Brew green tea, steep, chill. Slice cucumber and add to green tea. Refrigerate until cool. Find a comfortable chair to sit in (do not lie down!) and place the soaked cucumber slices over eyes for 10 minutes.
Why Cucumbers?
Placing cucumbers over eyelids is popular both in-home and at spas and beauty salons. The moisture in cucumber slices is refreshing and soothing, and they also contain an anti-irritation ingredient that helps deflate the skin around your eyes to reduce swelling.
Why Tea bags?
Because caffeine shrinks blood vessels, and puffy eyes are caused by irritated blood vessels and increased blood flow to the eyes, applying tea bags will help reduce redness and swelling. Placing the tea bags in ice cold water has a rebuffing effect that is soothing to the eyes. Tea also contains tannic acid, which acts as an astringent and may even tighten the skin around the eyes, at least temporarily.
Other Tips:
For immediate relief of irritated eyes, mix a teaspoon of salt with 3/4 cup filtered water and flush the entire area.
If you know that you tend to have problems with puffy or dark-circled eyes, take extra care to avoid the things that irritate them and be sure to drink plenty of water.
The best cure for puffy eyes is the simplest, yet somehow the hardest to achieve: Get plenty of sleep. Try to aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night to give your eyes the rest they need.