There are countless products out there that claim to fight those puffy spots around your eyes, but the truth is, their purported benefits are mostly just marketing hype. You don't need a special product to treat under-eye puffiness. In fact, any moisturizer or eye cream will work. The trick lies not in the product, but in the technique--the key to fighting under eye puffiness is actually at your fingertips!

The puffy circles under your eyes are caused by a buildup of lymph (it's not dangerous, just inconvenient if you don't want to look like you've been crying). Lymph is a mostly clear fluid that removes waste from the cells and helps prevent disease and infection; it originates in the organs and tissues and circulates through the body's lymphatic system. Because lymph vessels don't have muscles, sometimes lymph can get a little stuck and start to pool up, resulting in puffiness.

To fight puffy eyes, you need to help get the lymph moving again. To do this, apply lotion under your eyes and on your eyelids. Starting from the outer corner of the lower lid, gently massage with your fingertips toward your nose. This works because it follows the direction of the lymph vessels.

Some savvy marketers have harnessed this technique to help sell their products. For example, many people have found Olay Eye Derma-Pod to be effective at reducing eye puffiness. I am not certain that the actual ingredients in this product are especially effective in fighting under eye puffiness; however, it works because the instructions say to use the massage technique I outlined above.

There are several other techniques you can use to reduce under eye puffiness, including deep breathing exercises, such as yoga, and limiting salt intake. See my previous blog, 911 for Puffy Eyes, for more info. These techniques won't work on dark under eye circles--see Getting Rid of Darkness Under Your Eyes for tips on fighting those.

Wishing you great skin!

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