Swollen and puffy eyelids in the morning and then get flaky, red and sore during the day...

also forgot something important about the red, swollen eyes. This happened to me 7-8 years ago. I had it bad for 4 months and through away all my makeup and brushes before going to the dermatolagist. He took one look at me and said stop using red nail polish and walked out the door. Now I can't even wear any colors or anything we an orange-red pigment. So I wear light pinks or french manicure. I can tell in one day if I have on something I am allergic to now. Hope that helps.

Im 45 years old, my eyelids have been very dry in the crease and sometimes quite swollen as well. This is not so pretty, and I feel like you Jinger, I dont want to go out! Its been off and on for a few months but for the past few days its been quite uncomfortable. Its making my eyes feel so tired! Im wondering if it could be alleviated simply be drinking more water for hydration. I dont wear glasses..maybe its time for an eye exam as well!

I had this for 2 years. Someday I looked so bad, I felt I could not go anywhere. It started going down the side of my nose also. I went to a couple of dermatologist and they only gave me a steroid cream to get rid of it. I tried every kind of eye cream and threw away all of my make-up and my make-up brushes. Finally I had a food allergy test and I found out I was allergic to wheat and dairy. It took 3 months to clean my system, but my eyes are find and all of the puffiness is gone. If I cheat too much, I will wake up with puffy eyes. The flakiness on the eye lid can be the red dye in your eye shadow. I finally figured that out years ago. I can only wear MAC and Laura Mercier eye shadow. Any brands I try, I keep the packaging because I return a lot of make-up. Try first your eye shadow and clean all of your brushes or start over. Then eat no wheat items, read labels, you will be shocked. Soy Sauce is a big one that no one knows has wheat. Chinese food, sushi and asian food, puffs me up right away. You might want to do the blood test that gives you all of the items you are allergic too. I had 36 food items and it has been difficult, but I look alot better.
I personally don't think you are allergic to seasonal allergies. This started effecting me when I was 45 and they say it is something that changes with our age and hormones, we might grow out of it when we are 55.

Drumweaver,
Sound like you received some great suggestions. I also wanted to add that seasonal allergies can occur year-round (unfortunately!). Every season has specific allergens, depending on your location, but the primary categories are weeds, grasses, trees and molds, as well as household allergens including dust mites and pets.

I experience seasonal allergies year-round, and November-January are the worst times for me; seasonal allergies can also become worse over time. Another option for you is to visit an Allergist, and get an allergy test. If you have severe allergies to certain allergens, you have many options for treatment.