19 Ways to Get Rid of Puffy Eyes, According to a Derm
Consider yourself lucky if you don't have to deal with under-eye puffiness all that much. For the rest of us, trying to get those bothersome bags to smooth out and lay flat can be a daily challenge. Sure, there are ways to eliminate under-eye puffiness, but everyone wants to know how to do it and get fast results. No matter if heavy-looking eyes are the result of a sleepless night, too much salt, genetics, or age, when it comes to how to get rid of puffy eyes, you'll need to incorporate some proven products and lifestyle habits that depuff and firm the skin to see a noticeable difference. We tapped a dermatologist for doctor-approved ways to treat puffy eyes once and for all.
Meet the Expert
- Dr. Ashley Magovern - Board-certified dermatologist and member of Dermstore's Medical Advisory Board
What Causes Puffy Eyes?
A myriad of factors and elements cause puffy eyes, which make you look tired. According to board-certified dermatologist Ashley Magovern, M.D., member of Dermstore's Medical Advisory Board, puffy eyes can be attributed to a lack of sleep, allergies, dehydration, diet, excess salt, genetics, and aging. Fluid retention and weakened skin elasticity can also contribute to them." Couple all that with the natural loss of fat (volume) under the eyes, and you have the perfect formula for puffy eyes.
Ingredients to Help Depuff the Under-Eyes
The right skincare ingredients can make all the difference between smooth, firm under eyes and puffy and baggy ones. Dr. Magovern says that some of the most effective ingredients for combating puffy undereye bags include caffeine, which reduces swelling and tightens the skin; peptides, which help strengthen and firm the under-eye area; and hyaluronic acid, which hydrates and smoothes the skin. Other tried-and-true ingredients that help depuff the eyes include caffeine, licorice, and niacinamide.
How to Get Rid of Puffy Eyes
1. Cerave Eye Repair Cream for Dark Circles and Puffiness
66 reviews
$19.99
This brightening and hydrating under-eye cream works hard to improve the look of dark circles and under-eye puffiness thanks to a unique time-released technology and botanical blend. Plus, the fragrance-free, quick-to-absorb formula locks moisture into the area, helping to maintain the skin's protective barrier. By smoothing out the skin under the eyes, tired-looking eyes become a thing of the past.
Key Ingredients: Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Helps reduce the look of dark circles and puffiness, suitable for contact lens wearers and sensitive skin and eyes, won't clog pores
Beauty Insider Tip: With consistent use of this under-eye cream, you can expect to see noticeable results within four to six weeks.
2. iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex
120 reviews
$120.00
This advanced formula is perfect for combatting the visible signs of aging eyes, including puffiness and bags. It strengthens the skin under the eyes to smooth and firm it. The peptide-packed serum also targets fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and increases hydration levels for full orbital rejuvenation.
Key Ingredients: Peptides, hyaluronic acid, marine extremozyme
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Smoothes, hydrates, illuminates, firms, improves elasticity
Beauty Insider Tip: Swipe a bit of the treatment cream onto the lip area to help moisturize it and reduce the appearance of visible fine lines and wrinkles.
3. SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye Cream
75 reviews
$116.00
Every major age-related eye concern was considered when this next-gen eye cream was developed. This silky eye cream targets crow's feet, under-eye puffiness and circles, and tired-looking eyes by infusing the skin with caffeine, optical diffusers, Matrixyl 3000, and a concentrated flavonoid blend to take years off aging eyes.
Key Ingredients: Proxylane, wild fruit flavonoid blend, Matrixyl 3000, glycyrrhetinic acid, optical diffusing pigments, caffeine
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Reduces the appearance of crow's feet, improves the look of puffiness and dark circles, enhances radiance around the eyes, restores moisture
Beauty Insider Tip: To prevent the eyes from becoming irritated from the cream getting into your eyes, make sure to apply the cream just to bags under the eyes, along the cheekbone and around the outer browbone.
4. Therabody TheraFace Depuffing Wand
Depuff your under eyes anytime, anywhere, with this cold and heat-based treatment tool. Not only does it work wonders to decrease under-eye puffiness fast, but this on-the-go device also helps to improve skin elasticity and overall radiance for more youthful-looking eyes that will have everyone asking you what your secret is.
Key Features: Cold treatment, heat treatment
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Reduces puffiness and dark circles, improves elasticity and fitness, enhances the skin's radiance, minimizes the appearance of enlarged pores, revitalizes tired-looking eyes, boosts circulation
Beauty Insider Tip: The easy-glide applicator tip allows you to treat hard-to-reach areas like the inner corners of your eyes and even get close to the lash line.
