What Causes Bags Under Eyes and Puffiness

what-causes-bags-under-eyes-and-puffiness what-causes-bags-under-eyes-and-puffiness

Now, we’d love to tell you that with one simple switch, your eye bags or puffy eyes will disappear forever … but that would be lying.

What we WILL do is help you understand how to avoid puffy eyes and how to keep existing puffs from worsening.

To be honest, there can be many reasons why you’re sporting bags under eyes and puffy skin. That’s why it’s so hard to nail down a hard and fast solution.

We’ve all had nights when we feel like we’ve slept for a full 8 ... minutes. All that tossing, turning, and spontaneous night-time scrolling can make mornings feel like more of a slog than they should.

Things don’t get any better when you look in the mirror and notice a fresh set of eye bags staring back at you.

While lack of sleep can definitely cause majorly puffy under eye skin, there are actually many baggy under eye causes for you to contend with.

Tired eyes meme- D.W. Arthur Tired eyes meme- D.W. Arthur

Like many of us, you’re probably wondering what causes eye bags to form and how to handle them when they turn up.

From the best eye creams for dark circles to working out puffy under eyes symptoms, we can help point you in the right skincare direction.

What Causes Puffy Eyes?

You may be thinking, what causes puffy eyes? Many things can cause puffy eyes—it’s not just a bad night’s sleep that invites in the puffed-up skin. It’s good to know that when it comes to fluid retention in face and eyes (eye bags, basically), you’re not alone.

Seriously, puffy skin and eyes are super-common. But they have many people asking, ‘Why are my under eyes always puffy?’

Rather than obsess over what makes eyes puffy underneath the skin, take action and maybe start looking more closely at your diet.

Love a bag or two of chippies? Unfortunately, too much sodium in your diet could be what causes swollen eye bags. Excess salt can make your skin retain water.

While that might sound like a good thing (eight glasses a day and all that), the excess water can be what causes puffy eyes overnight. As the thin under eye skin swells, when you wake up, you might notice you have a couple of new bags.

If you just love a good, salty snack, help counterbalance the sodium by introducing some potassium-rich foods into your diet. Dried apricots, bananas, and even potatoes (NOT chips and crisps) can help counter the salt.

Can not drinking enough water cause under eye bags? Well, drinking water does help flush excess salt through your system, so you may notice less puffiness first thing. Just be careful not to drink too much before bed, as this extra fluid may show up in your face the next morning. Moderation is key!

To help reduce the look of your puffy eyes, you could introduce some eye-specific tools into your skincare kit. Gently massaging the skin under your eyes with the best face massage rollers cools things down, so your puffy skin starts to diminish.

Looking to try something new? We love these facial massagers—especially in summer. The big blue balls (mind out of the gutter, people!) offer a cooling, soothing motion, helping you depuff and destress.

What Causes Eye Bags?

So many things can cause eye bags and puffy, swollen skin. What causes eye bags at a young age? Well, one of the main causes is genetics.

If your toddler has bags under eyes, it’s (probably) not because they’re up raving all night with their favourite teddies. It’s probably got more to do with the genes they've inherited from you or their other chromosome-contributor.

Yeah, yeah, but then, why do eye bags form under eyes? Severe fatigue can play a part, but if you have darker skin, unfortunately, you might naturally be prone to more intense eye bags. The pigment under the eyes simply makes pouches look more prominent.

Rather than trying to ‘fix’ the issue, invest in a cream or serum that’ll keep the area hydrated and healthy. Under eye bags are a part of daily life for many. They’re nothing to be ashamed of and can easily be kept hydrated and soothed with a good skincare routine and a decent concealer.

So, is Vitamin C good for under eye bags? The simple answer is yes, it is. When applied topically, Vitamin C can encourage circulation and collagen production, so your eye area looks healthier, more nourished, and less baggy.

So if you're looking to top up your skincare regime with an eye cream or serum to dump the excess baggage under your eyes, we’ve found a few formulas that just might do the trick...

This refreshing, hydrating gel helps revive your eyes.

There’s no doubt about it: not getting enough sleep will make you look tired. Fatigue, combined with dehydration, makes your eye bags look bigger and more prominent. Try calming things down with Lancôme Advanced Génifique Yeux Youth Activating Eye Cream. Made with Buckwheat Extract to help reduce the look of fine lines, the lightweight blend actually tackles multiple signs of ageing. A reformulation of the brand’s bestselling face serum—especially for the eye contour—this gel-cream visibly soothes and refreshes the skin.

