Everyone gets puffy eyes now and again. Here’s the reasons it occurs and how to solve it.
You know the feeling — waking up one morning, looking in the mirror and realising your eyes look more swollen than usual. But have no fear! Puffy eyes are extremely common and can be caused by many reasons.
For example, even if you don’t have sensitive skin, chances are your eye and under eye skin is. Your skin is thin and delicate here, so it will have less protection from irritants. It also means that fluid retention will show up more than in other areas of your face — so don’t worry if you feel you get puffy eyes on the regular.
What’s more, many of the reasons for puffy eyes can be solved with small adjustments to your lifestyle or daily routine. Here, Platinum has six reasons you might be getting puffy eyes, with quick and simple steps to make a difference.
1.Lack of sleep
When we have a night (or more) of restless sleep, our body may not have the chance to efficiently clear toxic and fluid build-up overnight. Remember the saying, your skin renews as you sleep? It’s much like that, so when we miss sleep our skin has less time to recharge and renew, which can lead to puffy eyes. Try making up a bedtime routine which will help you get more sleep — from limiting caffeine, going to bed early or treating yourself to a warm soak, all of these small steps can make a difference.
2. Too much salt
Too much salt in your diet can lead to your eyes puffing — this is due to excess sodium levels which lead to fluid retention. Take a look at your diet and check if you may be having too much salt. And be sure to check for the hidden salt in condiments, frozen, pre-packed or canned goods because sodium is added as a preservative.
3. Allergies
As we come into the warmer seasons, more and more of us may be suffering from allergies like hay fever. When your body is dealing with an allergy, it releases histamine into your system to help tackle it, which can read to inflammation of the eye area. If you’re unsure about allergies, consult with your GP.
4. Central heating
Now this may seem odd, but yes, central heating could be the cause of your swollen eyes. This is because we typically put the central heating on during winter, which can make our eyes more sensitive and dryer than usual. Or even with ever-changing British weather! The heat can lead to dehydration of the mucus membranes in your eyes, causing it to thicken and become more inflamed. Try ensuring you stay hydrated and be sure to lower or turn off the central heating from time to time.
5. Too much alcohol
Our eyes are sensitive — even small changes to our diet can have an effect. Dehydration is one of the bigger reasons your eyes may be getting swollen, and drinking alcohol can lead to further dehydration. Yes, sadly white wine eyes are a thing. With a third of Brits are thought to drink too little water each day, it’s something all of us can improve on easily. You should aim to drink two litres of water a day to ensure you’re not dehydrated.
6. You’re stressed
When we’re stressed our sleep schedule can be off, which can lead to changes to the salt balance in our bodies. If the salt balance is off, our eyes can retain water as a result and become puffy. Try finding the root of your stress and working to solve it. Meanwhile, enact a relaxing bedtime routine to ensure stress is kept at bay. This can be using essential oils to help drift off, writing down your worries if they’re keeping you up and limiting technology in your bedroom.
For more beauty news, from the rules you should ignore to superfood skincare, you can discover it with Platinum.