5. NuFACE FIX Microwand
$195.00
If you have three minutes to spare, then you're on your way to fewer under-eye bags and far less puffiness. This quick beauty fix works in record time to depuff the eyes, plump up limp lips, and smooth away lines and wrinkles. Thanks to microcurrent technology, under-eye puffiness and bags become a thing of the past, and lines and wrinkles blur away, leaving you refreshed and wide-eyed.
Key Features: Microcurrent technology
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Depuffs the under eyes, plumps lips, smooths out lines and wrinkles
Beauty Insider Tip: For the best results, pair the device with the enclosed Line Smoothing Serum and the microcurrent activator to help conduct microcurrent from the device while hydrating the skin.
6. Skin Gym Cryo Chill Ice Beaded Face Mask
$20.00
There's no need to book a skin-reviving facial when you have this cryotherapy-infused mask. Wave puffy, tired, and inflamed skin goodbye and watch your skin become instantly revitalized with each easy-to-do treatment. The dual-sided, reusable mask allows for a completely customizable spa-like moment to perk up your eyes and skin.
Key Features: Cryotherapy beads
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Reduces puffiness, improves redness, targets tired-looking skin, minimizes the appearance of enlarged pores.
Beauty Insider Tip: Freeze the mask with the fabric side down to eliminate puffiness, or refrigerate it and use the beaded side for a gentle cooling experience that soothes and revitalizes the skin.
7. Revision Skincare D.E.J Eye Cream
203 reviews
$120.00
This all-in-one eye cream tackles all signs of aging eyes, especially under-eye puffiness. Clinically proven to renew the eye area–even the eyelids–in just a few weeks, the advanced formula rehydrates dry under-eye skin while providing potent antioxidant benefits to protect the skin from environmental aggressors.
Key Ingredients: Alpha glucan oligosaccharide, dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline, palmitoyl tripeptide-38, amino acid copper complex, goji fruit extract
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Visibly reduces the appearance of sagging, wrinkles, redness and hooding, hydrates and helps boost skin's ability to attract and retain moisture, shields against free radicals, supports the skin's microbiome with prebiotic technology
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply one pump of the cream to the eye area and dot it around, massaging it into the skin with the cooling metal applicator and tapping any excess product into the skin with the ring finger.
8. Featured Product: Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye Serum
1 reviews
$84.00
Want smoother-looking eyes? Then layer on this slow-release vitamin A eye serum to visibly restore youthfulness to the eye area. The more frequently you use it, the better under-eye bags, crow's feet, dark circles, and eye contours look, all without irritating the delicate skin under the eyes.
Key Ingredients: Encapsulated retinaldehyde, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, chamomile extract
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Reduces wrinkles around the eyes, brightens, smoothes, gives the eyes a more awake look, depuffs the eyes
Beauty Insider Tip: For those new to retinaldehyde, start by using the serum only twice per week for the first two weeks, then every other night for the next two weeks, and eventually every night.
9. Neocutis LUMIÈRE FIRM Illuminating & Tightening Eye Cream
133 reviews
$114.00
Dull, aging skin doesn't stand a chance against this skin-restoring cream explicitly formulated for the eye area. Loaded with growth factors and peptides to boost collagen production for firmer, smoother skin, it also contains caffeine, which helps reduce under-eye puffiness, helping to set back the clock.
Key Ingredients: Growth factors, peptides, caffeine, vitamin C
Skin Type: Mature and aging
Skin Benefits: Smoothes, firms, gives the eyes a refreshed appearance, reduces the look of fine lines, wrinkles and under-eye puffiness
Beauty Insider Tip: To maximize the results, always dab or pat eye creams into the skin rather than rubbing them in.
10. Dr Dennis Gross Fill + Repair Eye Cream
$64.00
From famed dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross comes his newest eye cream, which promises to fill, firm, brighten, smooth and lift. Like filler in a bottle, this super hydrating eye cream can be used to smooth and firm the under eyes, inner tear trough, crow's feet, bunny lines, and 11s, and even the eyelids for tighter-looking skin and eyes that don't appear nearly as tired.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides, Kakadu plum
Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, and oily
Skin Benefits: Firms, brightens, smooths, tightens, improves dark circles
Beauty Insider Tip:
To treat the entire eye area, start by applying the cream under the eyes, moving out toward the corners of the eyes, around onto the eyelid, and down the elevens.
