Under eye puffiness or ‘bags under the eyes’ in one of the most common beauty complaints for many reasons. Firstly, they make you look tired and may accentuate the signs of ageing. Secondly, they are notoriously difficult to camouflage. Makeup might help with the discolouration, but it won’t take away the puffiness.
The reason this area is so temperamental is due to how thin our skin is in this part of the face. From as early as 25, the skin begins to loose collagen and elastin. This causes our skin to become loose, saggy and prone to puffiness. The area under the eyes in the worst affected. Meaning that any type of inflammation in the body shows up as puffiness under the eyes, as there is no fat or muscle to make up for the lack of collagen and elastin.
Bags under eyes can appear at any age, and for a variety of different reasons. A few simple lifestyle changes, in conjunction with our anti-inflammatory eye oil containing Rose and Roman Chamomile Essential Oils will help to reduce puffiness under the eyes. Leaving you looking and feeling more refreshed and well rested every day.
This post explores some of the reasons for under eye bags, as well the ways to resolve them.
Dehydration
The human body is made up of 60% water. Which means staying hydrated is essential to all our physiological functions. Despite constant messaging for us to be drinking more water, the many of adults in the UK are chronically dehydrated without even realising it. Adult women are recommended to drink at least 2L of water a day and adult men 2.5L. This amount increases if you are active. Dehydration is one of the main causes of both dark rings and bags under the eyes. Drinking more water is one of the most effective and cheapest beauty ‘hacks’ around.
How to drink more water
- If you find water too bland, try adding some fresh fruit, such as berries, lemons and perhaps some fresh mint to a jug of water and drink from that instead. Non-caffeinated herbal tea without milk or sugar also contributes o your daily intake.
- Invest in a 1L jug and make sure you refill it once a day and that it’s finished by the end. This is an easy way to make sure you are reaching the minimum target.
- Start your day by downing at least 2 glasses of water upon waking. Preferably more if you can! This is when your body need water the most and by crossing off two of the eight glasses before breakfast, you’ll be off to a good start.
Lack of Sleep
Getting more sleep is the world’s number one health hack. Yet it also seems to be the thing that we struggle most with. Insomnia affects … in the UK. Not getting enough sleep causes us to feel tired and look tired, and it is the main culprit for those pesky eye bags.
How to get more sleep
- Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. You body enjoys routine and by establishing a regular sleep pattern you will find you fall asleep faster and wake up more easily.
- Turn off electronics at least 2 hours before bed. The blue light emitted by our electronic devices causes our brain to think it’s daytime, messing with our natural Circadian rhythm. In addition, blue light inhibits our production of melatonin, the hormone that makes us sleepy.
- Eating an earlier dinner means that your body won’t be working so hard to digest your food while you’re trying to sleep. Sleep is the body’s time to rest and repair, not rest and digest. Stopping eating at least 2 hours before bed will not only assist your body in sleeping better, but also in healing damaged cells.
Excess Sodium
Too much salt in our diet causes us to retain water. And this shows up in the delicate area under our eyes. Even if you aren’t consciously adding salt to your foot, if you eat out a lot, eat ready meals or processed food, chances are your sodium intake is higher than you think. Ideally, adults should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium each day. That’s only just over half a teaspoon of salt! As you can imagine, many of us are consuming far more than that.
How to Cut back on Salt
- Follow the 90/10 rule. 90% of your food should be whole and unprocessed, while the other 10% can be whatever you like.
- Home cooking is the key to health. You can have the most virtuous intentions in the world, but if you are eating out at restaurants, even the ‘healthy’ ones, you are eating more salt (and fat and sugar) than you think. Restaurants are in the business of creating dishes that will keep people coming back for more, and the way they do this is with flavour. And how do you create flavour? Salt! If you love eating out, try and stick to the 90/10 rule here also.
- Don’t add salt to your food until you’ve tasted it. This might seem obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how many people are unconsciously in the habit of doing this. The less salt you use, the faster your palate will become accustomed to the natural flavours provided by vegetables and whole grains.
Lifestyle changes are key to reducing and preventing under eye puffiness. Yet certain ingredients when applied to your skin can also help reduce under eye bags. Adding a natural treatment like our under eye oil recipe below is a way to gently and naturally reduce inflammation, as well as boost our skin with vitamin A from the almond oil.
DIY Under Eye Oil Recipe
Ingredients
3 drops of Rose Essential Oil
2 drops of Roman Chamomile
3 teaspoons of Almond Oil
15 ml Dark coloured Glass Bottle
Directions
1. Combine all the ingredients in the 15 ml glass bottle.
2. Swirl it well to blend.
3. Apply 2 drops of blended mixture beneath the eyes and just below the brow bone with your fingertips after cleansing your skin.
4. Avoid eyelid because it can cause irritation. For best results, apply at nighttime, just before bed.
NOTE: Avoid eye contact. Store it in the dark and cool place.