Entries Tagged as 'under eye bags'

Top 10 Ways to Get Rid of Dark Circles

Dark circles can be a big annoyance for some people. Whether the cause is allergies, tiredness or just heredity, there are ways to reduce the appearance of these dark demons! Follow these simple eye skin care tricks

Step 1: KNOW YOUR ALLERGIES- It is essential to know what you are allergic to so you can eliminate that problem altogether. Be sure to check everything from a seasonal allergy, food allergy, pet allergy and anything that could possibly trigger an allergic reaction. An allergy that causes dark circles, which is commonly overlooked is gluten. Be very through when checking these over!

Step 2: GET PLENTY OF SHUT EYE- It’s common knowledge that not getting enough sleep results in those nasty dark circles under your eyes. You need to determine how much sleep your body needs and then get your body into a routine! The normal body needs between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Keep in mind that alcohol and drugs negatively affect your sleeping patterns!

Step 3: USE FACIAL PRODUCTS BEFORE BED- There are tons of great night facial creams and masks out there. They can help reduce the appearance of discoloration and puffiness. You can find recipes to make your own face mask! Another trick for your skin before you go to bed is to take a washcloth and wet it with cold water. Squeeze all excess water out and place it over your eyes while you sleep.

Step 4: CUCUMBERS, TEA BAGS AND ICE CUBES-Any one of these items can help reduce the appearance of swelling and puffiness. Tea bags have tannin and this ingredient helps reduce discoloration and swelling. Cucumber slices are used to diminish puffiness and help to make your eyes look refreshed. Try doing either of these treatments in the morning and be sure to lie down. Make sure the caffeinated tea bags are damp and the cucumber slices cool. Usually 10-15 minutes will do the trick!

Step 5: FROZEN Q-TIP- Try wetting a cotton swap and then placing it in the freezer. Once frozen, take it out and gently wipe it under your eyes where the dark circles are appearing. This technique helps to relax your eyes and the surrounding skin. When using the cotton swab, close your eyes and try not to flinch.

Step 6: GET EYE CREAM WITH RETINOL AND VITAMIN K- There are an abundance of eye creams out there. When selecting your skin care product, be sure the ingredients “retinol” and “vitamin K” are in there! These 2 ingredients have been proven to reduce discoloration and puffy eyes. The best results come from long-term daily use. Find the best eye creams for you.

Step 7: STOP THAT EYE RUBBING- Allergies are a common reason for eye rubbing. When you rub your eyes, it irritates the skin and can lead to broken capillaries. This causes both puffy eyes and discoloration. Next time you start to rub your eyes, STOP in your tracks!

Step 8: EAT A WELL-BALANCED MEAL AND DRINK LOTS OF WATER- If you aren’t eating the right foods, then you aren’t getting the proper vitamins and minerals your body needs! Be sure to include a variety of fruits and vegetables, especially cabbage, spinach and other green, leafy vegetables. If you aren’t the vegetable type, you can supplement a vitamin in order to get the necessary nutrition. Drinking water helps to improve circulation!

Step 9: CUT OUT THE SALT-Excess salt can cause your body to keep water in unusual places, including under your eyes! This results in puffy eyes. Too much salt can also impede your circulation, which causes your blood vessels under your skin to appear bluer. Moral of the story, cut back on the salt!

Step 10: NO SMOKING- Not only does smoking threaten your life, it causes vascular problems that make your blood vessels appear more prominent. Like excess salt, they make your veins look bluer!

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Eye Wrinkle Cream for Sensitive or Allergy-Prone Eyes

A reader recently commented on one of my posts saying that allergies are making her eyes red and itchy and causing excessive puffiness and eye wrinkles when she wakes up in the morning. She also said that eye wrinkle creams seem to be making the symptoms worse. If this is the case, take a good look at the ingredients list on these eye wrinkle creams. You may be having an allergic reaction to one or more of the ingredients. I would definitely suggest talking to your doctor to determine if the products are causing a reaction.

