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It doesn’t take much. A later than usual night out, a high pollen count, or an episode of “This Is Us” can produce that raccoon eye look or bags under your peepers.
You can certainly embrace the bags And as you follow our guide, you’ll discover some people are just naturally predisposed to this look. Word on the street: A little shadow and swell is the new sexy.
But if you do have a reason to brighten up your skin and reduce puffiness, we have some remedies for you.
You don’t need to spend a fortune on a skin care regimen to erase rings or pouches. You can find remedies in your pantry, refrigerator, and right at your fingertips.
For dark circles, the caffeine in black or green tea may help narrow blood vessels and reduce blue coloring. These caffeinated teas can also banish bloat by drawing out fluid.
But if you’re going for a more soothing effect for irritated skin, opt for rooibos (red tea) or chamomile.
Instructions:
Your cold brew might give you a refreshing jolt, but a caffeine fix for the skin can also help calm blotchiness or swelling.
Start by freezing some brewed coffee in an ice cube tray. Once the coffee ice is ready, spend a few minutes gently rubbing an ice cube:
You can also try 100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream.
This product earns 4.5 stars from reviewers who say it can help treat crow’s feet and keep eyes moisturized.
Cucumbers are high in vitamin C and folic acid, an ingredient combo that helps stimulate cell growth and counter environmental stress. The end result? Less irritation and puffiness, as well as reduced discoloration under your eyes.
Instructions:
You can also try Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel. Reviews suggest this gel may be a bit harsh for folks with sensitive skin, but they also note it works more effectively than pricier creams.
By tapping your index and middle fingers in a gentle circle around your sockets and across your brows and cheekbones, you can enhance lymph drainage.
This may help even out skin tone and reduce inflammation.
Instructions:
Do you need to spend a lot of cash on a fancy balm? For dark circles, the short answer is no.
You could, however, try more budget-friendly moisturizing salves with tea, coffee, or cucumber extract — some products might also help minimize the appearance of fine lines and creases.
One option to consider? SheaMoisture Matcha Green Tea & Probiotics Soothing Eye Cream.
Ingredients for your eyesBe sure to read labels carefully before picking up pricey jars. We asked Dr. Rebecca Marcus, a board certified dermatologist in North Dallas, TX, about her favorite ingredients for eyes.
She recommends keeping an “eye” out for the following:
- Caffeine. The benefits of caffeine are worth repeating.
Caffeine, as Marcus explains, works in eye creams to combat dark circles and puffiness by temporarily reducing blood flow to the area.
- Retinol and peptides. You might already have some familiarity with these skin care ingredients. Marcus says they help stimulate collagen and thicken the skin, making underlying blood vessels less noticeable and restoring skin firmness.
- Niacinamide. A little of this skin-brightening ingredient can go a long way toward waking up tired eyes. This ingredient, a form of vitamin B-3, offers plenty of other benefits, too.
- Hyaluronic acid. Marcus notes that this moisturizing ingredient can hydrate the skin and offer pro-aging support by smoothing the look of fine lines and crepey skin.
- Vitamin K. Marcus says this antioxidant has anti-inflammatory properties and may help improve circulation.
As for products, Marcus recommends:
Explore more eye creams at varying price points here.
Under-eye patches are a newer trend for pampering the skin around your eyes. Yes, they’re cute and Instagram-friendly, but many people also find them effective, too.
Just know they offer more of a quick fix — a helping hand after a spirited night out, if you will.
Not sure how to pick your patch? Opt for eye-friendly ingredients, like retinol and hyaluronic acid. You can also check out our list of the best options to send your bags packing.
Marcus explains that concealers only help camouflage dark circles. In other words, they won’t help reduce puffiness.
That’s why she recommends using an eye cream with a concealer: Apply an eye cream to help treat the cause and the symptoms, then use concealer to address any lingering darkness.
“Concealer will apply more smoothly onto hydrated skin,” she notes. “So, applying a hydrating eye cream helps prime the skin for concealer application.
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When you’re in a pinch, concealer alone can still make a difference. So, when that important meeting or event sneaks up on you, reach for a little color-correcting concealer.
