Fergie told us, “big girls don’t cry,” but that’s not really true. There are lots of reasons to shed a few tears, and they’re not all bad.
Sometimes, you just need a good cry to release any bottled up feelings. Other times, those tears are part of healing—proof that something inside is shifting for the better.
Research actually shows that crying relieves stress, regulates emotions, strengthens resilience, and even removes toxins from the body. Pretty amazing, right? Sorry, Fergie. We’re all for the ugly cries here at TSC. It’s good for the mind, body, and soul.
That said, the aftermath isn’t always as flattering. After a crying sesh, while you may feel lighter, your face tells a different story. Flushed cheeks, runny noses, dry skin, and the infamous puffy eyes—there’s no hiding it.
To help you bounce back fast after the waterworks, we’re sharing our top home remedies for getting rid of post-cry puffy eyes.
Whether you’re recovering from a bad breakup or spiraling after a Grey’s Anatomy binge, your friends at The Skinny Confidential are here. We’ll be your metaphorical shoulder to cry on and your beauty BFFs, helping you look refreshed and radiant again.
How to De-Puff Your Eyes After Crying and Look Refreshed Again
This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about reducing inflammation—you may remember our “How to Depuff Face After Drinking” post. Actually, the two topics share a handful of the same tips!
However, puffy eyes from crying require a slightly different love and affection. So in this post, we’ll explain the reasons behind the post-waterworks puff. Then, we’ll jump right into the best ways to feel and look like yourself again.
Here’s what you need to know:
Why Do Eyes Get Puffy After Crying?
When you start crying, glands in your eyes start producing tears literally faster than you can cry them. As a result, those tears actually begin to spill into the surrounding tissue. You’re essentially crying on the outside and the inside.
All that excess fluid builds up, and it’s your lymphatic system’s job to clear it out. But the lymphatic system has no pump. (Like the heart for the circulatory system and the lungs for the respiratory system.) This means clearing out the fluid takes forever on its own.
Beyond that, the emotional stuff happening inside your body can trigger inflammation. This leads to redness, heat, irritation, and bingo—swelling.
And since our body sees crying as a stress-relieving process, it activates our parasympathetic nervous system. (Basically, our body’s built-in relax button.)
When this happens, blood vessels widen to support tear production, regulate heart rate, and lower blood pressure. This all causes a big increase in blood flow that leads to swelling.
And if you’re wiping and rubbing your eyes a ton when you’re crying, that friction could lead to irritation. This “injury” then tells your immune system to further increase inflammation and swelling.
As you can see, there’s a lot working against you, and you’ll never have a puff-free cry. So, getting back to normal is all about aftercare.
How to Get Rid of Puffy Eyes After Crying
Blot tears away with bamboo tissues.
When you’re crying, try to avoid touching and wiping your face too much. Just let those tears flow and dry naturally, if you can. If not, gently blot with a high-quality soft tissue like The Skinny Confidential Face Towels.
Yes, they’re technically for removing makeup, but they are capable of so much more than that. (And let’s be honest, you’re probably going to have some mascara smears to clean up.)
They’re made from bamboo, which makes them softer, thicker, and more absorbent than the face tissues you’re used to.
Plus, they’re free of irritating chemicals that could be triggering inflammation. AKA, you won’t have to deal with chlorine, formaldehyde, BPA, PFAS, plastic, ink, or dye.
Anyway, they’re amazing. You should always have some on hand for removing makeup and for the occasional sob fest.
Use an ice roller with de-puffing oil.
Like we mentioned earlier, as soon as you start crying, those blood vessels dilate. In light of that, one of the best things you can do to reduce puffiness around the eyes is to constrict blood vessels using ice. To be more specific, ice rolling will be your best friend here.
A high-quality, precision ice roller like the TSC Mint Roller is one of the best tools for reducing blood flow, lowering inflammation, and even encouraging lymphatic drainage. (Here’s how to do a lymphatic drainage facial with your Mint Roller.)
Don’t think of an ice roller as a simple cold compress alternative. It’s actually a massager tool that can help manually push out all that excess fluid. Remember, the lymphatic system can’t do it on its own. Ice rolling the eyes for a few minutes will give your body the nudge it needs to naturally reduce swelling.
