Problem: I have puffy eyes every morning that sometimes don’t go away until midday. They look awful and I’ve tried lots of eye products that don’t change a thing.
Solution: There are no cosmetics or miracle eye moisturizers that can alter puffy eyes, but lots of things, including water retention, can cause the skin around the eye area to swell. Lack of sleep is probably not as big a factor for puffy eyes as it is for bloodshot eyes. If anything, sitting up instead of lying down would prevent fluids from collecting in the tissues around the eye. Of course, no one should sit up day and night! Sleeping with your head slightly elevated, and making sure you give your neck the support it needs, can help prevent fluid retention. Alcohol consumption and a diet high in salt also can cause water retention and increase the puffiness around the eyes.
Another factor to consider is contact lenses, which can cause irritation and swelling of the eye, so be sure you are wearing the most comfortable type available for your vision correction. As with bloodshot eyes, exposure to smoke, rubbing the eyes, allergies, dry air (from heat or air-conditioning), makeup particles getting in the eyes, allergic reactions to skin-care or makeup products, bad pollution days, leaving makeup on overnight (which can cause inflammation), and using irritating skin-care products around the eyes can all make the eye area swollen.
Be sure to take your makeup off meticulously at night, don’t rub your eyes during the day, and take an antihistamine if you have allergies. If you are allergic or sensitive to certain skin-care or makeup products, avoid them.
Preventing dryness around the eyes can also help reduce irritation and swelling that can cause a puffy appearance. If that’s your problem, a lightweight, fragrance-free moisturizer will help a lot. Be certain the moisturizer does not contain any irritating ingredients that could make matters worse, such as witch hazel, volatile plant oils, and sensitizing plant extracts like lemon oil or forms of mint (including menthol). If you have time in the morning, place cool compresses on the eyes (low temperatures can make the skin contract); if you don’t have time for that, leave your moisturizer in the refrigerator so it’s cool when you apply it in the morning.
If none of these things help alleviate the problem, it may be that your eye area is just naturally puffy. Most typically this results from overly large fat pads around the eye (everyone has fat pads around the eye) creating a puffy-looking bulge. If that’s the case, the only way to get rid of the problem is with cosmetic surgery, which in most cases is incredibly effective at eliminating the puffiness.