Puffy
eyes

Everything you need to know about puffy eyes – and how you can prevent, treat and beat them.

Read Time

5 min

In short:

Puffy Eyes: How to Prevent, Treat and Beat Them
What Causes Puffy Eyes?
Quick Remedies for Puffy Eyes
Removing Make-Up Makes You Beautiful
Make-Up Tips for Puffy Eyes
Eye Wrinkles
How to Prevent Eye Wrinkles

Puffy eyes: how to
prevent, treat and beat them

There are so many causes of puffy eyes: late nights out, lovesickness, too much screen time, lack of sleep, poor diet and dehydration. We're here to help with friendly tips on how you can avoid them, and some soothing remedies for those mornings when you just can't escape them.

Puffy under eyes

What causes
puffy eyes?

Your eyelids are made of very thin skin, and the tissue beneath is loose and soft. It doesn’t contain much oil but has many blood vessels and lymph vessels – and these all retain fluid. A lot of liquid moves around here in a very small space. When you're fresh and well rested these aren't noticeable. But when you've been out, your body not only suffers from lack of sleep but also lack of liquid, oxygen and minerals. As a result, lymphatic fluid is retained in the tissue around your eyes, making them appear puffy. Additionally, a lack of permeability in the vessel walls, genetic predisposition and ageing skin can also contribute to regular puffy under eyes and tear sacs.

LACK OF SLEEP

There are many reasons for lack of sleep. It could be due to a late night out, or the renowned sleepless nights that come with motherhood.

We can't help much with the lack of sleep itself, but these tips will prepare you for how to get rid of puffy eyes and get you back to looking fresh and perky again the morning after the night before.

As a new mother, sleep is important for both of you. Try to sleep when your baby sleeps – although this is easier said than done.

On nights out, try to drink at least one glass of water with every cocktail or glass of wine. This keeps your body topped up with fluids and dilutes the dehydrating effects of alcohol.
The morning after, remember to drink more water or fresh juice to keep your body well hydrated.

What helps with swollen eyes

Quick remedies for
puffy eyes

The result of an insufficient night’s sleep is puffy eyes and dark circles. Don’t worry, we’ve got some great tips for rapid recovery and long-term care for dark circles under eyes.

STAY COOL

A quick and calming solution for puffy eyes is applying something cold and soothing to the area. Treat your eyes to a cool cucumber mask – this not only reduces puffiness but also releases moisture at the same time. If time is against you in the morning, or you don't have a cucumber to hand, pop a couple of cool dessert spoons in the freezer overnight and then apply for a few minutes to each eye.

woman applying NIVEA Q10 power anti-wrinkle cream

MASSAGE YOUR EYES

A little massage works wonders. Gently massage puffy areas with an anti-wrinkle cream. Apply it with circular movements from the outside in and, if necessary, pat it in lightly. Q10 cools and freshens the skin whilst allowing lymphatic fluids to drain away slowly. Be careful to look after your eyes and don’t press too hard!

Explore our Q10 Energy range to help combat your puffy eyes.

RESTORE WITH WATER

If you've used up a lot of energy the night before, make sure you top your levels back up again. Drink at least two litres of water, preferably at intervals throughout the day. And after a party, before you go to bed, drink another large glass of water. This not only helps to flush out your kidneys but can also help alleviate headaches the next morning.

SLEEP IT OFF

Sleep is when your body regenerates itself most. An ideal length of time is around seven hours – ample time for those puffy eyes to start disappearing. Sleep is even more restorative when the room temperature is right and your sleeping position is comfortable, keeping stress on your body low. The temperature in your bedroom should not be higher than 18 degrees Celsius. Treat your eyes to little rests during the day, too. Spending just a few minutes with your eyes closed is sufficient.

Go to sleep with a clean face

Removing make-up
makes you beautiful

REMOVING MAKE-UP MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL

That feeling when your face finally hits a cool pillow with all your make-up removed is hard to beat. Plus, keeping it on while you sleep is the biggest beauty sin of all. Leftover make-up clogs your pores and can cause pimples. With ready-to-use make-up removal products such as make-up removal wipes, taking off your eye make-up is quick and easy. NIVEA Cleansing Wipes have a fragrance-free formula to cleanse sensitive skin particularly gently and thoroughly. They remove make-up and even get that hard-to-shift waterproof mascara off too.

Discover NIVEA Cleansing Wipes

Make-up tips
for puffy eyes

1
Don’t try to cover any puffiness with concealer, as this will only emphasise the area.

2
Don’t use a brightly coloured eye shadow, as this will also emphasise puffy eyelids.

3
Apply a small amount of mascara to the ends of your lashes and use a dark eyeliner to draw an upwardly slanting line – this will help make your eyes look bigger.

4
Add a flash of colour with some lipstick.

5
If your complexion is pale, you can also use a light blush to give yourself a fresher look.

6
Use an eye cream to reduce puffy eyes where necessary.

Gentle care for beautiful eyes

Eye
wrinkles

Puffy eyes can lead to premature ageing and the appearance of wrinkles.

EYE CREAMS

The skin around your eyes is very thin and sensitive, so using eye creams that accommodate this is important to help reduce puffy or wrinkled eyes.

Alternatively, placing cucumber slices over your eyes and lying down to rest can also help reduce puffy eyes.

How to
PREVENT EYE WRINKLES

Wear sunglasses to avoid squinting when you're outside – this can cause wrinkles under your eyes.
Sleep on your back – sleeping on your stomach or side can put pressure on your face and encourage eye wrinkles.
Resist the urge to rub your eyes throughout the day, even if you're tired.
Avoid pulling your eyelid taut when you apply eyeliner.
Get regular eye tests to avoid squinting unnecessarily.
Give yourself time to recover – once you’ve partied it can be tempting to go again. Time and rest will let your body recover and help reduce puffy eyes, dark circles and eye wrinkles.