Daylight Saving Time has just begun. The good news? We get longer days! The bad news? We get longer days. When the wake-up call comes (what feels like) one hour earlier and the moment we hit the hay comes (what feels like) one hour later, we always seem to find ourselves a little less bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed than the norm. We asked beauty blogger and DIY maven Annie Atkinson of She’s In The Glow how to prevent the extra baggage in the first place…plus how to remedy the situation should you find yourself rocking the puffy-eye’d look in just a few days. Forget the makeup and toxic face creams; this all-natural concoction makes going au-natural easy like Sunday morning. Ok – maybe not this Sunday morning.
Everyone experiences puffy eyes, some certainly more than others, but let’s face it… we’ve all been there. Puffy eyes are caused by several factors including lack of sleep (this is an obvious one), fluid retention due to excessive sodium or alcohol consumption, allergies, hormones, genetics and even the weather. Not even makeup can truly and 100% cover under-eye puffiness and sometimes layering on concealer can actually make things worse, accentuating the problem. Before even diving in to how to fix this puffy problem, I wanted to touch on the topic of prevention. These are a few things to keep in mind when faced with that awful under-eye baggage.
How To Prevent Puffy Eyes
Sleep
One of the best ways to prevent puffs is to get at least eight hours of sleep a night. I know, I know, it’s the oldest trick in the book. But the older I get, I see what all the hype is about. So get that sleep!
Water
Sometimes the body stores up water when it’s dehydrated, resulting in puffy eyes. Water is the key to life, so on a normal day you should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses. When you look tired, pump that up! Water is also a major factor in flushing the body of sodium, toxins and everything else that leads to under-eye buildup. For those that have a water aversion like me, add lemon. It really helps.
Diet and Exercise
Pay attention to what you consume and avoid anything processed, canned, packaged or fried. Stick to a real-food diet and you might notice a difference in not only your under-eye puffs, but your skin in general. When it comes to the liquids you drink, avoid cokes, sodas (duh) and an abundance of alcohol and replace these with water, teas and green juice, of course. Exercise can also help, because when you sweat, you are removing salt from the body.
Hypoallergenic Beauty
If you suffer from allergies, make sure you switch to hypoallergenic beauty products and laundry detergents. The Honest Company is a great resource for hypoallergenic home cleaning products and laundry detergents. They have everything from baby supplies and bug sprays to deodorants and detergents. Make sure that you are sleeping on a hypoallergenic pillowcase and wash it a few times a week.
The Quick Fix
What to do before work or a big night out:
Apply a compress
Steep two tea bags (I’m a huge fan of Kusmi) in hot water for three to five minutes, let them cool by placing them in the refrigerator, and then place one over each eye. You can always multitask and apply a facemask before applying the tea bags to get your skin feeling rejuvenated too. Cucumbers are also good de-puffers! Place one slice on each of your eyelids while lying down. Keep them on your eyes and relax for at least five minutes to let the astringent properties of the cucumber lessen the puffiness. Ironically, salt works as well. Mix a half-teaspoon of salt into a quart of warm water. Dip cotton balls into the solution, and then place them on your eyelids while lying down for ten minutes.
Apply a mask
We are all familiar with the face mask, but that delicate area around the eyes is one of the telltale signs of stress and fatigue. I LOVE Klorane’s Soothing Eye Patches as well as the Tatcha Deep Hydration Eye Mask, because they’re super easy to apply and perfect for travel. If they say “leave on for twenty minutes,” apply for one hour.
Treat
When all else fails, make sure you have the appropriate skincare and makeup products on hand to deflect light and brighten the eye area. I am obsessed with One Love Organics Vitamin E Eye Balm! A powerful blend of vitamins A, D and E, plus active antioxidants, this luxurious, intensely hydrating waterless eye balm melts into skin. It’s composed of organic fennel, a natural anti-inflammatory, which helps to reduce puffiness. I couldn’t complete this train of thought without mentioning Verso Eye Serum, which is literally one of the most effective eye creams that I have seen so far for reducing (basically eliminating!) puffiness and darkness. You really need to get involved in this.
Conceal and Brighten
Post eye balm or cream application, apply a few dots of concealer in a shade slightly lighter than your skin tone under the eyes to immediately brighten your complexion. I Love RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up, the lightest shade. Beautycounter’s Touchup Skin Concealer Pen is amazing too, and unlike other concealing products that shift throughout the day, it stays put. The click-pen and brush applicator is perfect for on-the-go beautification. Lastly, top your concealer with a powder to deflect any attention-drawing light. bareMinerals Matte Powder Foundation is simply the best.
