Puffy eyes: a complete guide to what causes them (and how to get rid of them)
Ayesha Muttucumaru
Beauty & skincare
Reading time: 7 minutes
Puffy eyes in the morning? From eye creams to lifestyle tweaks, here’s what can help dial them down
If you usually wake up to a pair of puffy eyes staring back at you in the bathroom mirror, you’re not alone. They’re comfortingly common, but they can be tricky to address due to the wide range of reasons that could be behind them. The good news though is that a few small, but effective changes to your lifestyle and skincare routine can serve up noticeable results in both the short and long-term.
From what causes puffy eyes to how to reduce puffy eyes in the morning and 10 of the best eye creams to try, here’s your complete guide for deflating swollen eye bags and eyelids and helping tired peepers look instantly wider awake.
Why do you get puffy eyes in the morning?
‘Our bodies are continually making and blinking away tears during the day, but at night when we’re asleep, we stop blinking. A layer of tears can build up and this excess fluid can sometimes be reabsorbed into the tissues around the eyes to give a puffy appearance,’ highlights Dr Sonia Khorana (@dermgp on Instagram), GP with a Special Interest in Dermatology (GPwSI) and cosmetic doctor. Lying flat can cause fluid to rest and collect around the eye area, too.
Diet can also be a factor. If you’ve eaten something high in salt or drunk caffeine or alcohol late at night, this can lead to dehydration and as a result, water retention around the eyes.
Why do you get puffy eyes from crying?
There are two possible reasons. ‘The first is that when we cry, we produce more tears than the lacrimal drainage system can cope with, and this can lead to swelling,’ says Dr Khorana.
The second? Osmosis. ‘Water flows to areas of lower concentration as it tries to balance levels out. In this case, this is the saltier surrounding ocular tissue around the eyes.
‘So, when we cry when we’re happy or sad, the skin around our eyes will hold water from tears in the tissues, resulting in the area becoming swollen and puffy.’ Rubbing your eyes afterwards can make it worse.
What are the causes of puffy eyes & what can they be a sign of?
In addition to crying and morning fluid retention, there is also a range of other internal and external factors that could contribute to puffy eyes. These include:
1. Allergies
If your puffiness tends to be seasonal, conditions such as hay fever may be to blame. Eyes can become inflamed with the arrival of spring and summer, when histamine is released by the body in response to an allergen. Are they feeling itchy? Try not to rub them, as this can make puffiness worse.
2. Lack of sleep
‘When you don’t get enough sleep, you can notice an increase in fluid and blood retention around your eyes,’ explains Dr Khorana. ‘This can show up as puffiness and dark circles because the skin here is quite thin.’
3. Lack of movement
Lymph, the bodily fluid responsible for transporting white blood cells around the body, relies on the movement of muscles to get around. A more sedentary lifestyle can lead to a build-up of it, which may cause eye bags.
4. Menstrual cycle
Similar to stomach bloating, water retention at certain times of the month can sometimes manifest as eye puffiness.
5. Too much alcohol, salt & caffeine
A diet high in these can lead to dehydration which in turn can cause water retention, including around the eye area.
6. Using eye products that are too heavy
The skin around the eye area is up to four times thinner than other areas of the body and therefore more prone to product overload and as a result, puffiness.
7. Genetics & ageing
For some, the tissue around the eye area projects out in such a way as to give the appearance of puffiness. Age may also be a factor, as the muscles here can become looser over time and lead to bulging of the fat pads.
8. Underlying health problems
While most of the time, puffy eyes occur as a result of the above reasons, there may be cases when they are a sign of a thyroid or kidney problem. To rule these out, it’s best to book in with your GP.
How can you get rid of puffy eyes?
1. Antihistamines
If you suspect that your puffy eyes are the result of allergies, it may be worth talking to your GP. You can also pop in store for a chat with your Boots Pharmacy Team for further advice, including which remedies could suit your symptoms.
2. Improve your sleep routine
Look to build a better sleep routine to help you to get more restorative shut-eye. We know, it’s easier said than done, but a few small changes can make a world of difference. Start your wind-down routine early, stop drinking caffeine after 1pm and avoid alcohol before bedtime. If you’re able to, keep your bedroom a tech-free zone and try to minimise your blue light exposure two to three hours before your head hits the pillow.
If sleep has been sparse, you might find our guide to the best sleep aids and Yoga Nidra helpful, too.
3. Get moving
Regular exercise not only improves sleep quality, but also helps the lymphatic system to pump lymph around the body. Even a short, brisk walk can help. Regularity rather than intensity is key.
4. Try a lymphatic drainage eye massage
Not only can this aid circulation to help de-puff, but it feels pretty blissful too. After applying a facial oil, cleansing oil or cleansing balm to your ring finger to reduce friction, glide it using gentle pressure in circles around the orbital bone, working inwards to outwards.
5. Reduce salt, alcohol & caffeine intake
This can help reduce dehydration and therefore, water retention.
6. Drink more water
To reduce chances of dehydration.
