Here's why your face can get puffy.

Face puffiness can range from a temporary (yet annoying!) skin complaint through to something serious like an underlying health issue or allergic reaction. We take a look at the common causes of face puffiness and how to reduce swelling in your face.

Dehydration

Signs your body is dehydrated will show up quickly in your face, especially around the eyes where the skin is thinner.

Too much alcohol, not drinking enough water, and foods with a high sodium content contribute to face puffiness and eye puffiness. We talk about tackling dehydration in more detail further along.

Laser treatment

If you’ve recently had laser resurfacing some swelling and puffing of the face is usually expected post-treatment. Use the right skincare to aid healing the skin as quickly as possible and reduce puffiness.

Sunburn

A case of sunburn might be to blame for your puffy face. Nothing good for your skin comes from being sunburnt! Always use sunscreen SPF of 30+ or higher, cover up with a hat and protective clothing, and stay out of the sun during the hottest times of the day.

Sleeping position

“Why is my face so puffy in the morning?”

How you sleep has a lot to do with your rounder morning face.

Sleeping face first or with your cheek flat on the pillow causes the fluid in your body to pool in those areas. The result is puffy eyes and a slightly swollen face staring back in the mirror of a morning.

Washing your face with cool water and a quick face massage to get fluids moving can help reduce morning face puffiness quickly.

Medications or health issues

Some anti-inflammatory over the counter drugs like ibuprofen and blood pressure medication can lead to puffy face side effects for some people.

Angioedema is a medical issue where too much fluid collects under the skin, usually around the face. It can also be triggered by medication.

If face puffiness and swelling have come on quickly or are extreme in any way, please consult your health practitioner. It may be a sign of an allergic reaction or underlying health problem needing immediate professional care.

Hydration to Fight Face Puffiness 

Dehydration. It’s one of the main culprits of face puffiness and bloating.

In the early stages of dehydration, your body tries to hold on to fluid causing water retention. Water is drawn into the blood vessels, causing them to swell.

This leads to areas of the body, especially the face, becoming bloated and puffy looking.

Drinking plenty of water and eating water-rich foods is the easiest go-to solution to keep your body hydrated and face puffiness at bay.

Diet and Foods to Avoid to Prevent Facial Bloating 

In addition to staying hydrated, there are a few dietary tweaks you can make to prevent a puffy face and eyes.

The key is cutting back on foods that are high in sodium which dehydrates the body. After eating these kinds of foods, the body tries to restore hydration by retaining water.

Keep an eye on your intake of:

• Salt
• Alcohol
• Processed meats
• Condiments like soy and teriyaki sauce
• Chips and pretzels
• Processed carbohydrates

Fluid retention is especially noticeable around the eyes where the skin is thinner.

Calming Ingredients that Reduce Face & Eye Puffiness

Cutting back on salty food isn’t the only way to combat face puffiness. Choose skincare with calming ingredients to decrease swelling and tackle a case of the puffy face!

Green tea extract: Research has shown tannins in green tea have to restrict capillaries and blood vessels causing the skin to tighten.

Caffeine: Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor. This means it constricts blood vessels and can help with puffy skin and under eye puffiness by reducing swollen blood vessels.

Vitamin C: This superhero vitamin stimulating collagen synthesis to improve skin thickness which can help reduce the appearance of bloating and face puffiness.

Wild Mint: Abundant in anti-inflammatory properties, wild mint can help get allergic skin under control.

Cleanser to Target Puffiness

The Uncomplicated Cleanser Plus Anti-Ageing

Suitable for all skin types, the cleanser promotes elasticity, suppleness, and moisture while balancing skin for a more youthful-looking complexion. Contains Green tea extract, aloe vera, and peptides to aid in calming and hydrating skin.

The Uncomplicated Cleanser Plus Anti-Redness

Ideal to address skin prone to redness, inflammation, and sensitivity, this cleanser balances skin and delivers an improvement in redness.

Skin Treat to Target Puffiness

Anti-Redness Minty Green Smoothie

This lightweight serum cools and heals damaged, red skin with potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and hydrating properties. Suitable for all skin types to treat red, puffy or acne inflamed skin it’s ideal to use after laser, IPL or diathermy treatment.

Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum

Perfect for all skin types and ages, Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum is the ultimate skin hydrator. This quick-absorbing serum fights dehydration for more hydrated, repaired skin.

Booster Mask to Reduce Inflammation

Anti-Inflammation Mint Gel Booster Mask

Shut down inflammation and breakouts with powerful natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. Ideal for red, irritated and acne prone skin the mask can also be used to cool and repair trauma after laser and IPL treatments.

The products we’ve recommended above all relate to puffiness caused by inflammation or external factors. So, no matter the reason for your puffiness, they can help!

Create an Anti-Puffiness Bundle

Get the essentials to help tackle face puffiness, redness, and inflammation with our Tri Essentials Bundle.

With your choice of a Cleanser, Skin Treat, and Booster Mask you can target face puffiness and eye puffiness in one handy bundle. Easy!