11. 111SKIN Cryo Depuffing Eye Mask
6 reviews
$110.00
Any skincare expert knows that using a cooling mask like this one is an easy way to reduce puffiness–and fast! Packed with nourishing ingredients like coenzyme Q0 and peptides, these gel-like eye masks take away puffiness in mere minutes while targeting other signs of aging eyes and preventing free radical damage, too, so you'll have smoother, brighter, more youthful-looking eyes.
Key Ingredients: Phyco'derm, eyeseryl, peptides
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Improves the appearance of puffiness and dark circles, firms under-eye skin, restores a youthful contour to the eyes
Beauty Insider Tip: Keep the masks in the fridge for an added cooling effect.
12. Murad Targeted Eye Depuffer
$64.00
Inspired by microcurrent technology, this depuffing and firming eye treatment improves baggy under eyes with each use. A trio of skin-firming active ingredients work to smooth away under-eye puffiness and bags, leaving the eyes looking tighter, refreshed, and with a youthful brightness to them.
Key Ingredients: Amino acid peptide, ginseng, lily, caffeine, light-reflecting complex
Skin Type: Normal, oily, dry, combination
Skin Benefits: Visibly depuffs and firms, tightens, brightens, instantly cools the skin
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply the serum with the metal-tipped applicator to cool on contact for immediate benefits.
13. Dr. Loretta Tightening Eye Gel
50 reviews
$65.00
Lend a bit of much-needed hydration to the under eyes with this anti-puffiness gel. Apply it under the eyes to limit the appearance of bothersome bags, at the outer corners of the eyes to smooth away crow's feet, and even into tiny crevices where darkness runs rampant for younger, healthier-looking skin on and around the eyes.
Key Ingredients: Lipochroman, Chromabright, marine algae peptides
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Tightens, reduces the look of dark circles, protects skin from future damage, strengthens the eye contour, supports natural collagen production
Beauty Insider Tip: This power-packed eye gel is formulated by a dermatologist.
14. Sunday Riley Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream
152 reviews
$65.00
This all-encompassing anti-aging eye cream is a skincare staple for reducing under-eye bags and puffiness and obliterating dark circles. Powered by caffeine and ginseng root, the lightweight texture absorbs on contact, leaving the under eyes looking brighter and more youthful.
Key Ingredients: Caffeine, Brazilian ginseng root extract, horse chestnut extract, acmella oleracea extract, black cumin seed oil
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Tightens and lifts the eye area, reduces the look of dark circles, decreases puffiness
Beauty Insider Tip: Layer the cream under concealer for an extreme brightening effect
15. Peter Thomas Roth Instant FIRMx Eye
12 reviews
$38.00
A quick fix for tired-looking eyes, this fast-acting formula works on contact to erase the look of wrinkles, puffiness and fine lines for results you can see in front of your eyes. This under-eye solution's effects will leave you in awe, wondering where this product has been all your life.
Key Ingredients: Firm-A-Tite, Eyeliss peptide complex, Eye Regener
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Tightens, firms, smooths the eye area, reduces puffiness
Beauty Insider Tip: Apply the product to dry skin only using a clean, dry makeup brush.
16. Herbivore Botanicals Super Nova 5% THD Vitamin C + Caffeine Brightening Eye Cream
1 reviews
$48.00
Perk up tired-looking eyes with this eye cream, which not only improves the look of dark circles but also strengthens the skin. It also gives a lifting effect and is the perfect skin prep for concealer and eye makeup.
Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, caffeine, turmeric
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Reduces the look of dark circles, improves under-eye dullness, puffiness, dryness, and fatigue
Beauty Insider Tip: To ensure its potency, store the yellow-hued cream in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight.
17. MZ Skin Soothe and Smooth - Hyaluronic Brightening Eye Complex
$150.00
This ophthalmologist-tested skin-refining eye cream helps increase moisture in the skin, reducing the appearance of puffy under-eye bags and wrinkles. It also detoxifies the skin and strengthens weak capillaries, improving dark circles for a younger-looking you.
Key Ingredients: Glycerin, raspberry seed oil, hyaluronic acid, ceramides
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Improves the appearance of wrinkles, hydrates, stimulates collagen and elastin production, strengthens capillaries to reduce dark circles, smooths and soothes
Beauty Insider Tip: Pair the treatment with any of the brand's advanced eye products for increased benefits.
