Causes of edema
There can be many reasons for bags under the eyes. Some of them are associated with disturbances in the functioning of internal organs, and some directly depend on external factors, for example:
- Drinking alcohol, spicy, salty and fatty foods before bedtime will contribute to the formation of edema in the morning.
- Excess weight causes excessive swelling. To avoid bags and other undesirable consequences of obesity, you must adhere to proper nutrition and do not forget about regular physical activity.
- Insufficient sleep and chronic fatigue cause many negative consequences for the body, including increased swelling.
- Smoking, including passive smoking. Cigarette smoke causes premature aging, changes in skin color, and the appearance of bags and bruises under the eyes.
- Low-quality cosmetics and products not intended for the sensitive area around the eyes. The area of the upper and lower eyelids is very delicate, so you should choose only cosmetic products intended for it.
- Psycho-emotional state. The results of stress and anxiety are immediately reflected on the face. Morning puffiness under the eyes can be an echo of an anxious psycho-emotional state the night before.
The benefits of potatoes in the fight against facial swelling
Ordinary potatoes are used to prepare cosmetic masks, compresses and lotions. Being a very inexpensive component, potatoes are an effective remedy in the fight against skin defects, puffiness and bags under the eyes. The elements contained in potato tubers help restore skin elasticity, moisturize, and normalize complexion.
Potatoes contain:
- a complex of vitamins B1, B2, B6, E, C, K, which improve metabolism, regeneration of the epidermis, restoration of the collagen layer;
- starch, which has a powerful tightening effect;
- selenium, which is an antioxidant. This macronutrient is also called the “longevity mineral”;
- lutein, which protects the epidermis from free radicals;
- Choline, also known as vitamin B4, normalizes the production of sebaceous glands and improves the oxidative reactions of the skin.
One root vegetable contains up to 77 grams of water, which helps in hydrating the epidermis.
Who is it suitable for?
Potato masks help overcome problems such as:
- excessively dry epidermis;
- oily skin;
- enlarged pores;
- sagging facial skin, wrinkles;
- swelling;
- dull complexion;
- pigmentation;
- freckles;
- acne, pimples.
Potato products are suitable for all types of epidermis. It is useful to include additional components in the mask. When choosing supplements, you should consider your skin type.
Suitable for normal skin:
- olive oil;
- milk;
- yeast;
- dairy products.
For oily epidermis:
- lemon juice;
- oatmeal;
- egg white.
For dry skin:
- cream;
- yolk;
- oil.
For any type of epidermis:
- vitamins;
- aloe juice;
- glycerol.
Potatoes are useful not only for aging skin, but also at a younger age for the prevention of wrinkles.
Rules of application
To obtain the maximum effect from cosmetic masks made from potatoes, a number of conditions must be met:
- Remove makeup with cleansing gel or micellar water.
- Steam the skin. This can be done with a hot towel or by breathing in steam. Steaming will better open the pores, which will help the components of the potato mask to act deeper and more effectively.
- Apply the mask to the entire face and neck area, spreading it evenly with your fingers.
- Wait for 15 to 30 minutes depending on your skin type. For dry skin, 15 minutes will be enough, and for oily and combination skin, a little more - from 20 to 30 minutes. At the end of the procedure, rinse off the mask with warm water and apply a soothing cream.
Precautionary measures
Potato masks are a delicate product, so they have virtually no contraindications. They can be applied even to thin skin of the eyelids. However, if you have chosen a complex recipe that includes several ingredients, then you need to make sure that it is safe. Allergic reactions often develop when the skin comes into contact with yolk, honey, fruit or vegetable juice. Therefore, before the first application, it is necessary an allergy test
Remember! When preparing the mask, choose fresh and healthy tubers. Vegetables with damage, dark spots, or green skin cannot be used! These potatoes contain toxins that can be harmful.
If your skin is overly sensitive, do not make a mask from warm puree. In this case, it is better to choose a different recipe.
Preparing potatoes for eye masks
The advantages of the potato mask are its accessibility and the fact that it suits almost everyone. When selecting additional ingredients as components of a mask, you need to proceed from your skin type and the goal being pursued.
Boiled and raw root vegetables are used to make cosmetics. During winter seasons, it is better to use boiled potatoes.
If the tubers are used raw, you need to grate them on a fine grater to obtain a porridge-like consistency. It is better to use prepared raw materials immediately, otherwise it will lose all its beneficial properties in the next hour.
When using boiled potatoes is required, they are boiled until fully cooked without peeling them. Once ready, the peel is removed and the fruit itself is mashed with a fork or a puree press. You need to use boiled potatoes before they have cooled down: this will help improve blood flow.
conclusions
Swelling, if it is not the result of some disease, can be easily eliminated with the help of remedies prepared at home from available ingredients. And in combination with a healthy lifestyle, they will make the skin visually younger. Features of decongestant masks:
- Most masks only have 1-2 ingredients. For example, greens and sour cream, potatoes and milk, etc. But they not only relieve the problem, but also nourish and brighten the skin.
