No matter what age you are, the last thing you want are bags under your eyes. While they are not causing alarm, dark circles around your eyes will make you look and feel older – something nobody wants.
So how can we get rid of these unsightly bags? To answer that question, you first have to know why these dark circles form in the first place. There are numerous causes, but generally, as we age, skin tissues around the eyes start to weaken and sag, causing fluid to accumulate under eyes, creating a swollen appearance.
Things such as allergies, eczema, water retention, and sleeping on your face can aggravate the condition. Furthermore, smoking, alcohol, and drugs can also play a part.
Fortunately for us, there are numerous things that you can do to help reduce the appearance of bags under our eyes. 8 of these can be found below:
1. Take it Easy on the Salt
Salt is commonly linked to high blood pressure, but did you know that it can also cause fluid retention and lead to puffiness around the eyes? Therefore, if you use salt, use Himalayan sea salt and in moderation. Avoid highly salty foods such as pizza and some soups, and opt for fresh vegetables instead.
2. Sleep on Your Back
Sleeping on your back will prevent gravity from causing fluid build-up around your eyes. Consider adding an extra pillow under your head as well, but make sure that this extra pillow doesn’t affect your sleep – if you don’t get enough sleep, those dark circles under your eyes will only get worse.
Leaving eye makeup on during the night will irritate your eyes, causing them to water and get puffy. Therefore, you should make sure to remove your eye makeup before going to sleep in order to eliminate any added irritation around the eyes.
4. Limit or Eliminate Alcohol
Alcohol dehydrates your body and skin. This dehydration will often cause the delicate area around your eyes to appear sunken and dark. To add to this, alcohol can cause bloodshot, tired eyes. Therefore, if you’re looking to avoid bags under your eyes you should take it easy on the alcohol and drink no more than one glass per day. It’s best if you drink lots of water instead.
5. Put Those Cigarettes Down for Good
Smoking dries out and weakens your skin. In particular, it causes premature aging around the eyes. The many chemicals found in cigarettes are toxic and cause irritation around the eyes, which could result in dark circles and a wrinkled, droopy appearance.
If you have swollen and puffy eyes, try a cold compress. Not only will this help to reduce puffy eyes, it can be very relaxing as well. You can do this by using chilled spoons, cucumber slices, or dampened tea bags with some lavender essential oil added.
7. Avoid That Sunshine
Overdoing it in the sun can make the skin around your eyes sag and wrinkle. Some sunscreen, a good pair of UV-protective glasses, and a hat can do wonders to protect your face from harmful rays, ultimately preventing the skin around the eyes from darkening.
8. Get More Collagen into Your Diet
Collage is the most abundant protein in our bodies – it’s found in bones, muscles, tendons, and skin. It helps to give our skin strength and elasticity, and helps replace any dead skin cells. As we age, our body’s collagen production begins to slow down, causing baggy eyes. Therefore, increasing collagen levels can help your skin look firmer, increase smoothness, and help renew skin cells. To increase your collagen intake, you can try adding chicken broth to your diet or taking collagen supplements.
Source: thescienceofeating