18. ISDIN Isdinceutics K-Ox Eyes Dark Circles & Puffiness Eye Cream
2 reviews
$106.00
Vitamin K is one of the most underrated anti-puff and anti-dark circle ingredients, but it packs a powerful punch. This cream, which counts the vitamin as its hero ingredient, takes down puffiness and bags while leaving the under eye smoother and firmer. It also improves elasticity in the area, giving the eyes a visible rejuvenated effect and major improvement.
Key Ingredients: Vitamin K oxide, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, haloxyl, Eyeliss
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Minimizes puffiness and dark circles, firms the under-eye area, brightens, evens out the skin tone, restores skin elasticity
Beauty Insider Tip: After cleansing the skin, apply the eye cream under the eyes and then continue with your regular skincare routine.
19. Osmosis +Beauty Refresh Revitalizing Eye Cream
1 reviews
$64.00
Reboot your eyes with this hydrating and brightening under-eye cream. Packed with numerous potent ingredients, it instantly firms to work like magic, sending puffiness, lines and dark circles away. All you'll notice is a bright-eyed look that looks like you had the best night's sleep of your life.
Key Ingredients: Glycerin, peptides, fruit extracts, hyaluronic acid
Skin Type: All skin types
Skin Benefits: Reduces puffiness and dark circles, firms, protects delicate skin, increases circulation and skin nutrients
Beauty Insider Tip: This non-toxic eye cream is free of sulfates, parabens, artificial colors and fragrances, making it safe to use around the eye area.
FAQs
How Long Will Puffy Eyes Take to Go Away?
The good news is that under-eye puffiness isn't permanent, and you can improve it. The bad news is that how fast it takes for under-eye puffiness to go down depends on the root cause, so it differs from one person to the next.
If you notice that your eyes are at maximum puffiness in the morning after waking up, it's likely due to a buildup of fluid under the eyes. A quick gua sha routine with anti-puffiness creams and serums can help smooth the area and bring it back to normal in minutes or hours. On the other hand, if puffiness is persistent throughout the day and related to genetics or allergies, it may be more challenging to get it under control. However, when it comes to how to get rid of puffy eyes effectively, you may need to take more of a trial-and-error approach to see which products and methods work best for you.
Are There Natural Ways to Reduce Eye Puffiness?
There are plenty of holistic anti-depuffing techniques to work into your daily eye routine to eliminate bags and puffiness. A few that Dr. Magovern likes to use a cold compress or chilled eye mask, which helps to reduce the appearance of baggy skin. "You can also try sleeping with your head slightly elevated at night, which can help prevent fluid retention," she says. "Also, always drink plenty of water to reduce puffiness caused by dehydration.
Can Ice Help Depuff the Under-Eye Area?
One of the best-kept secrets to depuffing the undereye area is to apply something cold, be it a chilled spoon, refrigerated eye globes, frozen cucumber slices, or plain old ice wrapped in a soft cloth. "Ice rollers are beneficial for depuffing the under eyes, too, because they help constrict blood vessels and reduce swelling," Dr. Magovern says. Keep one in the fridge for a quick morning depuffing session." "Another trick I love is using tea bags to depuff the eyes. If your eyes look extra puffy in the morning, steeped and chilled green or black tea bags might be your new best friend! Both teas contain caffeine and antioxidants that help constrict blood vessels, reduce swelling, and brighten the under-eye area," she shares. Place the chilled tea bags over closed eyelids and relax for a few minutes. "Dry the area and follow up with your favorite eye cream."
The Bottom Line
When it comes to how to get rid of puffy eyes once and for all, there's no one way to do it. What works for one person may not be the best for another, so we always recommend finding out what is causing the puffiness first and devising a plan of action. Incorporating known anti-depuffing agents into your skincare routine is always a good starting point, as is making the appropriate lifestyle changes that may contribute to under-eye bags and puffiness. If you are still not seeing enough change in how your eyes look, schedule an appointment with your dermatologist to seek other treatment options to get your youthful, smooth eyes back.
Elise Minton Tabin is an award-winning beauty journalist, editor, and beauty expert with more than 16 years of experience. She previously held the title of Executive Beauty Editor at NewBeauty magazine, where she reported on beauty, plastic surgery, anti-aging, health and wellness. She was also instrumental in the launch of the beauty supplement brand Hush & Hush. A self-professed beauty junkie and retinol and sunscreen pusher, Elise knows what’s new, what works and who’s the best to go for every procedure under the sun. Follow Elise on Facebook, Instagram, and on her beauty blog, elisetabin.com
