Slept poorly or cried a lot? Swollen eyes never look good. With these tips you can make sure that your eyelids regain their normal proportions.
Time is the best tool for reducing swelling, but you can also go a long way with the following tricks.
1. Cool swollen eyes with ice cubes
The cheapest solution is to cool your eyes with ice cubes or two (tablespoons) that have briefly been in the freezer. This is how it works: the sudden cold causes the blood vessels to contract and the swelling will quickly go down. Do not put the ice directly on your eyes but wrap the ice cubes in a washcloth or tea towel.
2. Reduce swelling with cucumber
Lie down for a while with a slice of cucumber. The cucumber refreshes and helps the skin to tighten again.
3. Put a cooled tea bag on your eyes
Caffeine stimulates the draining of moisture; it is a common ingredient in eye creams. Green and black teas are especially effective. Herbal tea has a soothing effect on any redness but does not contain caffeine. Squeeze the tea bag first before putting it on your eyes.
4. Eye mask against swollen eyes
The eye mask remains a classic: the combination of light pressure and cooling ensures that the swelling quickly goes down. There are several variants: the eye mask that you keep in the freezer, a rectangular bag filled with lavender and flax seed or a jade mask from the Chinese store.
5. Massage the skin around your eyes
If you don’t have time to lie down with vegetables or a mask on, apply a quick massage. With a patting motion, pass your middle fingers under the eyes, from the inner corner of the eye to the outside. In this way you stimulate the lymphatic system so that fluid and waste products are discharged more quickly. For the top of the eye, press firmly under your eyebrow with the tips of your ring fingers, again from the inside out. Repeat the massages three times.
6. Use makeup to look more awake
You can use makeup to make swollen eyelids less noticeable. Apply mascara first, this helps to “open” the eyes and make them appear larger. The mascara only goes on the upper lashes, the lower lashes remain natural. With a light pink or beige eye pencil, then draw a thin line on the lower eyelid.
Are your eyelids swollen due to an allergic reaction? Then don’t just smear or put anything on your eyelids.