Try:
The biggest answer to this, especially for those of you who have tried every trick in the book, is genetics.
If you’ve always had sunken eyes or dark circles, also called periorbital hyperpigmentation, the condition could be a part of your genetics. Likewise, permanent under-eye pouches may be a facial feature you’ve inherited.
Here’s why these attributes get accentuated.
Puffy lower lids or bags happen when the tissue there fills with water. As you age, the fatty tissue held within the socket and upper lid can fall, causing even more fluid retention in that area.
Puffiness is often most prominent when taking the morning’s first look in the mirror.
That’s because fluid had a chance to pool during sleep. Bags tend to diminish after you’ve been vertical for a bit.
Although dark circles can show up for many reasons, most people tend to have a slightly deeper coloring around the eyes, simply because the thinner skin there stretches over a conglomeration of purple vessels and muscle.
By isolating the cause, you can take measures to reduce the prominence of purpling and pooching.
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Cut that late-night Netflix binge short, or do whatever possible to get a few more Zzz’s. If you still notice the a.m. eye bloat or blue coloring, prop your head slightly while you sleep.
As Marcus explains, sleeping with your head slightly elevated can help prevent fluid from pooling in the periorbital area.
Remove any makeup before hitting the hay to avoid smudging it into your eyes and irritating the surrounding skin.
Marcus suggests applying a cold washcloth to your eyes to help lessen the “I just woke up” look.
She says this helps by causing vasoconstriction (constriction of blood vessels), which helps relieve puffiness and skin discoloration. Plus, it can have an overall soothing effect, and you don’t have to dig through your fridge for fresh cucumbers.
Pro tip: An ice pack works well, too, if you don’t want a water mess on your face. Just be sure to wrap it in a soft cloth to protect your eyes.
Eye strain can contribute to tired eyes, according to Marcus, by lowering the production of naturally lubricating tears and contributing to dry eyes.
“Taking periodic breaks from screen time and doing eye exercises may help reduce eye strain and therefore help eyes to function normally by producing lubricating tears, reducing dryness, redness, and bloodshot eyes,” she says.
Eye exercise can be pretty simple. In fact, one exercise involves just switching up your focus as you sit. Learn a few of these simple moves here.
Face yoga (yes, it’s a thing) can also help reduce eye strain.
Taking breaks from screen time to avoid eye strain can also be helpful, according to Marcus.
She adds that keeping your phone or tablet on night mode decreases exposure to blue light, which can help improve the quality of your sleep.
If night mode doesn’t do much to keep your tablet or device from shining bright like a diamond, blue light glasses may ease the strain.
Not sure which to try? Check out our guide of the 11 best options.
Excessive time staring at screens may cause eye strain, according to Marcus. This happens, in part, due to engorgement of the blood vessels surrounding your eyes, which can lead to, as you might have guessed, dark circles.
Make time for little breaks to give your eyes a much-needed vacay:
Allergy symptoms, along with illnesses like the flu and common cold, can pack a punch. Itchy lids, sneezing, sinus congestion, or postnasal drip can all lead to a tint around the eyes.
Marcus says those who live with allergies may notice the area under their eyes often appears swollen and discolored.
She explains that this happens when allergens prompt your cells to trigger a histamine release. This, in turn, causes a release of fluid, giving that swelling and tearing effect you know and love so much.
An allergist or otolaryngologist (ENT) can offer more insight into possible triggers and recommend treatments to keep sniffles and scratchy eyes under control, including:
Plus, when you’re plain old sick, eyes can also look puffy, due to sinus congestion and decreased drainage of the fluid around the eyes.
Keep in mind that makeup and skin care products could also trigger allergy flare-ups or eyelid dermatitis. It’s always best to check the ingredients and do a patch test before using a new product.
Marcus says improving air quality may lower the number of allergens or irritants that eyes come into contact with, helping eyes look less tired.
“If tired eyes are due to an irritant or allergen that was previously in the air, using a high quality air filter may be helpful,” Marcus says.
This may prove particularly helpful if you’re sensitive to these factors and happen to live in an area with a high level of pollution or airborne allergens.
If you notice an uptick in that Hamburglar or puff-pastry look, maybe you’ve just faced a stressful week or a jam-packed weekend that impeded your sleep or nutrition.
