By: Grace Gavilanes
Staying up really, really late – whether you’re out dancing with bae or binge-watching The Office for the third time – can be fun. But groggily waking up the next day usually has the opposite effect on your skin and your eyes. You look more tired than you feel and are seriously doubting the existence of a remedy that can fix the issue, stat. Until now.
Eran Crothers, an esthetician with over 20 years of beauty and skincare experience, spoke to Lively about what night owls can do to alleviate puffy under-eyes. Here’s what she had to say.
A Frozen Spoon Is Key
Crothers swears by using a frozen spoon in the morning following a late night or after watching a tearful episode of This Is Us (we’ve all been there!). Before putting it in the freezer, she advises to “always keep the spoon in a Ziploc bag to keep it covered, sanitary and clean.” Then, when it’s time to use the spoon, rinse it under cold water and lightly apply the bottom part of the spoon on the under-eye area and then along the orbital bone. “This will quickly reduce puffiness,” says Crothers.
Invest in An Eye Cream ASAP
Eye creams shouldn’t just be reserved for women over a certain age. Crothers encourages women to begin applying under-eye cream in their 20s. “I can’t stress enough how important it is!” she says. Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which promote moisture in the skin, when shopping for an eye cream.
RELATED: Is Hyaluronic Acid Part of Your Skincare Routine? Here’s Why It Should Be
Stay Hydrated
As we all know, drinking water provides many health benefits for the body and for the skin. Bottoms up!
Avoid Washing Your Face with Hot Water
When it comes to the ideal water temperature to use when washing your face, Crothers recommends staying away from high temps: “Hot water can result in puffy eyes which can really draw attention to dark circles.”
RELATED: DIY Makeup Remover Hacks You’ll Want to Bookmark for Later
Remove Your Makeup Ever So Gently
You’ll also want to treat your under-eye area with extra TLC since it’s the thinnest skin on your body. “Be very gentle when removing eye makeup, applying eye makeup or even just rubbing your eyes,” says Crothers. “The less pulling on the skin, the better!”