A good cup of Joe can be a great way to start most days at home or at work. Wearing a coffee mask is better as it has the potential to provide effective relief from puffiness and dark circles under your eyes.
For all those of you who’ve unsuccessfully tried to conceal your eye bags with makeup, a do it yourself (DIY) coffee mask is a wonderful home remedy that you’d do well to try. Before you go about covering your face in coffee, you need to know what causes puffy eyes and what are the different methods that you can use to treat it.
Causes Of Puffy Eyes And Dark Circles
As you grow older, the tissues and muscles around your eyes weaken. Consequently, natural fats and fluids slide down to your lower eyelids, making it look puffy and swollen. You can have puffy eyes or “eye bags” because of poor sleeping habits – if you’ve pulled an all-nighter, had little sleep, or are harboring a hangover. Allergies and chronic sinusitis can also cause dark circles.
Stress because of work or staring at a computer screen for far too long can make your eyes look swollen and puffy. A bad diet dominated by salty food, hormonal issues and using skin irritants like cosmetics or perfumes can also play a role in you developing eye bags. At times, you could just be prone to having puffy eyes as a genetic condition.1
Can Coffee Treat Puffy Eyes And Dark Circles?
Caffeine, the main ingredient in coffee, exhibits anti-inflammatory and soothing properties.2It reduces inflammation and soothes the skin under your eyes. As an antioxidant, coffee also reduces the effect of ultraviolet (UV) rays on the sensitive eye area and fights free radicals that cause aging.
When your eyes are puffy or you have dark circles, coffee shrinks your blood vessels and stimulates proper blood and oxygen circulation around your eyes. Coffee can get easily absorbed in to your skin and acts as a natural diuretic. It reduces puffiness by drawing out water from under your eyes.
Different Coffee Masks To Use
1. Ground Coffee, Black Pepper, And Coconut Oil
Ground coffee possesses excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It reduces inflammation in your eyes and tightens your skin. Black pepper, on the other hand, stimulates blood circulation and proper oxygen supply to your eyes while coconut oil moisturizes your skin and reduces swelling or puffiness.
Directions
- Add a pinch of black pepper powder to a teaspoon of freshly ground coffee.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil and some water to it.
- Stir the mixture, make it a paste, and apply it under your eyes carefully.
- Leave it on for 5-10 minutes and then wipe it off gently with a wet tissue.
- Now, dry your skin and apply some moisturizer to the sensitive area.
- Repeat this process until you’re relieved from puffy eyes and dark circles.
2. Ground Coffee, Alore Vera, And Vitamin E Oil
While coffee tightens your skin and soothes puffy eyes, aloe vera acts as a great moisturizer and reduces pigmentation under your eyes. Additionally, vitamin E oil reduces inflammation in your eyes and prevents dark circles from popping up now and again.
Directions
- Mix 1 tablespoon of ground coffee, a teaspoon each of aloe vera and vitamin E oil in a bowl.
- Stir the mixture, make a paste, and apply it as a thick layer under your eyes.
- Leave it on for 15-20 minutes and then wipe it off gently with a wet tissue.
- Wash the area with cold water and dry it completely.
- Repeat this process until the puffiness and dark circles under your eyes disappear.
You can also use honey in place of aloe vera to prepare this coffee eye mask. In this case, you need to leave the mask on for about 7-10 minutes and then wipe it off using a wet tissue.
3. Ground Coffee And Egg White
Egg white is rich in vitamins and proteins. Besides tightening your skin and making it more firm, egg white helps reduce puffiness under your eyes too. A powerful combination of ground coffee and egg white is highly effective in treating dark circles under your eyes.
Directions
- Separate the egg white from an egg and whip it thoroughly.
- Mix 2 teaspoons of ground coffee with the egg white
- Stir the mixture completely and apply the paste around your eyes.
- Leave it on for 7-10 minutes and then wipe it off gently with a wet tissue.
- Use the same technique repeatedly to ensure relief from puffy eyes and dark circles.
As an equally good alternative, you can also use yoghurt in place of egg white for a coffee eye mask. Remember to leave this paste on for 15-20 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water. This mask is highly useful to de-puff your eyes.
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