Bags are great. Stylish, convenient, fashionable; they are the accessory no girl wants to be without. That is, at least, until they appear under the eyes. Two of the biggest complaints people have when it comes to their skin are dark, under eye bags. Yuck! Unfortunately, the eye area is often a clear reflection of the life-style that you lead. For example, if you party all night, several days a week, most likely you are going to have problems with bags under your eyes. Not pretty, to say the least. Lack of sleep can also lead to swollen eyelids which can make cosmetic application a problem in the morning (especially if you are on a time constraint as you will have to wait for the swelling to subside before applying eye make-up!).The bottom line is swollen eyelids and eye bags do not make for a fresh, glowing face! Fortunately, there are things you can do to improve the look of the area around your eyes and in no time, you will be on the road to clear beautiful skin! Of course, you may have to curb your late night lifestyle, but hey, sacrifices must be made if you want a fresh face!

If you have bags or dark eye circles, don’t worry, there are things you can do to improve the look of the skin around your eyes. Of course, there are many different products on the market to assist you with your fight including all natural and organic skin care products; however there are several simple home remedies you can try as well.

Before we go any further, let’s discuss what causes eye puffiness and dark circles in the first place. Well, as previously mentioned, your lifestyle plays a huge role; however, unfortunately, both of these skin problems can be caused by genetics as well. Sorry (go blame your mother). Other reasons for dark circles and under eye bags include poor diet, allergies, smoking, medications you may be taking, aging and sinus problems (such as a sinus infection).

The skin around the eyes is very thin and delicate; therefore, you should always apply skin treatments and eye creams in a very gentle manner. It is also important to note that the facial moisturizer that you use on your face should not be used on your eyes. Why? Well for one thing, facial moisturizers and creams are usually too rich for such a delicate area. Using a rich face moisturizer on your eyes can actually cause little white bumps to form (these bumps are known as milia or in simple terms, whiteheads). On a separate note, if you wear contact lenses it is very important that you avoid putting rich face creams on the skin around your eyes. If the skin cream gets into your eyes there is a very good chance that it could cloud your contacts and cause vision problems. Not fun! Rich facial moisturizers and creams can also clog your tear ducts and actually prevent your eyes from lubricating. So play it safe and only use skin care products that are specifically made for the delicate eye area.

Eye creams are designed to be light (and safe) for the delicate skin that surrounds your eye sockets. Though light, they are loaded with a high level of moisture, which is a good thing! A good eye cream will not only firm but energize the area as well. If you purchase a good, high quality eye cream you should only need to dab on a drop or two as a little goes a long way! If you want to refresh and energize the skin that surrounds your eyes it is very important to develop a daily skin routine and stick to it. Trust me, in twenty years you will be glad you did! Oh and before I forget, avoid eye creams that contain the ingredient Retin-A. If Retin-A finds its way into your eyes they can become extremely irritated and worst case scenario, damaged.

So what can you do about baggy eyes? Well, for temporary relief, go buy yourself some green tea bags and a potato or two. Lie down and place the item of choice on your eyes for approximately ten to fifteen minutes (and relax!). The caffeine (which is a diuretic) that is in the tea will help to reduce swelling as will the potato! Just don’t put the entire potato on your eyes…a slice (that is VERY cold) will do. Cucumbers work wonders as well! Simply place a cucumber slice on each eye, cover with a cold, damp cloth and wait for ten minutes (an old but effective method when it comes to dealing with eye bags and puffiness)!  If you have tried every eye and skin cream under the sun and have bought so many cucumbers you’d be better off growing your own and nothing seems to eliminate the bags…it may be time to go to the allergist. Bags are often caused by health issues such as chronic allergies.  An allergist can get to the root of the problem and find out if you are allergic to anything that may be contributing to your puffy problem. Remember, diet plays a very important role if you want to have beautiful skin so it may be something you are eating that is actually causing the problem.

There are also many different types of eye skin creams on the market that you may wish to try. For example, The Organic Health and Beauty Company sells a Cellular Extract Eye Lift Gel that “delivers an instant eye lift that creates a toned, more youthful appearance.” While organic skin care products are wonderful and the latest rage, you can always turn to an “oldie but a goodie” and buy Olay Definity Illuminating Eye Treatment. Whether or not it is the best under eye cream for you will require experimenting, but it is very popular and not only strengthens the delicate skin that surrounds the eyes, but it hydrates as well! Your skin will appear immediately brighter and smoother and darkness and shadows will disappear leaving your eyes looking more luminous. I guess that’s why they call it Olay Definity ILLUMINATING Eye Treatment!

Whether you choose to go with an organic skin care product or tea bags, it is important that you develop a go eye bag treatment routine and stick to it! Taking care of your skin should become a habit…one that you enjoy doing because you know the results will be worth the trouble! If you have been fighting with eye bags and under eye puffiness for years, don’t procrastinate any longer…make an appointment with a dermatologist and seek medical advice and help. Unfortunately, there is not a single soul on the planet that can escape the aging process. However, you can be pro-active and start taking care of your skin. The sooner, the better! Good luck, and may the bags under your eyes take a permanent vacation!