If your current eye wrinkle cream often irritates your eyes, stop using it immediately. You may want to consider a chemical-free product, such as the Juice Beauty line. These products are made of 95% certified organic ingredients without pesticides, parabens or other harmful toxins. Juice Beauty makes a great eye wrinkle cream called Juice Beauty Green Apple Nutrient Eye Cream.

Juice Beauty Green Apple Nutrient Eye Cream

It contains vitamin E and avocado oil to hydrate the eye area, green tea and cucumber oil to decrease puffy eyes, vitamin C to brighten and protect the skin, and vitamin A to stimulate cell regeneration and reduce eye wrinkles.

Another natural tip is to place cool green tea bags over your eyes. Place two tea bags in hot water, then remove the tea bags and let them cool. Once they are cool, prop your neck and shoulders up on a few pillows to allow gravity to reduce the fluid that has gathered under your eyes. Then place a tea bag on each eye lid and lie there for 5-10 minutes. This not only helps decrease eye puffiness, but it also helps sooth the eye area, making it a great homemade treatment for those with itchy allergy-prone eyes.

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How to Fake a Good Nights Sleep: Part 1

According to the National Institute of Health, 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders. If you’re one of these people, a new mom or just a busy person in general, you know what it’s like to lose sleep. It’s not always a pretty picture in the morning - accentuated eye wrinkles, red, puffy eyes, dark circles and a dull, lifeless complexion. So, if you truly can’t get the recommended 8 hours of sleep, how can you alleviate these symptoms of sleeplessness? Fake it!

Allure Magazine and The Today Show shared the following tips to faking a good nights sleep:

- When you wake up, do 10 or more jumping jacks to get your body moving. This also helps to move the fluid that has retained around your eyes during the night causing puffy eyes and under eye bags.

- Take a cold shower or place your face in a bowl of ice cold water. It will help stimulate the body and wake you up.  Also, try using peppermint body wash.  (I don’t know about you, but the idea of taking a cold shower would keep me in bed all day. Talk about unpleasant!  If you’re like me and this tip is just too horrific to endure in the morning, take a shower that is at least a few degrees cooler than your normal shower.)

- Use an exfoliating scrub to remove dead skin cells and brighten your complexion. (With regular use, this also helps reduce the appearance of eye wrinkles.)

- Apply a moisturizer that has little bit of self tanner in it, such as Olay Touch of Sun.

Olay Complete Touch Of Sun Daily Uv Facial Moisturizer Plus A Touch Of Sunless Tanner 2.5oz

From personal experience, this Olay moisturizer is awesome. Not only does it have moisturizing vitamin E and protecting spf 15, but it really does give just a “touch” of a tan look that can be built up over multiple uses. On a side note, I also highly recommend Olay eye wrinkle products. I especially like the Olay ProX Anti Aging Starter Protocol, which contains Age Repair Lotion SPF 30, Eye Restoration Complex and Wrinkle Smoothing Cream.

Check back next week for more tips on faking a good nights sleep, including how to dramatically reduce eye puffiness and use makeup to make eyes look more awake.  Until then, sweet dreams!

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How to Reduce Puffy Eyes from Allergies

I live in one of the worst places for allergies, and lately I’ve seen many people - myself included! - with red, puffy eyes and inflamed under eye bags.  If you also suffer from allergies, don’t give in to the temptation to rub those itchy eyes!  First, consult your physician on the best way to relieve the irritation.  The skin around your eyes is the thinnest, most delicate on your face, and rubbing or stretching this skin will break down the skin’s collagen and elastin, leading to premature eye wrinkles and sagging.  Then, click on the video below to learn how to reduce those puffy eyes.



How to reduce puffy eyes

The only thing I recommend doing differently is to use your ring finger, rather than your middle finger, to blend in eye wrinkle cream.  Your ring finger is a weaker digit, so you will put less pressure on that delicate under eye skin.

The eye pads referred to in this video are Shiseido Benefiance Pure Retinol Instant Treatment Eye Mask pads.  The ginseng extract in these pads helps tighten the skin and reduce puffiness, and the retinol, a vitamin A derivative, helps to smooth eye wrinkles.  They’re also great for lightening dark circles, another common symptom of allergies. 

 

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