Our Advice
- Check whether the problem is under-eye bags vs dark circles
- Find the cause of the under-eye bags and puffiness
- Drink plenty of water and try a low-sodium diet
- Decrease puffiness with cold caffeine
- Target your under-eyes with peptides
- Promote lymphatic drainage
Dark Circles vs. Eye-bags
Under-eye bags (puffiness under the eye area) can be mistaken for dark circles (darkness around the eye area). Puffiness under the eyes can look like dark circles because the shape can cause shadows that make your eye area appear darker.
How to check whether you have dark circles or under-eye bags
To make sure that your concern is under-eye bags and not dark circles, while looking in the mirror, gently lift up the skin under your eyes to see if you notice a color difference between your under-eye and the rest of your skin. If you notice that your under-eye skin is in fact darker, you have dark circles and you should focus on treatments for pigmentation and brightening. If your lifted skin is the same color as the rest of your skin, your concerns are likely with under-eye puffiness or skin that is extra thin and transparent. If skin is thin and/or there is micro-circulation congestion under the eye you can see areas appearing darker bluish blackish or purple and remedies for this would be to thicken the under-eye skin and relieve congestion with circulation boosters like bilberry and butcher's broom.
The causes of under-eye bags and puffiness
Under-eye bags can be caused by different conditions of the skin, including sagging and weakening of the muscles around your eyes, which happens naturally as you age. They can also be caused by health conditions such as allergies and kidney diseases. Check in with your healthcare provider if you suspect this to be the case and also lifestyle choices such as lack of sleep and salty foods as they can cause fluid accumulation.
How to improve under-eye bags
1. Drink plenty of water and try a low-sodium diet
2. Decrease puffiness with cold caffeine
3. Target your under-eyes with peptides
4. Promote lymphatic drainage
Drink plenty of water and try a low-sodium diet
For those prone to under-eye puffiness, abstaining from salty foods, especially before bedtime, is crucial. Eating salty foods lead to fluid retention, aka, hello morning puffiness! Dehydration can also make your eye bags look worse.
Decrease puffiness with cold caffeine
Cucumber slices on the eyes are a cute classic, but what’s more effective is steeped green tea bags cooled in the fridge, since the tannins and caffeine will also help perk up your under-eye area. Topically, caffeine can temporarily constrict blood vessels and improve microcirculation, which helps reduce puffiness. An especially effective solution to post tears! Tracie Martyn master esthetician Irina suggests a DIY eye mask with ground coffee mixed with a little olive oil. These methods are most suitable for those who are experiencing temporary puffiness and obviously are not as effective as professional skincare.
Target your under-eyes with peptides
Certain peptides—like the ones found in the Tracie Martyn LotuSculpt Eye Treatment Duo—can help tighten and firm the skin around the eyes, helping reduce the appearance of under-eye puffiness and sagging. Peptides are chains of amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins like collagen and are thought to aid in collagen production. While collagen molecules are too large to effectively penetrate the skin-collagen topically is used mostly as a humectant and plumping agent), peptides can and are thus well-researched on their role in signaling collagen production.[1] The LotuSculpt line combines three peptides along with anti-aging botanicals to help address under-eye concerns like puffiness and fine lines and wrinkles. (Right now, you can get a full-sized LotuSculpt Eye Treatment Duo along with complimentary mini products with the Home Facial Kit!)
Promote lymphatic drainage
Lymphatic drainage is a specialty at Tracie Martyn, and the patented Beyond Microcurrent® technology is famous for leaving you with a de-puffed face and eyes. Lymphatic drainage is the process of helping “drain” lymph fluid, which can help awaken the skin and get rid of puffiness. At home, you can practice lymphatic drainage by giving yourself a face massage either with your hands or with a tool like a jade roller or a Gua Sha. It’s easy to add this into your daily routine with a moisturizing serum like the Firming Serum (it also contains puffiness-reducing green tea and circulation-boosting bilberry!)—make sure it has some slip. Tap a rice grain-sized amount of Firming Serum onto your eye area and then start from the inner corners of your eyebrows and with your index fingers gently press upwards and slowly move out. Then, with your ring fingers on the corners of your eyes, apply light pressure in taps in a half circle outwards underneath your eyes and up to your temples.
Improve eye-bags with Tracie Martyn’s techniques
Once you identify you suffer from under-eye puffiness and eye bags there are plenty of things you can do to help! From at-home treatments, to lifestyle changes, to spa services, we hope you found the solution right for you. The “windows into your soul” will look brighter, smoother, and youthified in no time!
FAQ:
Q: Can eye bags go away with sleep?
A: It’s important to know the different causes of eye bags. Lack of sleep, dehydration, fluid retention, irritation, & aging all contribute to under-eye bags , but they could also just be hereditary. If they are hereditary it requires more treatment and something stronger, such as our Beyond Microcurrent® technology. If they are a side effect of stress, salt, or dehydration, good sleep (7-9 hours a night!) and water will help! While sleeping, try propping up your pillow and sleeping with a slight elevation to help prevent fluid build up in the eye area!
Q: How long does it take to get rid of under eye bags?
A: It depends what kind you have & what treatments you are using. If they are hereditary, treatments can help to improve over time, but if they are caused by environmental factors, they can improve after just a couple nights of good sleep, at home treatments, smoothing and brightening products, and hydration! At Tracie Martyn we try to prevent invasive procedures but we also are a great option for clients who want to maintain in combination with more cosmetic or dermatologic procedures.
Q: Do under eye patches work to reduce eye bags?
A: Yes! They work to improve puffiness, by smoothing and brightening the under eye. When used with our Lotusculpt Activator, containing certain peptides and circulation boosters, they help to firm and tighten the skin around the eye area and help reduce fluid retention, therefore reducing the appearance of sagging and bags !
Q: Do eye creams fix under-eye bags?
A: They do not solely fix under-eye bags. Similarly to eye-patches, they do work, depending on ingredients, to improve puffiness from allergy, stress, tiredness, as well as smoothing the appearance of lines which helps the overall under eye area. Look out for ingredients such as Caffeine, Hyaluronic Acid, Peptides, and Antioxidants in your products for maximum effectiveness. Our Firming Serum is the perfect product to use around the eye area and contains Hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture, and 8 powerhouse Antioxidants including Glutathione, a skin restoring peptide, and Resveratrol, an antioxidant to protect against environmental stressors. It’s most effective when layered with our Face Resculpting Cream that includes ingredients like caffeine to reduce puffiness and bring life back to the skin!