Other reasons you might wake up with less than perky peepers? Loading up on salty snacks, downing too much coffee, or clinking a late-night cocktail.
Making a few changes might help rid you of the rings and bags:
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A quick recap of helpful tips and tricks for tired eyes:
If you have permanent dark sockets or puffy bags under your eyes that you can’t relieve with lifestyle changes or fast fixes, medical solutions might offer an alternate option.
Procedures for dark circles include:
If circles or bags bother you to the point that you can’t stop thinking about them or they contribute to feelings of depression or anxiety, it could be worth asking a dermatologist about other treatment options.
Just know these procedures can get fairly expensive, and they also come with some potential side effects.
One important thing to keep in mind about eye bags and rings? More than likely, you notice them more than anyone else.
Many people tend to look at themselves closely in the mirror in the morning — when they wash their face, shave, or apply products, for example. And morning just happens to be the time when circles and puff show up most clearly.
But classmates, coworkers, and the person in line next to you at the coffee shop probably won’t even notice.
They might, however, perceive a certain mysteriousness or depth they can’t quite put their finger on. Some people find that shadowed, “just woke up” look pretty alluring — so alluring, in fact, that they might go to great lengths to make dark circles stand out or mimic them with makeup.
Plus, a dark circle or an under-eye bag can amp up your authenticity, just like an eye crinkle or wrinkle. They’re natural, after all.
Adding some glimmer can help you display them with pride:
Ultimately, don’t be afraid to skip the concealer and rock your under-eyes.
Jennifer Chesak is a Nashville-based freelance book editor and writing instructor. She’s also an adventure travel, fitness, and health writer for several national publications. She earned her Master of Science in journalism from Northwestern’s Medill and is working on her first fiction novel, set in her native state of North Dakota.
Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on June 24, 2022
Try a washcloth soaked in warm water on your tired, achy eyes. Warm compresses can:
Wash your hands before you start so bacteria doesn’t get in your eyes.
Dip your washcloth in water that you've boiled (to sterilize it) and cooled until lukewarm. Then put it on your eyes for 5-10 minutes, or as long as your doctor advises.
Different tasks call for different types of light. While you watch TV, it's easier on your eyes to keep the room softly lit. When you read, put the light where it's behind you and pointed toward the page, out of your eyes. On digital screens, adjust the brightness to match the level of light around you. Also, adjust the screen's contrast, so your eyes don't have to strain to see.
With these prescription eyeglasses, your eyes can focus at computer screen distance. That's about 20-26 inches from your face. Some have special lenses to help you quickly shift focus between close, middle, and far distances. Before you go shopping, understand that computer glasses are not the same as those that block blue light. Blue light-blocking specs may make you more comfortable, but they don't always prevent eyestrain.
Eye experts link this technique to an alternative therapy called The Bates Method, named for eye doctor William Bates.
He questioned whether glasses were the only way to fix a person's vision. Research shows his method doesn't correct eyesight, but palming could help to ease eyestrain. Cup your palms over your closed eyes, putting no pressure on your eyeballs. The idea is that this can help to relax your eyes.
Small tweaks can make a big difference to your eyes. Make sure your screen is about arm's length (20-26 inches) away from your face. The center of the screen should be slightly below eye level (4-5 inches). It helps to have a chair you can move up and down. Adjust the text size so you don't squint. And try a document holder next to your monitor for printed papers. This limits how much you move your eyes back and forth.
Tea bags are good for more than a hot drink. They also work as a relaxing cold compress for your eyes. After you've brewed chamomile or regular tea, put the bags in a clean container in the fridge. Once they've cooled, put them on your eyelids to help soothe your eyes and reduce swelling.
Make sure you've washed your face and hands well and taken out your contacts. And don't get any tea in your eyes.
Your eyes have muscles, and they can benefit from a workout, too. Try this: Hold your finger a few inches from your eyes and focus on it. Then, focus far into the distance, then back on your finger. Repeat a few times. Or, close your eyes, roll them up toward the ceiling, then down toward the floor. Look to the right, then left. These exercises may help ease eye fatigue. But they won't actually make your eye muscles stronger.
