One of the most annoying things you can be asked after a full, restful night of sleep is, “You seem tired?” I can’t help that I wake up with puffy eyes every day—I was born with them. For some, puffiness around the eyes might be a result of a lack of sleep while for others (including myself) it can be a mix of genetics and/or inflammatory and circulation issues. If you do tend to have inflammation or circulation triggers, be sure to stay hydrated and limit sodium in your diet—it’s a night and day difference for me. Okay, so once I came to peace with the fact that I have to live with my puffy eyes (unless I got undereye filler) I put my eyes through boot camp. I tried every eye patch, tool, serum, TikTok trend you can imagine, I even tried freezing tea bags (the green tea bags actually kind of worked!). Although I have found a de-puffing ritual I swear by, I enlisted the help of de-puffing guru and esthetician, Joomee Song, to break down how to professionally treat puffy eyes.
What causes puffy eyes?
There are so many causes of puffy eyes. In some situations, puffy eyes can be due to an underlying medical condition such as thyroid disease. Allergies or lack of sleep can be another reason. But the most common cause Song sees with her clients is as a result of diet. “Too much salt makes your body retain water, and the thin skin around your eyes is most susceptible,” she notes. “Increased alcohol consumption also dehydrates your body, which could make your eyes puffy.”
How can I treat puffy eyes?
Song confirmed that tools are one of the most effective ways to treat puffy eyes as they stimulate blood flow, “The most effective and accessible treatment for puffy eyes is to stimulate blood flow, which helps reduce water retention by delivering oxygen, draining toxins, and reducing inflammation and puffiness. You can use your hands or your favorite tools. Also, taking a warm shower or hopping in a sauna to stimulate the body’s metabolism will help to reduce puffiness.”
Ingredients to avoid in products?
You should avoid anything that stings your skin when it’s applied, according to Song so stay away from alcohol, menthol, and any potent essential oils and acids, including retinoic acid and ascorbic acid.
Ingredients to avoid in diet?
As Song and myself mentioned earlier salt tends to be a major culprit, “You should steer clear of salt, alcohol, and anything that upset your digestive system, which often includes gluten, spices, dairy, and sugar,” she explains. “Also, any medications that dehydrate your body can cause severe water retention on the face, so make sure you drink lots of water.”
What Product Ingredients Can Quickly Treat Puffy Eyes?
Unfortunately, there is no “quick” fix to treating puffy eyes as the body requires time to flush out excess water from our system. That said, Song likes using Vitamin K and Arnica to treat puffy eyes. Both Vitamin K and Arnica are known to help increase blood flow in capillaries.
Keep scrolling to read Song’s favorite products to treat puffy eyes and my de-puff routine I swear by!
Jomee Song’s Favorites
Revision Skincare Vitamin K Serum
Song recommends using products with vitamin K and arnica. This serum can be used all over the face to help reduce puffiness everywhere.
Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes
Goldfaden’s MD Bright Eyes also contains vitamin K and arnica focused on hyper-treating the eye area.
Goldfaden MD Bright Eyes, $55
The high apigenin content in this product helps prevent UVA/UVB-induced inflammation, which has been used throughout history to address redness and swelling.
Furtuna’s eye cream harnesses Lilac Stem Cells, visibly reducing the look of puffiness and combating the five forms of discoloration: black, brown, purple, blue, and red.
This brilliant tool massages your eye area with micro-vibrations while gently releasing warm steam. All you have to do is charge it and set up the timer to your preferred length before you use it.
MegRythm Gentle Steam Lavender Eye Mask
Song can’t say enough good things about these eye masks. They are single-use eye masks that use gentle, warm steam to soothe tired eyes and relieve tension. All you do is hook them onto your ears and rest your eyes for 10-15 minutes or so. They are perfect for anyone who sits in front of a computer all day.
These stimulate blood circulation and oxygenate skin to help treat puffy eyes but can also help to relieve sinus pain, headaches or migraines.
Song is particularly keen on this disco-ball because it’s a multi-purpose massage tool that you can use to treat the delicate eye area and your jawline and décolletage. It’s the perfect size to cover the places you want to target without the need for lots of pressure.
