7 Tips for Keeping Your Under-Eyes Looking Bright and Smooth All Day

Puffiness, fine lines and dark circles around the eyes affect women of almost every age group. They’re a natural part of aging but can also be caused by stress, sun exposure and dehydration. Holistic solutions are often the best way to address under-eye concerns. Here are some tips you can add to your daily routine to have a healthy under-eye area. 

7 Tips for Keeping Your Under-Eyes Looking Bright and Smooth All Day

1. Prioritize Quality Sleep

Your skin needs sleep to stay healthy. While you rest, it performs essential restorative processes overnight — rebuilding its barriers, repairing and regenerating skin cells, and enhancing blood circulation. This is why sleep deprivation can cause or worsen fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, dark circles and dull skin. 

It’s important to create habits and an environment that will help you get the ideal hours of sleep. To improve your sleep hygiene and prevent dark circles around your eyes: 

• Start relaxing an hour before bedtime.
• Avoid late-night eating and drinking.
• Commit to a consistent sleep schedule.
• Get blackout curtains, especially if you sleep during the day.
• Invest in comfortable pillows and a supportive mattress.

2. Stay Hydrated Inside and Out

Water is essential for skin health. It enhances elasticity and firmness, flushes out toxins and promotes cell turnover. It also strengthens the skin barrier, which locks moisture in and keeps skin from becoming dull and dry. 

The cardinal rule is to drink six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily, but that number can vary depending on weight, exercise habits and special considerations. A good rule of thumb is to monitor your urine and pre-hydrate, especially during hot weather. 

While drinking enough water daily improves skin barrier function, applying moisturizers can reinforce the effect and further hydrate the skin. Choose a moisturizing eye cream that suits your skin type and monitor how your skin responds to it. Applying a moisturizer right after bathing is best because it traps water in the skin.  

3. Eat Antioxidant-Rich Foods

UV radiation and pollution can damage the skin and accelerate aging. Eating foods rich in antioxidants can neutralize their effects and boost your skin’s defenses against them. Here are some antioxidants and examples of foods that are rich in them: 

• Vitamin C: Citrus fruits, tropical fruits, berries, tomatoes and cruciferous vegetables
• Vitamin E: Nuts, vegetable oils, seeds and green leafy vegetables
• Carotenoids: Red, orange and yellow fruits, and dark green leafy vegetables
• Flavonoids: Dark chocolate, red wine, tea, soybeans, berries and citrus fruits 

Eating these foods can help fight the signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes. It’ll also boost your overall health because natural sources of antioxidants are also rich in other nutrients and minerals. 

4. Support Skin with Collagen-Boosting Habits

Many skincare products contain collagen, a common protein that helps give the skin structure and shape, and having a healthy level of it makes skin stronger and more youthful. 

The aging population makes up 42% of dermatology patients because aging causes the skin to naturally lose collagen and elasticity. This loss makes under-eye bags, dark circles and puffiness more prominent. Solutions often include using collagen supplements and skincare products. Collagen-boosting habits include eating food rich in amino acids, exercising regularly and protecting your skin from UV exposure.

5. Use Sun Protection Daily

While sunlight can be good for your skin, too much can cause photoaging, and its first signs are often most noticeable around the eyes, where the skin is thin. Wrinkles and lines can increase and get deeper. Fortunately, you can prevent photoaging by using sun protection and limiting your exposure to UV radiation:  

• Wear sunglasses or a hat to protect your eyes and the surrounding area.
• Protect the skin from UVA and UVB rays with broad-spectrum sunscreens.
• Apply sunscreen on all bare skin and reapply at least every two hours.
• Wear clothing that covers as much skin as possible — sunscreen doesn’t completely stop UV radiation.
• Avoid going out in the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. 

6. Manage Stress for Brighter Eyes

Stress and how you deal with it can affect the areas around your eyes. It can disrupt your sleep patterns and cause a fluid buildup in your under-eye area. If you’re prone to rubbing your eyes when stressed, you could also cause inflammation. 

Keep your stress under control with relaxing activities. Yoga can help you recenter yourself while improving your skin health and slowing the effects of aging. Activities that will get you moving, like dancing or walking, are also ideal because they boost your feel-good endorphins and improve your mood.  

7. Apply Cold Compresses

For quick relief, apply a cold compress to the area. Wrap the ice in a thin cloth before massaging it on your face to avoid discomfort. Gently icing the swollen area can release fluid buildup and tighten the skin. Ice facials are generally safe but should be avoided if you have sensitive skin, broken capillaries or have had a recent facial procedure. 

Embrace a Holistic Routine for Smoother Under-Eyes

There are many reasons why you may have bags under your eyes, from stress and dehydration to sleep deprivation and genetics. The key to having great under-eye areas is a healthy lifestyle. Get enough sleep and nutrients, and protect your skin from UV and stress. Fine lines, wrinkles and dark circles around the eyes might be natural signs of aging, but you can reduce them with holistic care.

Chloe Powell

Guest Blogger

 As a women’s lifestyle blogger and Senior Editor at Revivalist Magazine, Chloe blends her five years of industry experience with a passion for beauty and wellness. She loves to create empowering, confidence-boosting content for women everywhere.