Natural Home Remedies For Puffy Eyes

Many people would have noticed that the eyes are puffed up when they wake up in the morning and gradually as days goes on, it automatically disappears.

What Causes Puffy Eyes?

Puffy eyes occur due to accumulation of excess fluid. Since the tissues under the eyes are delicate the puffiness or swelling is easily noticed. Puffiness can be caused by allergies, water retention, aging, genetics, and certain medical conditions like kidney or thyroid disorders. Usually, puffy eyes occur due to lack of proper sleep, hot and humid weather conditions or changes in hormone content.

Puffy eyes can be avoided by sleeping for minimum 6 to 8 hours at a stretch in the night with the head raised above the body, drinking plenty of water, a minimum of 8 glasses of water every day and importantly avoid eating very salty foods, because salty foods can cause fluid retention.

Herbal Remedies at Home

There are many herbs available to cure the under eye puffiness. Some like herbs Bearberry, Bayberry, Eyebright, Lungwort, Mouse Ear Herb, Mullein, Oak Bark, Raspberry Leaf, St. John’s Wort, Witch Hazel and Yarrow have astringent properties. They contain tannins which can shrink the protein in the skin there by the tightening the upper layers of skin and firming up the skin. These herbs can be applied topically as infusions, tinctures or extracts for reducing the swelling and puffiness are eyes.

Infusions are the least concentrated while extracts are most concentrated form of herbs in liquid form.

Infusion: Infusion of herbs can be prepared by pouring one cup boiling water on one or two teaspoons of herbs and boil it for ten to fifteen minutes. Then a wash cloth should be soaked in this infusion and applied on the affected area.

Tincture: Tincture can be prepared by macerating medicinal portions of fresh herbs (or dried herbs) in alcohol for certain time duration as required for the herb. Then it should be sieved to remove the fine solids.

Extracts: Extracts are prepared in the similar process except maceration in done in water or in mixture of water and alcohol.

These liquids can be store in small glass bottles. Medicine droppers should be used to dispense the liquid in correct dosage. In a milliliter, there are 28 drops which is approximately 1 ounce of liquid. The ratio of the herbs to liquid speaks about the strength of the extract or tincture.

Normally strength of extract is 1:1 while that of herb is 1:2 if fresh herbs were used. Incase of dry herbs its 1:5. Therefore while using the tinctures and extract alternatively, the amount would have varied accordingly. That is for one ounce of extract, 2 ounces of fresh herb or 5 ounces of tincture should be used depending on the fresh or dry herbs are used.

Tincture and extracts are available ready made at stores too. To apply them on the skin, one part of tincture or extract should be added to 2 or 3 parts of cold water.

Author: Gopal Tripathi