How to get rid of those tired eyes

It doesn’t take much. A later than usual night out, a high pollen count, or an episode of “This Is Us” can produce that raccoon eye look or bags under your peepers. You can certainly embrace the bags and as you follow our guide, you’ll discover some people are just naturally predisposed to this look. Word on the street: A little shadow and swell is the new sexy. But if you do have a reason to brighten up your skin and reduce puffiness, we have some remedies for you.

"The No BS Guide to Relieving and Concealing Tired Eyes”

Why do we get dark circles or puffiness?

The biggest answer to this, especially for those of you who have tried every trick in the book, is genetics. If you’ve always had sunken eyes or dark circles, also called periorbital hyperpigmentation, the condition could be a part of your genetics. Likewise, permanent under-eye pouches may be a facial feature you’ve inherited. Here’s why these attributes get accentuated.

Under-eye bags 

Puffy lower lids or bags happen when the tissue there fills with water. As you age, the fatty tissue held within the socket and upper lid can fall, causing even more fluid retention in that area. Puffiness is often most prominent when taking the morning’s first look in the mirror. That’s because fluid had a chance to pool during sleep. Bags tend to diminish after you’ve been vertical for a bit.


Dark circles

Although dark circles can show up for many reasons, most people tend to have a slightly deeper coloring around the eyes, simply because the thinner skin there stretches over a conglomeration of purple vessels and muscle.


Other potential explanations for dark or puffy eyes

  • allergies 
  • crying 
  • eye strain 
  • fluid retention 
  • hormonal changes 
  • lack of sleep 
  • sleeping position 
  • medications 
  • smoking 
  • skin irritation 
  • sun exposure 
  • pigmentation variation

‘‘Cut that late-night Netflix binge short, or do whatever possible to get a few more Zzz’s. If you still notice the a.m. eye bloat or blue coloring, prop your head slightly while you sleep. ”

Consider eye cream

An eye cream can do wonders for tired, sagging eyes with dark circles, keep an “eye” out for the following ingredients for maximum result.

  • Caffeine. The benefits of caffeine are worth repeating. Caffeine, works in eye creams to combat dark circles and puffiness by temporarily reducing blood flow to the area. 
  • Retinol and peptides. You might already have some familiarity with these skin care ingredients. They help stimulate collagen and thicken the skin, making underlying blood vessels less noticeable and restoring skin firmness. 
  • Niacinamide. A little of this skin-brightening ingredient can go a long way toward waking up tired eyes. 
  • Hyaluronic acid. this moisturizing ingredient can hydrate the skin and offer pro-aging support by smoothing the look of fine lines and crepey skin. 
  • Vitamin K. this antioxidant has anti-inflammatory properties and may help improve circulation.


Give your eyes a tap massage

By tapping your index and middle fingers in a gentle circle around your sockets and across your brows and cheekbones, you can enhance lymph drainage. This may help even out skin tone and reduce inflammation. 

Instructions: 

  • Do this massage with an eye cream for at least 30 seconds. 
  • Embrace the pressure, but don’t rub or push too hard.


Apply under-eye patches for a boost

Under-eye patches are a newer trend for pampering the skin around your eyes.  They offer more of a quick fix,  a helping hand after a spirited night out, if you will. Not sure how to pick your patch? Opt for eye-friendly ingredients, like retinol and hyaluronic acid. 


Grab the color-correcting concealer

Concealers only help camouflage dark circles. In other words, they won’t help reduce puffiness. That’s why we recommend using an eye cream with a concealer. Apply an eye cream to help treat the cause and the symptoms, then use concealer to address any lingering darkness. “Concealer will apply more smoothly onto hydrated skin,“ So, applying a hydrating eye cream helps prime the skin for concealer application.” When you’re in a pinch, concealer alone can still make a difference. So, when that important meeting or event sneaks up on you, reach for a little color-correcting concealer.


HOW TO PREVENT TIRED EYES

By isolating the cause, you can take measures to reduce the prominence of purpling and swelling.


Ramp up your snooze time

Cut that late-night Netflix binge short, or do whatever possible to get a few more Zzz’s. If you still notice the a.m. eye bloat or blue coloring, prop your head slightly while you sleep. Sleeping with your head slightly elevated can help prevent fluid from pooling in the periorbital area.


Apply a cold washcloth

We suggests applying a cold washcloth to your eyes to help lessen the “I just woke up” look. This helps by causing vasoconstriction (constriction of blood vessels), which helps relieve puffiness and skin discoloration. Plus, it can have an overall soothing effect, and you don’t have to dig through your fridge for fresh cucumbers. Pro tip: An ice pack works well, too, if you don’t want a water mess on your face. Just be sure to wrap it in a soft cloth to protect your eyes.


‘‘ Excessive time staring at screens may cause eye strain. This happens, in part, due to engorgement of the blood vessels surrounding your eyes, which can lead to, as you might have guessed, dark circles."

Try eye exercises

Eye strain can contribute to tired eyes, by lowering the production of naturally lubricating tears and contributing to dry eyes. Taking periodic breaks from screen time and doing eye exercises may help reduce eye strain and therefore help eyes to function normally by producing lubricating tears, reducing dryness, redness, and bloodshot eyes, Eye exercise can be pretty simple. In fact, one exercise shown below involves just switching up your focus as you sit. 

Figure eight (eye exercise)

  • This exercise should be done from a seated position.  
  • Pick a point on the floor about 10 feet in front of you and focus on it. 
  • Trace an imaginary figure eight with your eyes. 
  • Keep tracing for 30 seconds, then switch directions.


Adjust lights and device screens

Taking breaks from screen time to avoid eye strain can also be helpful, according to Marcus. She adds that keeping your phone or tablet on night mode decreases exposure to blue light, which can help improve the quality of your sleep.


Wear blue light glasses

If night mode doesn’t do much to keep your tablet or device from shining bright like a diamond, blue light glasses may ease the strain.


Take screen breaks

Excessive time staring at screens may cause eye strain. This happens, in part, due to engorgement of the blood vessels surrounding your eyes, which can lead to, as you might have guessed, dark circles. Make time for little breaks to give your eyes a much-needed vacay: 

  • Try the 20/20/20 rule. Turn your eyes away from your screen every 20 minutes. Spend 20 seconds focusing on something at least 20 feet away. 
  • Get up and move. After every hour of screen time, stand up, stretch, and walk around for at least 5 minutes.

THE EYE CREAM (AND MORE)

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Taking care of your skin is so much more than just a face cream you put on your face. We love to share our knowledge with you. The Read is our way of showing you we care about your skin, body and mind