Puffiness of the face is caused by accumulation of fluids on the face. The condition makes your face to appear more rounded and inflamed. There are varieties of causes for puffy face. Some drugs can lead to water retention in the body and therefore causes puffiness. Example drugs include penicillin, glucocorticoids, steroids, aspirin, birth control pills, antidepressants, blood pressure mediations and hormone replace therapy. Certain medical conditions can also cause face puffiness including allergies, sinusitis, conjunctivitis, certain hormonal imbalance, diabetes, dehydration, high blood pressure, and obesity. Of course, your life style also causes puffiness on your face—too much sugary drinks, too much salty and/fatty food, long sleepless night, heavy drinking the night before can all lead to a puffy face in the morning. Before you write off the puffiness on your face to too much fatty food, you should consult a doctor for persistent puffiness because it could be a sign for a serious health problem. Otherwise, here is an ancient Chinese folk recipe for treating facial puffiness.
Boil 3 teaspoons of dried and chopped lotus leaf with a small amount of water for 2 minutes. Then, add to the boiled mixture 2 teaspoons of Coix seed powder to provide a soft spreadable paste. Spread the paste onto your clean face. Wait until dry. Wash off with warm water and end with a splash of cold water. Pat dry. The mask whitens the skin tone, reduces the puffiness, and firms the skin.
Here are suggestions on improving on the mask recipe. You don’t have to have chopped lotus leaf. You can uses bigger pieces of lotus leaf, which is available at many Asian supermarkets. You can simply microwave a mixture of lotus leaf and water for a few minutes to make a lotus tea. Drain the lotus water out into a separate container. You may sprinkle into the lotus water a little agar or gelatin powder to increase the stickiness of the mask. Make sure agar or gelatin powder dissolves before adding the Coix seed powders. Microwave a few more minutes as needed.
According to the “Compendium of Matera Medica,” lotus leaf is capable of reducing swelling, increase drainage of water, and reducing the inflammation. Therefore, if you have persistent puffy face, drinking lotus tea directly also helps to alleviate the symptom.
Thanks for reading.
Connie
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