Puffy eyes and facial skin after dives

[Auralyte]

I am 59 and will be going to dive for a week on Isla Cozumel in early November. I'm an OW cert and will be getting my AOW there; I don't have occasion to dive more than once every year or so generally.
My QUESTION: As my skin ages and becomes more fragile, the effects of the stretching of swollen skin and eyelids after salt water diving become more long-term (I have previously seen that my facial skin has changed after a week of diving and the changes are more or less permanent) I am looking for products to help mitigate the damage. I am also looking for any tips on how to, or what to, do directly after the dive to help reduce the swelling - eye drops for the bloody-reds, something to add to water to wash as much of the salt off while I'm topside, things like that.
I have protected my face from the sun since sunscreens came out decades ago (and yes, there WAS a time before sunscreen was available!!!) and take excellent care of my skin in general. I hope some of my older dive sisters can help with products they use or have helped them in the past, and perhaps younger dive sisters can offer tips on how they are caring for their skin now as well. ANY help is deeply appreciated!

 

[t4e]

i'm not sure how you figured salt water is damaging to your skin because its quite the opposite, salt water exfoliates, stimulates circulation, hydrates and increases moisture retention


i always find my skin and completion are much better after a week of diving, but i guess we're all different

best thing for swollen eyes and redness are cucumber slices

 

[chillyinCanada]

Cucumber slices, cold tea bags.

My thoughts are twofold. Your eyes don't like whatever it is you are using as a mask defogger. And you aren't equalizing into your mask often enough so that it is sucking your skin and eyes due to that.

Ah wait, threefold. Are you wearing suntan lotion during your dives? That stuff, even the waterproof, will run into your eyes and burn like the dickens. I changed to wearing a bandana to protect my forehead from the sun on boat snd surface.


Wash your face and eyes thoroughly with fresh water as soon after the dive as possible. Some people take along bottle of fresh water, not just to drink but so they can also rinse their faces.

 

[iamrushman]

you can try ice to reduce your swelling..... don't laugh but preparation-H also reduces facial swelling... (no joking/ really)

 

[luscioman]

I have very sensitive eyes and they get very bloodshot when using most defoggers. I have switched to one of 2 things. Either a mix of baby shampoo and water or Sparkle Bright Klear View. They have worked very well for me.


Amazon.com: Sparkle Bright Products All-Natural Jewelry Cleaner | Klear View Eyeglasses Cleaner - 2 oz.: Health & Personal Care

 

[chillyinCanada]

Even the babyshampoo mix stings my eyes. I've long gone back to my own spit. Works great and doesn't bother my eyes.

 

[lidja]

I asked my daughter-in-law who is a licensed esthetician. She says: "she should use a very moisturizing face wash as soon as she is done diving, salt can be very very drying. She should also exfoliate and use a face wash that has lactic acid in it. That will help to re tighten up the skin and help combat the redness."

HTH!

Lidja

 

[Imla]

I am just wondering... Do you regularly equalize your mask? (Ie. blow air into it...)
You say you are swollen around the eyes.. my theory is that you might have a slight negative pressure in your mask, and the pressure difference is pulling fluids into the tissue surrounding your eyes.

 

[t4e]

I have very sensitive eyes and they get very bloodshot when using most defoggers. I have switched to one of 2 things. Either a mix of baby shampoo and water or Sparkle Bright Klear View. They have worked very well for me.


Amazon.com: Sparkle Bright Products All-Natural Jewelry Cleaner | Klear View Eyeglasses Cleaner - 2 oz.: Health & Personal Care

diluted baby shampoo is what they sell you as deffoger lol...only bought it once, once we figurd out what the familiar smell was,we made our own

 

[Auralyte]

I ordered the Sparkle Bright today and will let you know how it worked , if you are interested. It looks like a very good product but if it doesn't work so well, I ALWAYS have spit!!! Thank you SO much!

---------- Post added October 16th, 2014 at 07:18 PM ----------

Does she have a suggested brand? I have pretty normal skin. And Imla, I'll work on the mask squeeze/equalize. Sadly, I'm still quite a rookie diver - 50 dives - so your suggestion is very appropriate. Thank you!