Better Eyes In A Blink: Natural Eye Care Tips

“The eyes are the window to the soul”. You’ve probably heard this phrase countless times. Therefore, our eyes not only give us the wonderful gift of sight but also allow us to have an idea of what one is thinking about. Scientists have also found that irises are unique and the different structures of lines, dots and colours in the iris can foretell a person’s characteristics.

It is unfortunate that despite how important our eyes are to us, care for the eyes are often taken for granted. There are those who use eye drops past their expiry date or buy cosmetic contact lenses from flea markets without checking if they are safe to wear. Of course, there are those who go to great lengths to take care of their eyes too but unfortunately, they are most likely using store-bought chemicals to do so. These chemicals can be taxing on the eyes and will be even more harmful if you have an allergic reaction to it. All man-made chemicals are bound to have side effects, so why not try some homemade remedies instead which can be even more effective, cost friendly and doesn’t come with the side effects which you may experience with the manufactured chemicals.

It is amazing how simple things that are found easily in your kitchen can be used to care for your eyes the safe and chemical-free way. After a long day at work squinting at the computer screen and poring over numbers, here’s what you need to relax your eyes:

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Water

Just plain water – that’s all you need to cleanse your eyes after a hot and dusty day out. This method involves an overnight step where before going to bed at night, dip a cotton pad into a cup of water and then set it aside. When you wake up the next morning, squeeze any excessive water out of the cotton pad before adding another cup of plain water to the moistened pad. Then, use the soaked cotton pad to wash your eyes with it. This revitalises your eyes at the start of a new day.

Tea

Tea also works well to relax the eyes. Splash some tea onto the eyes to relax strained eyes but make sure that the tea has been thoroughly strained and properly cooled before you use them on your eyes. Alternatively, you may use cotton pads to soak up the tea solution before placing them on your eyes for between 10 to 15 minutes.

Rose water and castor oil

If your eyes are particularly sore or itchy, rose water would be the best remedy. Take a cotton pad and dip it into rose water which has been mixed with 2-3 drops of castor oil. Once the pad has been thoroughly soaked with the solution, place it on the eyelids for 15-20 minutes. Your eyes will feel fresh instantaneously.

With the abundance of hangout spots, addiction to online games or by simply burning the midnight oil for a deadline or looming exam, dark circles haunt many of us and somehow seem to ‘favour’ women. Try these natural and effective ways to get rid of the dark circles under your eyes:

Cucumber juice

Cucumber slices are most associated with their use of being an eye mask. The juice is no less useful in reducing the ‘panda eye’ effect. What you need to do is to take 3 slices of cucumber and squeeze them through a Muslin cloth to get the juice extract. Next, take a cotton pad and dip it into the juice which you have extracted and then place them on the areas of the eyes which have darkened. Now all you have to do is to sit back, relax and let the cucumber extract do its job. To increase the effectiveness of the cucumber juice, repeat this procedure for the next 2 – 3 days.

Turmeric powdergram, flour tomato pulp and lime juice

This method may be a little more complicated than the rest but the effort put in is definitely worthwhile. Once you have gathered the ingredients, mix a pinch of turmeric powder,

1 teaspoon of gram flour, 1 teaspoon of tomato pulp and half a teaspoon of lime juice together. The mixture will then form into a paste which you should apply on the eyelids and the darkened areas around your eyes. Leave it on for half an hour before gently removing the mixture with a moist cotton pad. For best results, apply this natural remedy for a week and you will be able to note the changes.

Another common eye ‘ailment’ is puffy eyes, where the tissues surrounding the eyes swell and causes the entire eye to appear swollen. Swollen eyes are certainly not a pleasant sight, so use any one of the remedies below to remove puffiness:

Vitamin E oil

Fill a bowl with chilled water and then add a few drops of Vitamin E oil into it. Next, take a cotton pad and place it into the bowl for 5 minutes to allow the solution to be absorbed before placing it onto your eyes for several minutes.

Potatoes

Potatoes seem like an unlikely remedy for the eyes but they are actually effective in reducing the puffiness of your eyes. Slice a potato thinly and place the slices around your eyes, much like what you would do with the cucumber slices. Another alternative would be to grate the raw potatoes and place them in a Muslin cloth, then squeeze them to get the extract where you would place the cloth over your eyes for about 15-20 minutes.

Milk

Milk is another favourite home remedy to reduce the puffiness of your eyes. Again, use a cotton pad to soak up some chilled milk. After that, place the cotton pads on your eyelids for about 10 – 15 minutes.

Sunken eyes are not pretty as the eyes appear to be buried deep in the head. Nuts, which are favourite additions to chocolate, cookies and ice-cream, are the best natural remedy for deep sunken eyes:

Almonds

Nuts, particularly almonds, are good for the eyes but instead of putting them on your eyes like the other methods, you should be eating the almonds for best benefit. Take 5 almonds and soak them overnight. The next morning, peel them properly and eat them. Just add almonds to your breakfast every morning for the next month and you will definitely be able to see improvement to the appearance of your eyes.

Again by using almonds, mix half a teaspoon of almond oil with 1 teaspoon of honey. Apply the mixture onto the eyes gently and leave overnight for the mixture to be absorbed into the skin. Do this for a week and you will be able to notice the difference in your eyes.

Spending hours in the computer or television is inevitable these days. Problems with the eyes or eyesight may occur in the long run if preventive steps are not taken as early as possible, so follow these useful tips to minimise the damage of the computer or the idiot box on your eyes:

It is recommended that you take a break from work, preferably 10 – 20 minutes for every hour that you work. While you are resting, try to look at a distant object and blink several times to help you focus better.
It is also recommended that you blink frequently. This is because people who stare at the computer for long period of hours tend to blink less and this will cause them to have dry eyes. So, blink about 12 to 15 times every minute so that your eyes will not become dry.
When you are tired or feeling sleepy occasionally, you would splash water on your face to refresh yourself but did you know that splashing water onto your face will cool your eyes as well? So when you do feel tired, do this so that you would not strain your eyes too much.
When you are on a break, try to go for a short walk to the bathroom, pantry or wherever as this will not only refresh your body and mind, but also helps to increase the blood supply to the eyes as you look around the places that you go to.
Exercising your eyes is a simple but effective way to maintain healthy eyes. Just blink your eyes several times and then, roll your eyes in a clockwise motion for several times, then anti-clockwise. While you are exercising your eyes, remember to inhale and exhale before finally opening your eyes slowly at the end.
Another great way for you to soothe and relax your eyes is by rubbing your palms together until they become warm before placing your warm palms on the eyes for about a minute.
While working on the computer, have the computer screen fixed with an anti-glare screen. You can also position the screen in a way such that the glare is minimized.

Care for the eyes are extremely important. You don’t want to lose your sight, do you?