Under-eye bags can add years to your face. Puffy or sagging skin under your eyes can make you look tired and unhealthy, even if you're not. Most people want to diminish under-eye bags, and many spend a lot of money on expensive creams and procedures. For a natural and inexpensive treatment, try green tea.
Causes
One of the most common causes of eye bags is the march of time. As you age, the delicate skin under your eyes loses elasticity, which causes it to droop. Eye bags can also be caused by lack of sleep, sleeping on your back and general fatigue. All of these factors limit circulation to the area and, therefore, the flow of nutrients and the flushing away of toxins. Allergies and sinusitis can also lead to under-eye puffiness, while some people are genetically predisposed to this condition.
Green Tea Characteristics
Green tea is packed with antioxidants, which break down the free radicals, or toxins, in your body that prevent your cells from functioning properly. A build-up of free radicals can speed up the aging process. Green tea not only helps to eradicate toxins, it can also reduce or even prevent some of the damage they cause. Green tea's toxin-fighting properties are believed to be even stronger than those found in vitamin C, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. It also contains stimulants -- which may help boost circulation -- and properties that calm the nervous system and help your sleep.
Green Tea Compress
An eye compress of green teabags can help to relieve under-eye puffiness, says DarkCirclesGone.com. Make a cup of green tea using two teabags, then use the bags on your eyes. Make sure they've cooled before placing them on your eyes and that the bags aren't too wet or dripping, as the tea may irritate your eyes. Relax with them on your eyes for about 10 minutes.
Drinking Green Tea
Get the benefits of green tea by drinking it as well as using it topically. A maximum of about three cups a day is recommended, says the Harvard Health Publications website. For optimum results, leave the tea bag or fresh leaves in the boiled water for at least five minutes to release all its benefits. Drink fresh green tea rather than ready-made varieties, which contain less of the active ingredients.
Precautions
As with any herbal treatment, check with your doctor or an herb specialist before using green tea to treat eye bags. Green tea may interact with other medications you are taking, or you may be allergic or sensitive to some of the active properties in green tea, says the University of Maryland Medical Center website. Because of its stimulating effects, green tea should be avoided if you have a heart condition, suffer from anxiety, drink a lot of caffeine, are pregnant or have trouble sleeping.
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