Experts say that when you use a digital device, you should take regular screen breaks. They recommend the 20-20-20 rule. Take a 20-second break to look at something 20 feet away every 20 minutes. Another tip: for every 2 hours of screen time, rest your eyes for 15 minutes.
When your eyes are dry, they feel more tired. Use a humidifier to add moisture to the air and your eyes. A humidity level of at least 45% is best. Also, adjust your thermostat or move away from vents so dry air doesn't blow on your face.
If you smoke, think hard about quitting.
Over-the-counter or prescription eye drops relieve dry, tired eyes. Use them even when your eyes feel fine to keep them moisturized and stop your symptoms from coming back. Or, if you prefer to make natural tears, remember to blink more often, especially when you're on a digital device. We usually blink 15 times in a minute. But when we're on a computer, that drops to 5-7 times.
IMAGES PROVIDED BY:
1) WebMD / Alexander Hadjidakis
2) Getty
3) Getty
4) Getty
5) Getty
6) Getty
7) Getty
8) Getty
9) Getty
10) Getty
SOURCES:
UCLA Health: "Computer-Related Eye Fatigue."
Mayo Clinic: "Mayo Clinic Q and A: Relief for your dry eyes," "Eyestrain," "A look inside your eyes."
University of Rochester Medical Center: "Ice Packs vs. Warm Compresses For Pain."
University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center: "Eyelid Spasms (Eye Twitching or Eye Twitch)."
All Wales Medicine Study Group: "Dry Eyes Syndrome.
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Optometry and Vision Science: "Blue-blocking Filters and Digital Eyestrain."
Journal of Physical Therapy Science: "Effects of yogic eye exercises on eye fatigue in undergraduate nursing students."
Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics: The Journal of the College of Optometrists: "The Bates method, elixirs, potions and other cures for myopia: how do they work?"
Bates Method International: "Palming."
Molecular Medicine Reports: "Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future."
Johns Hopkins Medicine: "How to Get Rid of Bags Under Your Eyes."
Harvard Medical School: "Most cases of pink eye (conjunctivitis) don’t require antibiotics."
National Institutes of Health: "Exercises and Stretches."
University of Rochester Medical Center: "Don't Ignore Dry Eyes."
Prevent Blindness: "Computers and Your Sight."
American Academy of Ophthalmology: "Computers, Digital Devices and Eye Strain."
American Optometric Association: "Computer Vision Syndrome.
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Eye health is directly related to whether you can control the load on your eyesight and provide your eyes with sufficient rest. Experts from the Lucky Look federal network of opticians tell you how to relieve eye fatigue and reduce eye strain if you work at a computer.
Sign up for a free vision test
Contents
Any visual discomfort indicates that it is time to take a break from work and give the eyes a chance to rest. Experts identify the main symptoms that indicate an overstrain of the visual system:
Be careful, these symptoms can also signal the presence of serious visual impairment! To rule out negative scenarios, you need visit an ophthalmologist.
Increased visual fatigue can indicate serious disorders, so do not put off a visit to the ophthalmologist
Why does vision deteriorate? The main causes of this phenomenon are distinguished:
High eye strain. This is often faced by schoolchildren and students who are forced to read and write a lot, as well as office workers whose activities involve continuous sitting at a computer or reading documents.
Also, if you are fond of computer games, like to watch TV shows on your mobile gadgets - smartphones or tablets - or spend all your free time with a book, your eyes are also exposed to a high load.
In order to minimize problems with this lifestyle, it is necessary to take breaks as often as possible and give the eyes regular rest.
Computer vision syndrome. This is a whole complex of symptoms, which is caused by overexertion of the visual system due to prolonged use of the computer. The reason for the development of the symptom is not so much the need to look at the monitor for a long time, but the functional change in your posture, eyes, neck. For example, the constant sliding of the gaze from the keyboard to the monitor and back leads to accommodative asthenopia, which is manifested by discomfort, eye fatigue, pain, pain in the superciliary region, blurred vision of the object of fixation.
Subsequently, this can cause problems such as myopia (nearsightedness), accommodation spasm (inability to focus on small objects and details) and dry eye syndrome.