To make it even more beneficial, glide your Mint Roller on with TSC De-Puffing Face Oil. As the name suggests, it’s AMAZING for de-puffing your face, eye area included.
It’s packed with fruit seed oils, like pomegranate, raspberry, and blueberry. These offer intense hydration and anti-inflammatory compounds to help get swelling under control.
Puffy eyes are no match for the TSC Mint Roller and De-Puffing Face Oil. Time to ditch the ice pack and cucumber slices and elevate your post-cry routine.
Give yourself a lymphatic drainage massage.
The Mint Roller is amazing for lymphatic drainage, but its primary job is icing. For a true lymphatic drainage experience, you want something made for massage.
Manual lymphatic drainage works by using light pressure to create directional flow towards the lymph nodes. This moves stagnant fluid and encourages the whole detox process to cut down on swelling.
You can try massaging the area with your hands, but it’s best to use a tool like the TSC Face Massager. The ergonomic handle, intuitive design, and multi-angular rollers make it easy to achieve lymphatic flow all on your own.
You can get the full rundown on the episode of the Him & Her Show featuring lymphatic drainage and body contouring expert Josie Rushing. But we’ll give you the basics.
Gently massage the area by placing one roller on the inner corner of your eye. Then, sweep out, going under the eyes towards your temples. Keep the pressure really light and repeat the motion. Then, switch to the other eye.
Once you’re done massaging the area under your eyes, move to the rest of your face. Glide along the cheekbones, jawline, and down the sides of your neck. It feels so good, and it’s great for lymphatic drainage.
For full instructions, here’s how to use the Face Massager for maximum skincare benefits.
Apply a hydrating eye mask, cream, serum, or patch.
Tears are salty, so they actually dehydrate your skin as you cry. And when your skin is dry, it loses elasticity, potentially making eye bags look worse.
Plus, dry skin means a weakened skin barrier. So as your skin loses all its moisture from the tears, it’s really easy for it to get irritated. (Especially if you’re wiping or rubbing your face.)
If that wasn’t enough, the lymphatic system needs moisture to work properly. So, for your lymphatic massages to be beneficial, your skin has to be sufficiently hydrated.
All of that said, if you want to get rid of puffy skin? You can’t forget to rehydrate your skin. One of the best ways to do that is with under-eye cream, serum, masks, and patches. You could even use green or black tea bags for a DIY fix.
Otherwise, look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, caffeine, peptides, vitamin C, and niacinamide. Some of our favorite under-eye products are:
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OSEA Ocean Eyes Age-Defying Eye Serum (Use code PINKSEAWEED for 10%)
Drink lots of water.
Of course, another great way of getting the hydration your body needs to de-puff is to drink a lot of water. So, get out your Stanley and get ready to refill as you rehydrate your body.
If drinking water isn’t your favorite thing, make it fun. To upgrade your water, consider adding:
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Beauty Salt for even more skincare and wellness benefits
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Fresh lemon or lime juice
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Your favorite Pique tea flavor
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Fresh mint leaves
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Cucumber slices
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Splash of tart cherry or pineapple juice
Keep your head elevated.
When you lie flat after a cry session, all that excess fluid has nowhere to go. This means that, you guessed it, it settles right under your eyes. If you can, stay awake and upright for a while after crying.
However, if you do plan to go to bed, keep your head slightly more elevated than usual. Of course, also lie on your back. This will encourage gravity to do the work for you.
This also helps lymphatic fluid drain rather than pool, so you’ll wake up with far less swelling. That means less repair work in the morning!
Manage swelling after a crying session using these handy tips.
Crying is human, healthy, and, honestly, sometimes completely necessary. But the post-cry puff? Not our favorite look.
With a little intention (and the right tools), you can totally reset your face and feel like yourself again. Refreshed, bright-eyed, and ready to take on the rest of your day.
If you want to elevate your routine even more, explore The Skinny Confidential Shop. We’ve got everything to look and feel your best, regardless of your emotional state.
