Eyes Wide Shut

It’s an all-to familiar story. You dutifully down liters of water each day, you get your full eight hours of sleep each night, you’ve quit smoking and don’t drink quite so much as before, but somehow you continue to wake up in the morning looking as though someone’s left their unattended baggage on your face. Puffy eyes are notorious for making you look old and tired, leading sufferers to try all sorts of methods to combat them.

But getting rid of them is more than putting cold teabags on your face; first, you need to look at the cause. “People who are most susceptible to the problem are those who suffer from stress, allergies and hormonal changes,” says Michelle Chuen, senior spa therapist at Plateau Residential Spa, but for the rest of us, the main culprits are salty foods and alcohol consumption. Salt causes the body to retain water, which in turn makes your skin look puffy, particularly around the eyes. However, chugging pints of water is unlikely to reduce water retention. Chuen says drinking too much water is likely to make your puffy eye problem even worse. “Of course, drinking water is good for your skin, but avoid drinking too much two hours before you go to bed, as water will store up in the eye area, making your eyes look even puffier,” she advises. Puffy or drooping eyes can also be symptomatic of underlying problems, such as kidney disease, liver disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, so make sure to consult your doctor if you’re concerned.

However, if the damage to your under-eye area is self-inflicted by late night drinking, then there are several anti-puffiness eye care products that can refresh your eyes and reduce puffiness. Take your pick of the following.

Budget Beauty

In these tough times, it’s more important than ever to find a cream that’s both effective and reasonably priced. Enter L’oreal Advanced Revitalift Night Cream ($117). It’s a tiny pot, but a little goes a long way, and its unscented, non-greasy formula soothes tired eyes with no irritation.
Available from L’oreal, Basement B228, Times Square, 1 Matheson St., Causeway Bay, 2506-1883.

Light and Lovely

If you have that winning combination of pouchy eyes and greasy skin, try out Biotherm’s Age Fitness Power ($300). Made with pure olive leaf concentrate and olive extract, it’s light on the skin and acts while you sleep to rejuvenate the delicate skin around your eyes.
Available from Biotherm, Basement B207, Times Square, 1 Matheson St., Causeway Bay, 2506-3396.

For Your Eyes Only

IF your under-eye situation is serious, then it’s time to bring out the big guns. Carita Intense Smooth Out Cream for Eyes ($620 for 15 ml) is for for morning and evening use, and is specially designed to give you sparkling, healthy eyes. For truly desperate cases, try the Intense Smooth Out Express Patch, a weekly eye mask that promises serious results. ($390 for 10 sets).
Available from Plateau Spa, The Grand Hyatt Hotel, 1 Harbour Rd., Wan Chai, 2588-1234.