How to Treat Puffy Eyes Naturally

Puffy eyes are rarely cause for concern, except for how they age our appearance. Sometimes they signal an underlying medical condition, but most of the time, puffy eyes result from allergies or lifestyle factors such as diet, smoking or alcohol and caffeine consumption. The Mayo Clinic suggests that sleeping sufficiently, drinking plenty of water and limiting salt and caffeine intake can mitigate symptoms. Alleviating nasal congestion with a saline rinse and sleeping with your head elevated can also help. Cosmetically speaking, there are some simple things you can do to reduce puffy eyes. Jannell Brown, health educator and owner of the holistic Sol Spa in Chatham, Mass., says, in general, puffiness should be treated with cold because it results from fluid retention. Brown offers these simple tips to reduce puffiness:

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• chamomile or rose tea bags
• eye gel mask
• eye cream with collagen

1. Cool tea bags. Moisten two chamomile or rose tea bags with cold water and place over the eyes for 10 minutes. Or moisten several bags and place in freezer. Use directly from freezer as needed.

2. Gel masks. Available at neighborhood drug stores and online, inexpensive gel masks worn over the eyes as directed for 10 minutes can reduce puffiness.

3. Eye creams with collagen. A naturally occurring substance in the body, collagen is responsible for the skin’s elasticity. As we age, collagen is depleted. Using a collagen cream around the eyes will help “even out” the puffiness, Brown says.

Tips & Warnings

• Treatments can be applied any time, but they are best applied just before you go to bed so that the body has time to absorb them in a restful state. Brown says you should see results almost immediately.
• If puffiness persists, occurs under just one eye or elsewhere in the body, see your doctor.