It’s not really a pleasant sight to wake up first thing in the morning only to see your reflection staring back at you with deep under-eye bags. Bags under the eyes occur when the skin of the periorbital area right under your eyes stretch and sag down. As a result, it may look like you have droopy eyes, making you seem either exhausted or older than your age. In this article, we shall look at natural methods to get rid of bags under your eyes.
While it is commonly believed to be a sign that you are getting older, under-eye bags can occur to anyone, regardless of their age.
Causes for Bags Under Your Eyes:
The most common cause for under-eye bags to occur is the natural process of aging. The ligaments that hold back the fatty tissue under the eyes become weaker with age. This fat can fall forward to create these bags under the eyes. Sometimes, eye bags are simply hereditary facial features. Other reasons for the bags under your eyes to occur can be:
- Excess fluids beneath the eyes.
- Lack of sleep
- Allergies
- Sinus infections
- Hormonal imbalances
- Excessive caffeine or sodium in diet
- Smoking
- Strain on the eyes; such as working for long hours in front of a computer.
Ways to Get Rid of Bags Under Your Eyes:
For the bags under your eyes, there are a number of remedies that exist to reduce this swelling. While many under eye creams and hemorrhoid creams have the ability to reduce under-eye bags, they can have harmful effects on our skin. Many of these creams contain steroids, which can trigger diseases such as glaucoma and aggravate or cause cataracts. In lieu of this, there are many home remedies to get rid of bags under eyes naturally.
1. Cure Bags Under Your Eyes with Water
Sometimes the bags under your eyes can be caused by fluid retention, which pushes the blood vessels to the surface under the skin. And since the skin under the eyes is delicate and thin, this swelling is more prominent. One reason for the excess fluid retention is the unrestricted intake of salt in our diets. Another reason is that when we sleep, there is a slowing down of the circulatory system. As a result, excess fluids are not flushed out and accumulate under the eyes. People who sleep on their stomachs are more prone to this than those who do not.
- Drink one glass of water in the morning soon after you wake up. Doing this will ensure that there is a decrease of fluid retention in your body. And so this can get rid of bags under your eyes. Staying hydrated by drinking water has the added benefit of flushing out any toxins from your body.
- Avoid dehydrating substances like caffeine and carbonated drinks. Also, avoid junk food and other such food that is high in its sodium content.
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol, especially at night. Alcohol dehydrates the skin and body. Drink plenty of water instead.
2. Tea to Cure Bags Under Your Eyes
Tea is one of the best-known sources of antioxidants. Especially relevant for this is green tea. Tannins, the other major compound found in tea, is considered a natural astringent. Both these properties helps to increase blood circulation in the body. As a result, you can get rid of the bags under your eyes following these steps:
- Chill 2 used green tea or chamomile tea bags in the refrigerator.
- Leave them into chill for 20-30 minutes and then place them over each eye.
- After leaving them on for 10-15 minutes, remove and rinse the area with cool water.
- Repeat this treatment 2 times every day over the span of 3 weeks.
3. Cold Compress to Cure Bags Under Your Eyes Fast
Using a cold compress to reduce inflammations is a classic and time-tested home remedy. The cold shrinks blood vessels and reduces inflammation. Although this is the fastest method to get rid of bags under eyes, it is a temporary one. Nevertheless, follow this procedure to instantly treat bags under your eyes:
- Make your own cold compress by placing a few ice cubes in a plastic bag. Alternatively, you can wrap them in a clean towel or a handkerchief. A bag of frozen peas is also a good substitute for a cold compress.
- Lean your head back and relax. Now place this compress under your eyes.
- Keep switching eyes when one gets too cold to bear. Do this for 10-15 minutes straight or till there is a reduction in the bags under your eyes.
- Repeat this any time required.
4. Cucumbers to Cure Bags Under Your Eyes Naturally
This method is a classic home remedy for skin care. Most skin care routines recommend the use of cucumbers for a number of reasons. Cucumbers contain vital enzymes and astringent properties to treat the skin. Using this vegetable will help reduce inflammations, as well as tighten the skin. It is also one of the easiest and inexpensive methods to get rid of bags under your eyes.
- Take a fresh cucumber and cut into thick slices. Place these into the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Over each eye, place a slice of chilled cucumber and leave them on for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes is up, wash your face thoroughly with cool water.
- Repeat this every day for a week. Then thrice a week for 3 weeks after.
5. Get Rid of Bags Under Your Eyes with Milk
Raw milk has antioxidants and enzymes that help to reduce the swelling under the eyes naturally. But especially relevant are the amino acids present in milk. These help in repairing and strengthening damaged skin tissues. As a result, the skin becomes soft and supple again.
