Puffy eyes can make you look tired and sick even when you aren’t feeling under the weather at all. This can be quite worrying especially if that’s not the impression you want to put forth; whether it’s at work or that important presentation you have. Puffy eyes can be difficult to mask. Fortunately, we’ve got a home remedy with an unusual ingredient that will help reduce their appearance. Potatoes! Before we get into that, let’s try and understand why we get puffy eyes.
Causes Of Puffy Eyes
The main cause of puffy eyes is sagging skin which then collects fluid under the eyes. Another way that puffy eyes can occur is when the fat that normally surrounds the eye starts to droop and collects under it. Here are a few factors that can cause affect puffy eyes.
- Aging which causes the skin to sag.
- Fluid retention because of weather changes or from eating salty foods.
- Allergies which can cause the eyes to swell.
- Heredity which means some people genetically inherit more prominent looking eye bags.
Why Potatoes?
- You may have heard of chilled cucumber slices to reduce puffy eyes. Potatoes are denser so it holds the cold better and for longer.
- Potatoes contain an enzyme called catecholase which has skin lightening properties. This can help reduce dark circles that worsen the appearance of puffy eyes.
- Potatoes are said to have astringent properties, which means that it helps tighten the skin that has sagged.
Potato Home Remedies For Your Eyes
1. Potato Slices
- Wash and dry a whole potato.
- Refrigerate the potato for about an hour.
- Cut it into slices.
- Place these slices over your eyes and relax for 10–15 minutes.
- Wash off and pat dry.
- Do this regularly about 2–3 times a day.
Note: You can also use this remedy with potato skin. Instead of throwing out your peels, refrigerate them and place them over your eyes.
2. Grated Potato
- Grate a refrigerated potato.
- Put about a tablespoon of grated potato in a piece of gauze or cheesecloth.
- Make two batches of this.
- Bunch up both pieces of cloths and place them over your eyes.
- Leave on for 20 minutes.
- Rinse off and pat dry.
- Do this 2–3 times a day for best results.
3. Potato Juice
- Grate or blend some potato
- Put the mixture into a cheesecloth draped over a bowl
- bunch up the loose ends over the potato and squeeze the cloth to extract the potato juice.
- Using a cotton ball, apply this juice over your closed eyes.
- Let it dry.
- Once dry, use the cotton ball for one more application of the juice
- Once this is also dry, rinse off the residue.
- Repeat this process 2-3 times daily
Other Ways To Prevent Puffy Eyes
This is only one way to help soothe your eyes. There are other lifestyle changes that can help prevent puffiness.
- Reduce the salt in your diet to prevent water retention. Avoid overly salty snacks
- Don’t sleep on your stomach. The gravity pulls the fluid down into your eye bags. Sleep on your back with your head slightly elevated by a pillow.
- Drink in moderation since alcohol also causes water retention
- Avoid smoking. Smoking can accelerate skin aging and cause sagging.
- Keep the skin under your eyes moisturized. This helps the formation of collagen which keeps your skin elastic and tight.
- Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. This can help reduce the effect.
Caution
- Immediately wash out any potato juice that gets in your eyes with cold water.
- In some cases, puffiness and swelling around the eyes may be due to a thyroid imbalance. If you suspect this is the case, get yourself checked by a medical professional.1
Try out these home remedies using potatoes. They will help you look and feel refreshed for your day ahead.
References
| ↑1 | Thyroid Eye Disease (TED or Graves Eye Disease). Kellog Eye Center. |
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