- Before applying the product, the skin must not only be cleansed, but also given a light massage.
- There are some contraindications for massage. For example, neuralgia of the facial nerve, rosacea, etc.
- It is better to apply decongestant masks in the morning, since swelling is most noticeable at this time of day.
Recipes for masks with raw potatoes
The most affordable recipe is to use raw potatoes without additional ingredients. To do this, you need to cut off several circles from a raw root vegetable and apply them to the area of the lower and upper eyelids for 15 minutes. To achieve the best effect, the procedure is carried out morning and evening for seven days.
In addition, you can use raw potato lotions. To do this, rub it on a grater, and after squeezing it out of excess moisture, wrap it in gauze. Such lotions are applied to problem areas for 10-15 minutes.
Potatoes with cucumber
Cucumber is an equally popular vegetable used in the preparation of homemade cosmetics. A cucumber and potato mask relieves puffiness, removes bags, moisturizes and whitens the skin. To prepare it you need:
- grate the vegetables on a fine grater or chop in a blender;
- Place the resulting mixture in the refrigerator for 10 minutes;
- spread the mask evenly over your face.
Potato juice with milk and oatmeal
This mask will help overcome irritation, swelling, and get rid of keratinized particles of epithelial tissue:
- a tablespoon of oatmeal is ground into flour using a coffee grinder or mortar;
- grated potatoes are drained through a sieve into a container to separate the juice from the pulp;
- add two tablespoons of milk at room temperature to potato juice and chopped oatmeal.
Potatoes with olive oil and parsley
Potatoes with olive oil and parsley will smooth out fine wrinkles, reduce bags and bruises under the eyes:
- chop a quarter of a small bunch of parsley (you can use a blender);
- 15 milliliters cold-pressed olive oil;
- a tablespoon of grated raw potatoes. If the resulting consistency is too thin, add a little oatmeal.
Potatoes with rice flour and milk
Rice flour, which is included in the composition, gives an effective whitening effect, and in combination with potatoes and milk, the mask provides a comprehensive fight against skin problems. However, it is not recommended to do it more than once a week. The recipe is as follows:
- grate one potato on a fine grater;
- add a teaspoon of rice flour;
- Mix the above ingredients with two tablespoons of milk.
Potatoes with flaxseed flour and kefir
This mask is effective in the fight against bags and bruises under the eyes, as well as other signs of fatigue.
- one medium tuber is crushed;
- add a teaspoon of flax flour and a tablespoon of kefir to it;
- All components are mixed until smooth.
Rules for applying masks
The procedure for applying the prepared decongestant is slightly different from other masks:
Always apply masks along massage lines
- It is necessary to begin the procedure by cleaning and preparing the face;
- Before application, the skin is lightly massaged to warm up the cover;
- frequency of about three times a day;
- Since swelling most often appears in the morning, you should start using the mask at the same time.
In order for the mask to be as effective as possible and for swelling to go away faster, you need to apply it in a horizontal position and completely relax.
Eye masks with boiled potatoes
During the winter seasons, when you can’t find new potatoes on store shelves, recipes using boiled tubers are popular.
Potatoes with egg yolk and cream
Even Hollywood stars, such as J.Lo, use this mask. A potato mask with yolk and cream will help remove bags and other signs of chronic fatigue.
- boiled potatoes are mashed into puree (you will need two tablespoons of ready-made mashed potatoes);
- add the yolk of one chicken egg, separated from the white;
- 35% fat cream or homemade high-fat sour cream is poured into the resulting mass.
Potatoes with egg, sour cream and olive oil
Adding olive oil to homemade face masks provides additional nutrition. The following recipe will help smooth out fine wrinkles and reduce unwanted pigmentation:
- two medium boiled tubers are mashed into puree;
- add a raw chicken egg or 3-4 quail eggs;
- add medium-fat sour cream (15 grams for oily skin, and 30 grams for dry skin);
- then add a teaspoon of olive oil.
Potatoes with olive oil or sour cream
The components of the mask will relieve redness, swelling, and smooth out small expression wrinkles:
- one boiled potato, mashed into puree;
- a tablespoon of sour cream or olive oil.
What not to do when using potatoes
Mixtures for masks can include both raw and boiled tubers. When using potatoes for cosmetic purposes, there are a number of prohibitions:
- The use of green tubers is not allowed. These potatoes contain toxic substances.
- You cannot use old vegetables, or those that have been spoiled in some places.
- It is not recommended to leave peeled potatoes outdoors.
- There is no need to overcook the potatoes.
- Do not apply the mixture too hot.
- Compositions with raw potatoes should not be left for longer than 20 minutes, and with boiled potatoes - 30 minutes.