- Take half a cup of raw milk and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
- Soak some cotton balls in this chilled milk and apply to the bags under your eyes.
- Keep them in place till the cotton balls warm up.
- Repeat this procedure twice each day for a span of 2 weeks.
6. Strawberry Remedy for Bags Under Your Eyes
Strawberries contain beneficial compounds that help to tighten and clear up the skin. A particular compound in strawberries, called alpha-hydroxy, helps to reduce swelling. Especially relevant are the vitamin C and antioxidants present in strawberries that help build collagen.
- Place fresh strawberries in the refrigerator and chill them for a few hours.
- Slice the chilled strawberries and place them under and around the eyes.
- Leave them for 15 minutes and then wash the area with cool water.
- You can repeat this procedure once every day for a week.
7. Mint and Tomato Cure for Bags Under Your Eyes
This nightshade is packed with essential Vitamins A and B, as well as carotene. Tomatoes actually contain 4 types of the nutrient, carotene, that are individually beneficial to our health. But together, they have a wonderful synergy. These various nutrients and vitamins are essential to nourish and protect our eyes. Mint, as well, is good for eye treatments as it has cooling properties that will soothe irritation and reduce inflammation. Together, mint and tomato are an excellent home remedy to get rid of bags under your eyes.
- Peel half a tomato and cut into chunks. Grind some fresh mint leaves together with this to form a paste.
- Apply this paste with a cotton ball under your eyes. Leave it on for 5-7 minutes and let the juices be absorbed by your skin.
- Wash it off carefully with cool water and pat the skin dry.
- Alternatively, mix together 1 tablespoon of fresh mint juice and 1 tablespoon of fresh tomato juice. Dab this on under your eyes with a cotton ball soaked in this solution. Let it dry for 3-5 minutes and wash away with cool water.
8. Avocado Treatment for Bags Under Your Eyes
One other inexpensive way to treat bags under your eyes is to use avocado. Not only is it a delicious fruit, avocados are brimming with natural properties that are beneficial for our health. In fact, it has been used in numerous beauty regimens. There exists a variety of avocado-based beauty products. And avocados are a good home remedy for bags under your eyes. The natural fats and vitamin B present in avocados leave the skin soft, smooth and nourished.
- Peel one avocado and remove the pit.
- Slice one of the halves into ¼ inch length crescents.
- Now lie back and place these crescents under your eyes. Leave them on for 20 minutes, and let your skin absorb all that avocado-goodness.
- Afterward, remove the slices from your face. Using your ring finger gently rub the leftover oils into the skin. Then wash the area with cool water and pat dry.
9. Salt to Get Rid of Bags Under Your Eyes
We know that having too much salt results in water retention in our bodies. This water retention causes various parts of our body to bloat, appearing fatter than it really is. This works because fluids will be pulled from low-sodium parts of our bodies to the parts with high sodium content. A prime example of this is the area under the eyes.
- Control the amount of salt you add to your diet. Fluid retention tends to show first on the face for many people. By regulating the salt content your chances to get rid of bags under your eyes increases exponentially.
- Avoid salt or salty foods in the night. The time when you sleep is when your body is at rest. This means the circulatory system is slower and it does not clear up excess fluids fast enough. As a result, in the morning when you wake up, you will probably have bags under your eyes.
- Cut junk food and other processed foods from your diet. Not only are they high in commercial sodium, but also they have other substances that are harmful to our bodies and health.
10. Collagen to Treat Bags Under Your Eyes
Collagen is a protein found in our muscles, bones, tendons, and skin. This protein is the most abundant one in our body. It is responsible for the elasticity and strength of our skin and replaces dead skin cells. It maintains the smoothness and suppleness of the skin and promotes that youthful look. Once we start to age, the collagen production in our body slows down. So to get rid of bags under your eyes, or at least prolong it from happening, you can increase the collagen intake via your diet.
- Introduce more red fruits and vegetables into your diet. Fruits and vegetables enriched with Vitamin C are natural sources of collagen. Especially relevant is the presence of antioxidants, like lycopene, in these red fruits that increase collagen. Add these to your diet: apples, cherries, oranges, red potatoes, red beets, strawberries, red peppers, and such.
- Another vegetable that is excellent to promote collagen in your body is cabbage. It is one of the best-known vegetables to contain collagen producing agents. Cabbage contains various antioxidants and phytonutrients that help to boost hydration and elasticity of the skin. There are many varieties of cabbage to try out, so there is little chance of getting bored with this. Some of the varieties to try: red drumhead cabbage, walking-stick cabbage, Portugal cabbage, cannonball cabbage, bok choy, and napa cabbage.
