It can be a shock to wake up and find tired eyes staring back at you in the bathroom mirror. Whatever the cause for your puffy eyes and fatigued look, find quick relief with natural items you probably already have on hand.

Young women with facial masks
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The Big Chill

Tired eyes wake up fast when you give them a dose of cold. If you're feeling brave and want the quickest relief, dunk your face into a large bowl filled with ice water. For a less bracing experience, soak a washcloth in cold water, then lie down with the cloth over your eyes for 10 to 15 minutes. When puffy or tired eyes are a frequent beauty concern, keep several metal spoons in your refrigerator. When puffiness strikes, simply take out two spoons and place them over your eyes for several minutes until the swelling subsides.

Slice Your Veggies

When your eyes look tired even when you feel rested, head to your refrigerator produce drawer for relief. For redness or puffiness, reach for a cucumber. Slice it thin, then lie down and relax for 10 to 15 minutes with cucumber slices over each eye. The coolness and natural astringency of the cucumber help relieve puffiness or swelling around the eyes. When dark circles are the problem, a potato is the solution. Slice it thin, then chill the slices in cold water. Lay back and relax for 10 minutes with a potato slice over each eye. Natural enzymes in the potato are skin lighteners, helping to reduce dark circles.

Soothing Compresses

Relieve your tired eyes with a spa-like treatment and your entire body will feel more relaxed. Cold compresses can reduce the puffiness, dark circles or crepiness that make your eyes look tired. Soak two cotton balls in whole milk, squeeze out the excess fluid, then place them over your eyes for several minutes. The milk fat soothes the skin, while the chill reduces puffiness and redness. Or boil water, then steep two tea bags for 3 minutes. Let the bags cool down in the refrigerator until they are chilled, then place a tea bag over each eye for 15 minutes while you relax. Use black, green or chamomile tea – all help reduce redness and swelling.

Natural Tighteners

If fatigue has the skin around your eyes looking crepey or lined, tighten it up with natural soothers for a bright-eyed, younger appearance. Beat the whites of two eggs until slightly stiff, then add a few drops of witch hazel. Brush the mixture on the skin under your eyes, making sure none of the egg solution runs into your eyes. Let the egg mask dry for 15 minutes, while the natural astringents tighten and refresh your skin. Rinse the mask away with water. Or spread a thin coating of pure aloe vera gel on your under-eye area. Let it dry for 15 minutes before rinsing away with cool water.