Broken nights are often difficult to hide, and they’re reflected all over your face. Those dark circles and visible bags can appear under your eyes.
Even more so, when you get older, your eyes will tell everything. Sleeping less, eating less healthy, or having restless nights. Maybe you’re wondering why this happens and what you can do about it?
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Puffiness under the eyes cause
The contours around your eyes are extremely fragile. Aside from the fact that the epidermis on this area is two to five times thinner than anywhere else on your face, but also because this skin is used extremely often.
We blink about ten thousand times a day. It’s necessary, but not particularly helpful for a piece of skin that (in itself) has less collagen and elasticity.
Genetic predisposition, UV radiation, stress, and unhealthy food can also cause the skin around your eyes to age more quickly.
Signs of fatigue and aging emerge the fastest here, especially if you don’t take good care of your skin.
What is the difference between puffiness and dark circles?
When people complain about their puffiness, they usually talk about the dark circles under their eyes.
This dark color is often caused by a bad night’s sleep or a lack of moisture if you’re dehydrated. As a result, your skin becomes thinner, and the bluish blood vessels under your skin become more visible.
Puffiness is another thing altogether. Your lower eyelids can look swollen, which can be caused by excess skin or moisture.
Some people have a small eye socket, so the fat under the eye does not fit properly in the socket.
That fat bulges out and forms a wall. As you get older, your skin sags, making it even more prominent.
Although genetic predisposition plays an important role in the development of bags under the eyes, there are often other factors at play, such as too much salt or alcohol and maybe not enough sleep.
→ Read more: Our in-depth guide about facial care for men
How to reduce bags under the eyes?
Fortunately, it is never too late to take better care of the skin around your eyes. A handy step-by-step plan for your daily routine:
- Massage the contours of your eyes when you wake up. Work from the inside out to stimulate circulation, but be careful and never massage too enthusiastically: rubbing too hard can damage the blood vessels, leaving you with dark circles.
- Apply a cold compress on your eyelids. This also stimulates blood circulation, so that excess fluid can be removed more easily.
- Apply a special cream for the contours of your eyes both morning and evening. Clean your face well before applying the cream so that your skin can absorb it as well as possible.
- Make your pillow a little higher when you go to sleep (ensuring your head is at an angle). This will prevent lymph fluid from accumulating around your eyes.
- Use an eye cream that is especially made for the thin skin under the eyes. Pay attention to products with natural ingredients and extracts (see below).
Invest in healthy habits
A good skincare routine is not enough to combat your eye problems. The most important thing is to address the origin of those bags and circles. So tackle unhealthy habits. A few tips:
- Reduce your salt consumption. Salt ensures that you retain moisture. In addition, avoid any food that is full of refined sugars and saturated fats.
- Be moderate with alcohol and drink plenty of water. Think of your skin like a grape; if it gets too little water, it shrivels and discolors.
- Stop smoking. Smoking damages your blood vessels, making them more noticeable and causing that bluish glow under your eye socket. Smoking also accelerates the aging process of the skin.
- Sleep, sleep, sleep. When you are fatigued, your blood circulation slows down which can lead to dark circles.
- Move more. Not only do you feel fitter, but it also improves your blood circulation. And you can see that in your eyes.
The best products against bags under the eyes
If you still suffer from bags under the eyes with the above habits, you can enlist the help of special products.
Creams, especially for bags under the eyes, are formulated with light and skin-friendly extracts that repair and energize delicate skin, usually through added caffeine. Premium products contain a cocktail of vitamins and minerals.
The list below is a selection of best sellers of the moment.
