.
#3. Rose water
Because rose water is rich in essential vitamins, the regular use can help you remove the bags under your eyes.
- Soak a cotton ball in a bowl of chilled rose water.
- Place it over your eyes.
- Leave it overnight.
The alpha-hydroxy acids present in rose water can help smoothen the look of your skin, tighten the under eye skin and reduce the puffiness.
Additional tips for reducing the appearance of dark circles and eye bags
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.
- Try to avoid artificial sweeteners like saccharin.
- Reduce the intake of diet soda drinks and alcohol.
- Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV damage.
- Avoid salty snacks as they encourage water retention.
Do you know any foods that reduce puffy eyes? What’s your favorite remedy for fighting eye bags and dark circles? Share with us in the comments below.
