Zap Those Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles

In all the recent hoopla about my wedding, my mom has been going round in circles, up the hills and down the valleys in every given direction at all times of the day.

Enter: dark circles and puffy eyes.

Exactly when she needs to look her best, she is suffering from the dreaded duo of Dastardliness :P

So here are a couple of quick fixes I’ve been working on for all those ladies who like to stay up late but dread the undereye bags the next day.

Haemorrhoid cream

Models, actresses and performers have reduced puffiness and wrinkles with haemorrhoid cream for years—the stuff tightens puffy areas quickly and reduces wrinkles.

The odour of the cream can be too strong for some people in which case mix a bit of a strong scented cream into it before applying.  Be careful not to get any of the cream in your eyes.

Tea

This is one I’m sure most of us know about even if we haven’t used it before.

Caffeinated tea, which contains natural tannins, has long been used by runway models for reducing eye puffiness. Soak two tea bags in warm water, and then chill the bags for a few minutes in the refrigerator. Place one tea bag on each eye for five minutes, and your eyes will feel fresh.

Avocado

For many people, tiredness causes dark circles under the eyes and that can add years to their appearance. If you can’t catch up on your rest, place slices of ripe avocado under each eye. It works even better if you can grate the avocado and place it under the eyes.

Teething rings

Babies come with sleepless nights and dawn feedings, leaving mums tired, sleep deprived and severely bag eyed and panda looking.

Fortunately babies also come with teething rings! Put two gel-filled baby teething rings in the freezer until they’re ice cold, then lie down and place the rings on your closed eyelids for about 10 minutes. The cold will not only reduce eye puffiness but invigorate you, too. Make sure to sanitize the rings before offering it to your precious snookums!

Potato and Milk

Grate some raw potato and mix with milk before placing it under your eyes for about 20 minutes. It works better if the mixture is cold. Your eyes will feel refreshed and decidedly less puffy.

This can also prevent dark circles and puffy eyes if used over a period of time.

Spoons for the Office Party

What if you are invited to go out with some colleagues after work and don’t know how to wave away those bags left behind by the long day?? No groceries to help ya there!!

Grab two spoons from the break room, chill them in the freezer or place them under cold tap water till chilled and place them on your eyes for 10 min. Viola! Fresher looking eyes instantly!.......well not instantly but you know what I mean :P

   

These are some simple, no side effect remedies to help your DDD (dreaded duo of dastardliness). Over a period of use they also help in prevention rather than just cure.

For those who already have advanced case of the DDD applying a paste of ground almonds and milk will also help to lighten the dark shadows and provide relief.

Also try these fixes:

1. Switch your sleep position. Your sleep position may be contributing to those under-eye bags. Thanks to gravity, sleeping on your side or stomach can encourage fluids to collect under your eyes. If you're a side sleeper, you may notice a heavier bag on the side you sleep on. 
2. Don't smoke, and always apply a sunscreen around the eye area. Smoking and exposure to UV rays both weaken collagen and cause premature wrinkling and sagging.
3. Apply a moisturizer to the eye area nightly. 
4. Add a prescription retinoic acid - the vitamin A cream that goes by the generic name tretinoin - to your daily skin care regimen.

So if you suffer from bags or dark circles under the eyes then get started with some of these options and make sure your eyes are the topic of conversation this wedding season!

Photo Courtesy: 

The Official Scope Magazine Blog

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/

http://thehappyhousewife.com/

http://www.toofeze.com/