7 Natural Remedies For Puffy Eyes

Lack of sleep, crying, age, and even salt can cause those little pouches under your eye to fill with fluid. Whatever the cause, no one wants to look in the mirror and see them.

Using these simple natural home remedies, you can banish tired and puffy eyes forever.

Instant Relief

Walk over to your cupboard, grab a couple of tea bags and let’s make some tea. We won’t be drinking it. Instead, you will be placing them over your eyes. The tannins in the tea will help shrink the bags under your eyes. Place the tea bags in warm (not hot) water. Wring them out just a bit, and then place them over your closed eyes. Be sure to keep your eyes close. You don’t want the tea getting in your eyes. Leave them on for about 10 minute. Your eyes will be refreshed!

Chamomile

Chamomile herbal tea contains anti-inflammatory properties that will easily help shrink those puffy eyes. Wet the tea bags in warm water and place them over your eyes. Leave on for 3 to 10 minutes. Carefully, and gently pat the area dry with a soft cotton cloth or cotton ball. What could be faster?

Compress of Fennel Seeds

If you have constant puffy eyes, you can make this up ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. It will last about 5 days.

To make the compress, take 1/2 cup hot water and pour it over one teaspoon of fennel seed. Let it steep for at least 20 minutes. Place the pot with the fennel seeds in it into the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, strain out the spent fennel seeds. These can be easily composted if you choose. The infusion will have a slight licorice scent. The fennel contians mucilage, so the liquid will be kind of slippery. This mucilage is what will soothe and moisturize around the eye.

Using a cotton ball, or a small round piece of cotton, dip the fabric into the cold fennel tea. Lay in a relaxing position and place the compress over your eyes. Leave on for 10 minutes. Reapply after the 10 minutes. You eyes will now feel super.

Violets Are Blue….

Violets are a girls best friend for the eyes. A salve made with fresh violets has been used for centuries to treat those suffering from puffy eyes.

Mix about 1/2 cup fresh violets with 2 tablespoons chamomile. Infuse them into 1/2 cup (4 ounces) of almond oil, or your favorite carrier oil. Grapeseed oil is not a good choice as it goes rancid quickly. The fresh violets should be wilted before using other wise the salve could spoil. Heat infuse the flowers into the oil. Let cool. Strain out the herbs. For every 2 ounces of oil you get, you will add about 3/4 tablespoon of beeswax or cocoa butter.
Pour the oil into the pan on low heat. Place the beeswax into the pan. When the wax or butter is melted into the oil, you are all set. Pour into dark glass jars. Let cool. You can add 1-2 drops of lavender essential oil for each 2 ounces of oil mix you have. The lavender will help to heal, as well as preserve the salve.

Place it under and around the eye whenever you feel your eyes look puffy. This wonderful salve can be used as a daily moisturizing make up remover, too!

The Root of the Matter

Dandelion root can also be used to help detox your body. It acts on the liver function. The liver is important to keep in good working order as it is the organ that helps break down and eliminate toxins and waste from your body. Puffy eyes is a herbalists signal that the liver may not be functioning properly.

Dandelion root can be taken as a decoction. A decoction is a tea made from the roots of a plant. Making a decoction is a bit more time consuming than making just a tea from leaves but the benefits are amazing.

A Wee Goes A Long Way

If you are retaining water in your body, you will retain it everywhere…including under your eyes.

Dandelion leaf tea is a natural diuretic. A diuretic flushes out excess water and other fluids out of your system.Dandelion leaf can be picked and used fresh, or dried for later use. If you are picking, be sure to get young leaves, and make sure that you are picking where it is not sprayed with chemicals. If you can’t get your hands on fresh dandelion leaf, it can be found in most health food stores. It is normally sold as a bulk herb by the ounce. You can buy as much as you want.

Pour hot water over 1-2 teaspoons of the dried herb. Let it steep 10 minutes. Drink one to three cups a day for a few days until your symptoms improve. This lowly backyard weed will now be your best friend.

Cucumber

Cukes. No matter what you call them, they are not just for salads. Cucumber has been a traditional eye puffiness remedy for ages.

Cucumbers contain a natural astringent which helps to tighten the skin area around the eye. They are also very cooling to the eyes, so if you have tired eyes, then this is a great remedy for you.

Cut two thin slices of cucumber. Place over eyes. Lay down and relax for up to 20 minutes.

Eating the rest of the cucumber will also have benefit. Cucumbers contain a natural diuretic tonic that will help improve the elimination of tonics.

Make Your Eyes Bright

Eyebright is an herbal astringent and anti-inflammatory. A cream made from eyebright will go far in helping to reduce the puffiness around the eyes. Lotions are water-based herbal preparations as infusions, decoctions, or diluted tinctures that are used to bathe inflamed or irritated skin.

How To Make an Eyebright Cream:

You will first have to infuse the eyebright herb into almond oil. You can use the cold infusion method, or the heat infused.

After the oil is infused, strain out the herb. Warm the oil. Add beeswax. Once this is well mixed add either water, an herbal infusion or aloe. All ingredients must be the same temperature. If they are not, the lotion could separate. Blend with a hand mixer or immersion blender.

Basic Recipe:

• 1 ounce dried herb (2.75 if using fresh herb*)
• 5.30 ounces beeswax
• 2 ounces apricot oil (or favorite infused oil)
• 2.75 ounces vegetable glycerin
• 2.75 ounce water or herbal infusion
• 10 drops lavender or favorite essential oil- Essential oil adds scent, but also acts as a natural preservative

*If using fresh violets, allow herb to wilt for at least 24 hours. Fresh herbs contain moisture, and too much moisture content will promote bacteria which will cause the cream to spoil quickly.

Drink Up!

Water is truly one of nature’s best healing remedy. If you are not drinking enough water, your body is probably not in proper working order. You have to drink enough water to keep all the organs working and functioning properly.

A good rule of thumb is to drink at least 40 ounces of water a day. It depends on your lifestyle and your activity level. You will eliminate what your body does not need, and the rest will be put too good use helping your organs.

By drinking water, your body is able to flush out toxins and waste that should not stay in the body. This can help to boost your metabolism ( a great tip for losing weight), and will help keep your body hydrated.