4 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Eye Bags

If eyes are the windows to one’s soul, what story do eye bags tell? Interestingly, the dark circles under your eyes can reveal a thing or two about your health and lifestyle.

Eye bags are common, especially as we age. A question many have then is, how do we get rid of them naturally? Ageing, smoking, and genetics are among factors that contribute to the puffiness under the eyes. The good news for many is that the appearance of dark under eye circles can be lessened naturally, with a tweak to lifestyle and dietary habits.

Read on to know what you can do, and what Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can do to lessen the effect of those dreaded panda eyes.

What Causes Eye Bags?  

To reduce the appearance of them, you should first find the cause. As it turns out, a variety of factors can cause these unsightly additions. The main culprits are usually ageing, one’s lifestyle, and an imbalance in one’s body.

From the Western medicine perspective 

Because the body changes with ageing, it is common for people to develop eye bags as one of its signs. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the tissues around the eyes weaken and sag with age and the fat in that area can move into the lower eyelids, causing them to look puffy.

The weakened tissues around the lower eyelids can also accumulate fluid, making the area appear more noticeable. This puffiness is what causes eye bags to develop.

Other factors that contribute to the formation of eye bags include smoking tobacco, genetics, and medical conditions such as allergies.

From a TCM perspective  

Our under-eye area is related to our Kidneys, says TCM physician Tjai Kang Jie. As we age, our Kidneys’ qi tends to deplete. Overworking or chronic stress can also worsen this loss of qi.

Physician Tjai says that the lessening of the Kidneys’ qi can be reflected under the eyes. This is what results as eye bags.

Eye bags can also be caused by Spleen-Stomach Deficiency. Eating disorders and overwork can cause damage to the Spleen-Stomach function and disrupts the flow of body fluid and Dampness in the body.

“This results in fluid accumulating in the eyes,” he states. “This is because the skin around the eyes is the thinnest out of all the other parts of the body.” 

What Can We Do to Get Rid of Eye Bags?  

There are a variety of ways to get rid of the puffiness. These include changes to your lifestyle, adding TCM supplements to your diet, and using TCM treatments.

Lifestyle changes  

A good night’s rest can do wonders for one’s body, rejuvenate the mind and can help reduce puffiness around the eyes. Experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep per night. 

One tip to make the most out of your sleep and reduce the appearance of eye bags is to use a good pillow that has adequate support. Sleeping with your head slightly raised can reduce fluid buildup in the area around your eyes.

Last but not least, quitting smoking is a good lifestyle change to take. Smoking tobacco is a main cause of the development of eye bags.

Tweaking your diet  

Tweaking your diet can help with reducing eye puffiness. Eating too much salt can lead to fluid retention, so reducing salt intake helps get rid of their appearance.

TCM physician Kang Jie recommends adding cinnamon (rou gui, 肉桂), black beans (hei dou, 黑豆), and Polygonum Multiflorum (tuber fleeceflower, he shou wu 何首烏) into your diet. These plants and herbs help nourish your Liver and Kidneys.

Supplement your diet  

Similar to a good sleep, a good diet can do wonders in getting rid of eye bags. Physician Tjai suggests adding items such as jujube (suan zao ren, 酸枣仁), poria mushroom (fu ling, 茯苓), barley (da mai, 大麥), and Codonopsis (dang shen, 党参) to your diet to assist in removing the puffiness.

Remember that ageing is one of the main culprits of its formation? Recommended supplements to be taken that contain anti-aging properties, including Nanollagen. It contains 8,000mg marine collagen peptides that are small enough to be absorbed in 90 minutes.

With the help of marine collagen, maybe it’s time to say goodbye to eye bags! 

TCM treatments  

Physician Tjai advises that several TCM treatments can help with reducing the appearance of eye bags. One such treatment is eye acupuncture. “Eye acupuncture at targeted acu-points helps to improve qi and blood circulation at the eyes area,” he says.

Physician Tjai also suggests facial gua sha to help remove eye bags. This can be done by rolling a jade roller or scrape board in an upwards motion on the face. Like acupuncture, this also helps improve qi and blood circulation around the eye area.

Eye bags are a natural occurrence, so it is apt that we get rid of them naturally. Will you apply any of the tips here to eliminate your eye bags? Share with us what works for you!