Ranavat Kansa Wand Facial Massaging Tool
This wand has been used for over 5,000 years by Ayurvedic practitioners to heal and detoxify the skin. It’s made from Kansa metal—a mix of copper and tin—which is meant to be more healing than gold or silver and helps increase your skin’s healing ability.
My De-Puffing Ritual
Step 1: Drink 32 oz Of Water
The first thing I do when I wake up is drink 32 oz of water to rev up my digestive system and flush out any toxins. Staying hydrated will help your eyes appear less puffy throughout the day.
Venture Pal Large 1 Gallon Motivational Water Bottle
I personally enjoy using this motivational water bottle to ensure I am drinking at least a gallon a day. It can seem like a daunting task to drink a gallon of water daily but this bottle from Amazon makes it fun and easy!
Venture Pal Large 1 Gallon Motivational Water Bottle, $20.99
Step 2: Ice Roll
After hydrating I immediately ice roll my under-eye area with a roller or globes. When I am traveling using regular ice cubes does the trick as well. Cooling the under-eye area lessens inflammation and swelling by reducing blood flow.
Stacked Skincare Cryo Sculpting Roller
This has become my favorite ice roller for my eyes because of its ergonomic shape to target the under-eye. Most other rollers are too squoval making it difficult to roll back and for with ease.
Sundree Skin Cooling Facial Globe
I prefer this cooling globe over others I have tried due to the size. You don’t want your globe or roller to be too much bigger than your eye area. I sometimes glide the globe over eye patches or a face mask.
Step 3: Patch It Up
I am lowkey obsessed with eye patches. This may be the most important step (or the step I most enjoy) in my de-puff routine. I see the biggest difference after this step. I’ll often use the rollers or globes in tandem with eye patches to kill two birds with one stone.
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydra-Gel Eye Patches
These are hands down the best hyaluronic eye patches I have tried. The hyaluronic acid helps lock in moisture and plump the skin. Pro tip: keep these in your fridge for an added cooling sensation.
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydra-Gel Eye Patches, $55
Dieux’s forever eye mask is genius! It’s a reusable eye patch that holds gels, serums, and creams close to the skin for maximum absorption. All you need to do is place a serum or cream under your eye area and then place the sheet mask on top as you would any other patch. Once finished you rinse the mask with warm water, dry then place it back in the tin. I use these for traveling and, of course, whenever I can keep the tin in the fridge.
Step 4: Gua Sha
Gua sha is extremely effective for clearing out any built-up toxins, allergies, and inflammation. When using gua sha under the eye it’s important to be gentle as the skin is thin and delicate. After applying facial oil, I lightly move the gua sha from my inner eye to my outer eye and glide back to my ear down to my neck to deposit the fluid and toxins into my lymph nodes. I glide the gua sha on each side about four to five times.
I enjoy using this smaller gua sha for my undereye area. It’s easier to work with rather than a larger stone.
Wildlings empress stone is patented and uses Bian stone, an amalgamate of 40+ minerals known for its healing properties. The ridged side is helpful to use if I am extremely puffy or need an extra boost to drain my sinuses.
Step 5: Vibration & Heat
I don’t do this every single day but whenever I am applying makeup after my de-puff routine I have to do this. I either use the NuFace Fix or the Solawave. The vibration and heat effect in tools enhances circulation to the skin, improving the delivery of oxygen and nutrients.
Using the NuFace Fix helps tightens, smooth, and firm my undereye area using microcurrent. It gives my eye area a lifted bonus after I de-puff.
The Solawave Wand uses red light therapy, massage vibrations in tandem with therapeutic heat and microcurrent in one chic tool. This wand goes beyond depuffing. I notice dark circles, redness, fine lines and creepy skin alleviated when I use.
Step 6: Eye Cream
The final step in my de-puff routine is sealing it all together with an eye serum or cream. I look for a lighter-density eye cream to avoid milia or congestion.
Augustinus Bader The Eye Cream with TFC8®
Agustinus Bader just launched this eye cream. So far I am impressed as with the other products in their product line. It’s super lightweight and moisturizing while the peptides give me a glow. I have also have been doubling its use for an eye primer.
Alastin Restorative Eye Treatment
Alastin is known for its products enhancing the elastin in the skin. This is why I see a noticeable difference when it comes to depuffing with this eye treatment. It also helps support the production of new collagen so it does the work for you around the clock.
