Free Cooking Your Way to Gorgeous by Scott-Vincent Borba Page B

skin under the eyes is usually caused by water buildup under the eyes. The thinnest skin on the face is around the eyes, so it’s the area that’s most influenced by the in-and-out flow of fluids. Water always travels from areas in the body where there’s low salt concentration to tissues where there’s more salt. Therefore, a meal high in sodium, or a night of crying while watching your favorite television drama or a sad movie, can cause morning-after puffiness.
    TIP: Try changing your sleep position—it may be contributing to under-eye bags. If you’re a side sleeper, you may notice a heavier bag on the side you sleep on. No thanks to gravity, sleeping on your side or stomach can direct fluids under your eyes. Try sleeping on your back, or add a thin extra pillow under your head. Some tout the benefit of a silk pillowcase, but I think they can cause acne. At a minimum, a high thread-count cotton pillowcase will work overnight toward skin clarity. FYI: Fabric softener can leave a waxy residue on pillowcases, which may aggravate acne. If you have acne anywhere on your body, you should be using a free-and-clear type of laundry detergent without dyes, perfumes, and abrasive chemicals.
    Seasonal allergies can also cause puffy eyes. Treat hay fever, if that’s the problem. There are nonsedating, over-the-counter allergy medications that may help. Talk with your specialist about how to treat it, and start early in the season to get ahead of the allergy symptoms. You can also try irrigating the nasal cavity with a neti pot—a device that looks like a small teapot—to help relieve fluid buildup caused by allergies, sinus congestion, or a cold.
    Aside from the discomfort allergies cause, it’s also important to get allergies under control so you stop rubbing your eyes. If you have itchy, watery, burning, sensitive eyes due to pet or seasonal allergies, the common way you soothe them is by rubbing, right? Sometimes we can rub our eyes so hard just to get an ounce of relief that what we are doing, in effect, is disrupting not only the natural pH in the eyes, but aggravating the delicate skin around the eyes.
    Don’t Take the Red Eye
    Lack of sleep, time zone changes, and environment could be causing your bloodshot eyes. If the blood vessels in your eyes are prominent (if your eyes are constantly red), this could be due to sun, wind, dust, smog, and/or pollen, or a deeper cause. If your eyes sting, itch along the lash line, or are itchy in general, you can control a lot of the redness and discomfort by using saline drops, which will moisturize. (Remember, water goes where the salt is.) But you should consult your professional about your condition. Also know that too many eye drops, or the wrong combination of them can sometimes be a culprit here, too. For optimal function and comfort, you want to maintain homeostasis in the eyes, just as you do in the rest of your body.
    Get Pretty, not Puffy
    If you have puffy eyes, like I do, you need to hyperhydrate. To combat those telltale puffy eyes of mine, I start by using a gel moisturizer to treat the eye area. Then I take a large spoon and run it under hot water to warm it, and gently place the convex side under eye “bags” for a few seconds. Then I alternate with super cold water. This helps depuff quickly while you target the one area. Adding old coffee grounds to the gel moisturizer helps speed up the process. A dab of Preparation H to puffiness once in a while does the trick, too.
    TIP: If you have flakiness around the eye area due to bitter cold weather, try gently dabbing Aquaphor or Vaseline at night to dry patches. Do not get too close to the lash line when applying.
    TIP: To combat puffy eyes, apply your favorite eye cream with a visible thick coat on your entire orbital eye area. Top with a thin layer of Vaseline. Throughout the night your eyes will be constantly conditioned and moisturized. Puffy eyes need hydration to help depuff.

Chapter 3
    Time to Feed Your