Preventing puffiness under the eyes
To prevent swelling on the face, you can follow a few simple rules that will benefit not only problem areas of the skin, but the entire body as a whole:
- If you are prone to swelling, it is best to sleep on your back. The fact is that sleeping on your stomach contributes to the appearance of puffiness, wrinkles and ptosis.
- Limit salt intake. Salt is very harmful to the body, and its excessive consumption affects the skin. Soy sauce and lemon juice are good alternatives to salt.
- Swelling and bags are essentially fluid that is retained in the body and is difficult to remove. Exercising and walking will help remove excess fluid and also saturate the cells with oxygen.
- Bags are sometimes a symptom of kidney disease. Disturbances in their work make it difficult to remove fluid from the body in a timely manner, which leads to the formation of edema. To speed up kidney function, diuretic infusions and teas will help.
Potatoes as a cosmetic product
First, let's look at the chemical composition of the root vegetable and what its benefits are for humans. It is worth noting that potatoes contain many useful substances that are necessary not only for the epidermis, but also for the entire body.
Substance | Benefit |
Amino acids | They produce collagen and help retain moisture inside. |
Zinc | Slows down aging, accelerates the healing of inflammation, evens out color. |
Silicon | Also synthesizes collagen. A natural antiseptic that relieves irritation and redness. Moisturizes and reduces the rate of aging of the dermis. |
Vitamin C | Antioxidant. Lightens blemishes and evens out complexion. Appearance becomes healthier in appearance. |
Vitamin K | Strengthens blood vessels, removes rosacea and red spots. |
Vitamin A | Required for cell renewal. Treats diseases by enhancing the production of steroid hormones. Relieves allergies. Removes pigment spots under the eyes, makes the skin elastic |
Vitamin B | Rejuvenates, normalizes the sebaceous and fatty glands, so there is less inflammation, acne, and pimples. |
Vitamin C | Antioxidant, the most powerful. It prevents radicals from destroying cells. Evens out the complexion, brightens, creates a barrier of lipids that prevent moisture loss. |
Vitamin E | Prevents premature aging, improves blood circulation, reduces inflammation. Reduces exposure to ultraviolet rays. |
Vitamin PP | Moisturizes, rejuvenates. Useful for dry, pale face. Dilates blood vessels, saturates with oxygen, removes swelling. |
Iron | It is necessary for hematopoiesis, saturation of tissues with useful substances. Increases cellular respiration. |
Potassium | Moisturizes the dermis and prevents water from evaporating faster than normal. Therefore, it puts in order the receptor, respiratory, protective, and other functions of the dermis. |
Starch | Adds silkiness, removes fine wrinkles and crow's feet. |
Reviews
Potato masks have a wide range of effects and problems that they combat. Among users of cosmetics, homemade organic cosmetics have proven themselves on the positive side.
The natural components of homemade masks help nourish, moisturize, saturate with vitamins, reduce pigmentation and bruises under the eyes, and reduce puffiness.
Negative reviews about potato masks are associated with uncomfortable sensations after their use: burning, redness, irritation.
Inna, 39 years old:
I have sensitive skin, and therefore I have to be very careful when choosing cosmetics. Having once read reviews on the Internet about a potato mask with cucumber, I decided to try it, especially since I had all the ingredients in the refrigerator. I have been using this mask for six months now, doing it every other day. I am pleased with the result: small expression wrinkles smoothed out, the skin became moisturized, and the skin color acquired a healthy and fresh tone. I think that a potato mask with cucumber works no worse than expensive creams and serums.
Elena, 45 years old:
I have been suffering from the problem of bags under my eyes for many years. If you eat something salty or drink alcohol at night, severe swelling appears under your eyes in the morning. I read an article in a magazine that potatoes help relieve puffiness. I made several different masks with potatoes, and I can say that the effect is present. But after two or three procedures it is not so noticeable. To get better results, potato masks need to be done regularly and for a long time. I would include the availability of components as the advantages of the mask, and the method of its preparation as the disadvantages. Sometimes you are too lazy to grate potatoes, and dirty dishes remain. It’s easier to apply regular cream from a jar.
Larisa, 54 years old:
I tried many different masks made from vegetables and other products. But my favorite was the mask with potatoes and oatmeal. The result was very noticeable on my mature skin: after regular use for two months, age spots lightened, the contour of the face tightened, and puffiness went away. What I like most is that potatoes are absolutely harmless and do not cause any allergies or side effects.
Contraindications
Since the decongestant consists of natural components, its application will not cause harm to the body. But at the same time, before using the mask, it is recommended to perform a light facial massage. But it is contraindicated in the following cases:
- rosacea;
- sensitive skin;
- wounds, fresh scars and stitches;
- inflamed areas;
- neuralgia of the facial nerve;
- tendency to thrombosis;
- allergic rashes.