Properly organized workplace and touch typing skills will help to minimize the harm from constant work at the computer.
Dry eye syndrome. Often appears on the basis of computer vision syndrome, develops due to insufficient moistening of vision: with concentrated work at a computer, a person blinks less often, as a result of which the tear film dries up.
Plus - the air near the computer heats up and also becomes dry.
Organize your workplace and use special glasses for working at the computer
In the summer season, when air conditioners are in operation, the pathological effect of dry air on the eyes only intensifies. And if you use contact lenses, the syndrome develops even faster.
To reduce the negative impact of external factors and provide more comfortable conditions for the eyes, place a humidifier near your workplace. Also buy moisturizing drops (choose them with the help of an ophthalmologist) and use them several times a day. Try to blink as often as possible.
During a break, do light eye exercises:
The gaze is directed forward. To maintain the effect, apply moisturizing drops selected by an ophthalmologist to your eyes. Do not self-medicate, be sure to seek help from a specialist - moisturizing drops come in different viscosities, they can have a healing effect, or they can simply moisten the surface of the eye. Only an ophthalmologist will determine what exactly your vision needs and select the necessary remedy.
Sign up for a free vision test
By the way, gymnastics also requires prior consultation with a doctor. Make sure you have no contraindications. Also, the ophthalmologist can advise other types of gymnastics.
There are several rules that must be observed in everyday life. Thanks to this, you can significantly reduce the load on your eyesight, and your eyes will get tired much less.
If you work at a computer, the first thing you need to do is to properly organize your workplace.
At this time, you can not switch to mobile gadgets, as there will be no sense in pauses in this case. It is better to perform light eye exercises, which we talked about above. But before performing gymnastics, it is necessary to consult with a specialist and make sure that you have no contraindications to this; The health of your eyes depends on your daily habits. Hygiene of vision allows you to maintain good health and reduces eye fatigue, even under conditions of increased stress.
It is important that the room in which you sleep is darkened; 
Only timely detection of possible violations will prevent their development. Remember that on your own you cannot always correctly assess your condition; Sign up for a free vision test
Remember that the mask should be washed regularly. Simple exercises that should be done regularly throughout the day will help to quickly relieve fatigue from the eyes. But this is not enough! To make your eyes less strained and tired, it is important to provide the right conditions:
Remember that you need to consult an ophthalmologist before doing gymnastics! Moisturizing drops should also be selected by a specialist.
Dryness or irritation, gritty feeling in the eyes, blurred vision, increased sensitivity to light, pain in the neck, shoulders or back are symptoms familiar to millions of people. We tell you whether excessive eye strain is dangerous for vision, whether glasses are needed and how to deal with unpleasant symptoms.
The cause of eye fatigue is any activity that requires straining eyesight for a long time: working at a computer, reading and writing, doing small types of needlework, long driving. Incorrectly selected glasses can also cause fatigue.
Asthenopia, otherwise called visual fatigue, occurs when the muscles responsible for the movement of the eyeballs and changes in the curvature of the lens, that is, the focus of vision, are overstrained. Asthenopia reduces productivity and causes discomfort, but in general it is not dangerous and passes if measures are taken to eliminate it in time.
If systematic eye strain is ignored, complications are possible up to a permanent deterioration of vision.
Types of asthenopia:
In addition to affecting vision, asthenopia reduces the immunity of the eyes to infections. Against the background of overwork of the eye muscle, conjunctivitis and blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelids) can develop.
A special form of asthenopia is computer vision syndrome. The reason for it, as you can easily guess by the name, is a long work at the computer. You are probably familiar with this syndrome if you spend more than three hours a day in front of a computer. As a rule, rest and prevention help to quickly return vision to normal.
But if you start the problem, permanent damage to the eyes is possible.
If you work long hours on the computer or have to focus on small objects, you won't be able to completely avoid asthenopia. But proper preventive measures help reduce unpleasant symptoms and preserve vision.
If the symptoms are severe, the ophthalmologist will prescribe other drugs: mydriatics to relax the ciliary muscle, antibacterial and antihistamines to eliminate the infection, or keratoprotectors to restore the cornea. 