7. Avoid heavy eye creams
Stick to light, gel or water-based formulations and leave richer textures for super dry areas of the face and body only.
8. Try a caffeine eye cream
Much like a morning coffee, caffeine can be a great pick-me-up for tired eyes too. It’s believed to help puffiness by constricting blood vessels to reduce swelling.
What are the best puffy eye creams?
Whether you’re looking for a caffeine eye cream or a refreshing gel with a cooling tip applicator, here are 10 of our favourite eye creams for puffy eyes to try. You’ll love these other great options, too.
Check out our guide to at-home facial massage, which is full of techniques designed to de-puff and encourage lymphatic drainage.
Best caffeine eye cream for puffy eyes
Try: The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% EGCG
• Size: 30ml
• Oil-free
• Vegan
Think of this as an espresso-shot for tired eyes. As well as a 5% concentration of caffeine, it also contains epigallocatechin gallatyl glucoside (wow, quite the mouthful), also known as EGCG (much better) from green tea leaves to help fight signs of fatigue.
Best eye cream for puffy eyes & lymphatic drainage massage
Try: Fenty Skin Flash Nap Instant Revival Eye Gel-Cream & Eye Massage Tool
• Size: 15ml, vegan
• Vegan
This de-puffing kit includes a cooling mini eye massage tool that can be used to provide a quick lymphatic drainage massage. The eye gel is refreshing, hydrating and a great all-rounder thanks to a hard-working formula containing skin barrier supporting niacinamide and hydrating hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
Best eye cream for puffy eyes & wrinkles
Try: L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Laser Renew Anti-Ageing Eye Cream
• Size: 15ml
This pick’s cooling in-built pen applicator sets it apart. When applied in gentle circular motions from the outer to inner corners, it provides a moment of much-needed bliss on stressful days. A revitalising formula containing caffeine and skin-plumping hyaluronic acid and firming Pro-xylane, helps provide benefits in both the short and long-term.
Best eye product for puffy eyes on-the-go
Try: Soap & Glory Puffy Eye Attack Under-Eye Brightening Hydrogel Patches
• Contains one pair of eye patches
• Dermatologically-tested
• Vegan
Containing cooling cucumber fruit juice, botanical peptides and hydration heavyweights, this wonderfully named treatment is small in size, speedy in results. Ideal to keep on your bedside table to help take the sting out of a bad night’s sleep.
Best eye cream for puffy eyes & sensitive skin
Try: Simple Kind To Skin Soothing Eye Balm
• Size: 15m
• Alcohol-free
• Cruelty-free
• Non-comedogenic
For those with especially sensitive skin, finding an eye cream that’s gentle yet effective can be particularly hard. That’s where this refreshing eye balm comes in. Formulated to keep chances of irritation low, it’s received glowing reviews from Boots customers for its depuffing and fatigue-fighting abilities.
Best brightening eye cream for puffy eyes
Try: Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream
• Size: 15ml
• Ophthalmologist tested
With a cool touch tip to stealthily depuff and an ingredients list brimming with goodies that target a wide array of signs of tiredness, this vibrantly tubed eye cream is a brightening treat in more ways than one.
Best eye cream for puffy eyes & soothing skin
Try: Avène Soothing Eye Contour Cream for Sensitive Eyes
• Size: 10ml
• Ophthalmologist tested
This eye cream’s intensely moisturising and protective formula has been created with the needs of hypersensitive skin in mind to help soothe irritation and puffiness. Enriched with the brand’s signature Avène Thermal Spring Water, as well as decongesting dextran sulfate and bisabolol to help to shield skin against the elements, it’s the ideal partner for stressed-out under-eye skin.
Best cooling eye serum for puffy eyes
Try: Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage
• Size: 15ml
• Oil-free
• Ophthalmologist tested
Super lightweight, this refreshing eye serum comes complete with a rollerball applicator that feels blissful when applied. Enriched with a re-energising combo of caffeine, panthenol and soothing botanicals, it can be used over and above make-up for whenever you need a pick-me-up.
Best eye cream for puffy eyes & dry skin
Try: Florence By Mills Swimming Under the Eyes Gel Pads
• Size: 60 pads
A treat and treatment in one for disguising sleepiness, these whale-shaped eye gels offer both functionality and fun in spades. Its conditioning formula of coconut extract, moisturising hyaluronic acid and pine extract provides a generous serving of skin benefits – simply pop one under each eye (tails facing in or out) and leave on for 10 to 15 minutes.
Best eye serum to rehydrate puffy eyes
Try: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum
• Size 15ml
Peptides are are great building blocks for proteins in our skin, like collagen and elastin. With a blend of peptides and an extra shot of caffeine, this thinly formulated eye serum works to improve the look of fine lines, puffiness and dark circles whilst also helping to rehydrate the delicate skin around the eyes.
Try: Peace Out Puffy Eyes
• Vegan
Gentle yet effective, these under eye patches have been soaked in caffeine to help minimise puffiness and added niacinamide helps brighten up the look of dark circles, too. After just 15 minutes, you’ll be showcasing that “just-got-eight-hours-of-sleep” look to the world.