This refreshing, hydrating gel helps revive your eyes.
  • A powerful eye cream-gel enriched with probiotic-derived extracts, this formula tackles the signs of ageing and fatigue that can really bring your morning down. Designed especially to reduce puffy skin and lift the look of dark circles, it’ll leave you feeling a bit more confident about your eye area when applied consistently. Crafted to brighten skin that’s looking dull and lifeless, this formula smooths onto the eye contour effortlessly.

  •  So, if you have bags under eyes ageing issues, you could add Lancôme Advanced Génifique Yeux - Youth Activating Eye Cream into your skincare mix. The potent formula gets to work as soon as it’s applied, hydrating your eye area with every use. Focussed on helping your skin remain youthful-looking, the Lancôme scientists formulated this gel-cream with biotechnology-derived ingredients and a patented blend to enhance and encourage the skin’s natural glow. Use every morning and night to experience softer, smoother, more youthful-looking skin.

As you get older, tending to the skin around your eyes becomes more of a priority. You don’t have to have mature skin to begin a healthy skincare routine that targets the eye area. Adored by many across the globe, Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Eye Serum helps reduce the signs of ageing that many find frustrating. Working to revitalise tired eyes and help brighten the eye contour, these lightweight serum capsules smooth onto the skin and sink in almost immediately. Made with advanced technology, the handy little capsules are a gem many beauty gurus swear by.

  • Perfect to travel with and easy to use, each eye capsule is filled with a restorative serum that tends gently to the eye contour. Packed full of skin-loving ingredients, including a high concentration of fatty acids and cholesterol, the formula instantly hydrates your skin. The Ceramide Lipid Complex in the serum helps support the skin’s natural defence system. This helps prevent moisture loss while gently exfoliating the skin, so you experience softer, smoother, less puffy skin.

  •  Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Eye Serum has been carefully crafted to help boost the skin’s luminosity. Sea Fennel Extract helps promote skin cell renewal, so you notice brighter skin. And Vitamin E is a powerful, conditioning antioxidant. The unique blend of ingredients helps protect the skin from any daily aggressors you might encounter. Once you’ve opened the capsule, pat the serum around your eye contour and let it sink in.

Combat your eye concerns with this clever, little eye cream.

Dark shadows, eye bags, and puffy skin can really bust your look. While there’s nothing wrong with looking … well, real, when you’re rocking your fave ensemble, you want your face to look as fresh as you feel. To help your eyes look a little brighter, you could introduce Jurlique Herbal Recovery Signature Eye Cream into your routine. Working to combat many signs of ageing and fatigue, this nourishing blend contains serious free radical-fighting antioxidants. Addressing fine lines, deep wrinkles, dehydrated skin, puffiness, and, of course, eye bags, this gentle cream leaves skin looking more radiant.

Combat your eye concerns with this clever, little eye cream.
  • Made in Australia, this new and improved formula from Jurlique smooths and firms the skin with a blend of powerful botanical extracts. Proving that you don’t need to use potent chemicals on your skin to see a difference, this blend softens the skin and helps depuff any puffy eyes. Helping the skin look and feel more energised, this cream combats the signs of ageing that few of us are fond of.

  •  To help keep your delicate under eye area hydrated and healthy, you might want to introduce a nourishing cream into your everyday routine. Made with smoothing Silk Tree, Jurlique Herbal Recovery Signature Eye Cream tends to the skin, so you enjoy a boost of confidence. Suitable for all skin types, this cream makes the skin under your eyes look brighter and more youthful when used consistently over time. In fact, 80% of women (based on a study of 47 women who used the cream for 28 days) agree that their skin felt replenished and hydrated. Perfect for all ages, especially those in their 30s.

How to Reduce Puffiness Above Eyes

What is puffy eyes a sign of? Can allergies cause puffy eyes? They most certainly can. To reduce puffiness, you might want to start monitoring when exactly the puffs appear.

The skin around the eye area can be super-thin. So, when those seasonal allergies rear their ugly heads, you might notice some puffiness coming out to play.

When histamine (which helps regulate physiological functions) is triggered and released into the body, you might start to notice some bags under eyes.

Histamine can cause a hive-like reaction around the eyes, which makes them itchy, uncomfortable, and swollen. Kinda annoying.

To help with the puffy eyes allergies cause, stay on top of seasonal changes and check to see if your eyes react to any specific ingredients.





Brand and product inclusions are at the sole discretion of Adore Beauty. We do not seek or accept payment from brands or individuals listed in our guides.




Need a recap? Here's some our favourites products to reduce bags under eyes...

If the baggage you’re carting around under your eyes is weighing you down, it’s time to get some creams on board that can help you depuff. Pick out your favourites, switch up some habits, and let the new under eye care journey begin.


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