Your Morning Eye Fix-it Routine

Posted by GladGirl Team on June 27, 2014

Your eyes are the windows to your soul—they’re also the mirror to your age…and sometimes to the raucous good time you had last night! Bloodshot eyes, wrinkly undereye skin, dark circles and puffiness not only defy your age, but also speak to late nights and poor nutrition. Disguise your age and your partying with the following anti-aging eye remedies.

Be Cool

Whether your eyes are puffy and red from a late-night studying session or a night on the town, doesn’t matter. What matters is that you hide the evidence…and fast! Apply a cold compress to ease the swelling and red eye. You can use the old-fashioned trick of a cold cucumber, or you can apply a cold tea compress. Caffeinated teas like green and black help constrict blood vessels to zap away puffiness and firm the skin around the eyes. If your eyes are red and irritated, best to apply a cold herbal compress, like anti-inflammatory chamomile or peppermint. Speaking of anti-inflammatories, a cold dose of aloe vera should reduce puffiness in no time! Keep a tub of aloe vera gel in the freezer. Let it thaw for 10 minutes, and then massage under your eyes for a quick fix. While you’re at it, treat those eyes to an at-home salt solution to reduce redness and irritation. Combine boiled, distilled water with a half teaspoon of salt. Using an eye dropper, rinse out eyes.

Be Cool Must-Haves

• 2 cold cucumber slices
• 2 cold tea compresses of black or herbal tea
• 1 tub frozen aloe vera gel
• Salt Solution: ½ tsp salt with 1 cup distilled water

Be Soft

Give the skin around your eyes a little TLC by treating it to a milk (or soy milk) bath. Soak a cotton ball with milk and gently press to your eyes and the surrounding skin. You’ll be amazed by how soft and silky skin appears. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (including a mega-dose of vitamin A) help soften fine lines and dark circles.

Be Soft Must-Haves

• 2 cotton balls
• 2 oz whole milk or soy milk

Be Gentle

The thin skin under your eyes always needs some extra attention. Apply an anti-aging, hydrating eye cream morning and evening. You can also make your own eye cream with coconut oil and vitamin E. Coconut oil moisturizes while it helps turn over old skin cells to make room for the new. Daily application will minimize wrinkles, and, with an SPF factor of 4, even help protect against the sun. Vitamin E is the go-to skin vitamin, and certainly lives up to its reputation. It diminishes fine lines, protects with antioxidants, and helps reduce dark circles. Mix some coconut oil with vitamin E oil and massage under the eyes daily. The oil has the tendency to drift up into the eyes, so massage until absorbed.

Be Gentle Must-Haves

• 1 jar virgin organic coconut oil
• 1 bottle of wheatgerm or vitamin E oil

Don’t forget to keep your eyelash extensions clean and remove those strip lashes and eye makeup! Raccoon eyes from last night’s makeup leftovers will make your morning fix-it routine that much more difficult!