Cucumber slices for eyebags/puffy eyes
January 31, 2025 1:12 PM Subscribe
Hi everybody. Up to this point my questions here have all pertained to what I would consider practical matters. This one is different, as it has more to do with vanity than anything else.
It's consistently brought to my attention that I look considerably older than I am, and one of the contributing factors is bags under my eyes/puffy eyes. I've been told that sliced cucumbers can be an effective, noninvasive way to deal with them.
So basically, I'm curious as to your experiences (and/or the experiences of people you know) with applying sliced cucumbers to the eyes in order to combat this problem. How often do you apply them and for how long, is it OK to use the same slices more than once or should they be replaced each time, does it matter whether you do it in the morning or later in the day, and of course most importantly, how effective did it prove to be? Lastly, roughly how long does it take to see results, assuming that this treatment works for you and/or people you know? Any insight would be appreciated.
I've also heard similar claims regarding teabags, so if any of you have used them I'd be curious about that as well.
Thank you!
So basically, I'm curious as to your experiences (and/or the experiences of people you know) with applying sliced cucumbers to the eyes in order to combat this problem. How often do you apply them and for how long, is it OK to use the same slices more than once or should they be replaced each time, does it matter whether you do it in the morning or later in the day, and of course most importantly, how effective did it prove to be? Lastly, roughly how long does it take to see results, assuming that this treatment works for you and/or people you know? Any insight would be appreciated.
I've also heard similar claims regarding teabags, so if any of you have used them I'd be curious about that as well.
Thank you!
My best guess is that putting something cold on there de-puffs the eyes temporarily, and cucumber slices are a convenient and cheap way to do this. I haven't tried. I don't think there's a chemical in cucumbers that somehow fixes what is happening under your skin. So if you want to try it, I'm sure you can reuse the slices for a few days.
I definitely get less dark bags (fewer bags? Smaller bags? Less undereye darkness?) under my eyes when I get enough sleep and drink enough water.
posted by dabadoo at 1:29 PM on January 31 [3 favorites]
I definitely get less dark bags (fewer bags? Smaller bags? Less undereye darkness?) under my eyes when I get enough sleep and drink enough water.
posted by dabadoo at 1:29 PM on January 31 [3 favorites]
If you use a CPAP for sleep, they're notorious for causing puffy eyes. Standard advice is "it's mask leaks," but for me this was utter bushwa.
I 80% fixed this problem for myself by switching to a mask that doesn't press on my upper cheeks. Phillips has one, and so does ResMed.
Nasal pillows and inside-nose style masks could also work, but for me the former leaked and the latter made me feel stifled, so.
posted by humbug at 1:29 PM on January 31
I 80% fixed this problem for myself by switching to a mask that doesn't press on my upper cheeks. Phillips has one, and so does ResMed.
Nasal pillows and inside-nose style masks could also work, but for me the former leaked and the latter made me feel stifled, so.
posted by humbug at 1:29 PM on January 31
Really anything cool helps temporarily reduce puffiness under the eyes.
You could try cucumber, but if you’d prefer not to regularly buy a perishable item for your skin care regime, you could also try putting metal spoons in the freezer and then putting them on your eyes for a few minutes in the morning. You could also try an ice roller, or just splash your face with cold water.
Tea bags are often suggested because caffeine supposedly restricts blood flow under the eyes which also reduces puffiness. A caffeine eye serum or cream might have a similar effect again without needing to involve food/drinks in your beauty regime.
posted by rodneyaug at 1:31 PM on January 31 [4 favorites]
You could try cucumber, but if you’d prefer not to regularly buy a perishable item for your skin care regime, you could also try putting metal spoons in the freezer and then putting them on your eyes for a few minutes in the morning. You could also try an ice roller, or just splash your face with cold water.
Tea bags are often suggested because caffeine supposedly restricts blood flow under the eyes which also reduces puffiness. A caffeine eye serum or cream might have a similar effect again without needing to involve food/drinks in your beauty regime.
posted by rodneyaug at 1:31 PM on January 31 [4 favorites]
How often do you apply them
i did it once
how effective did it prove to be?
idk, it was fun/ cool as a cucumber 8)
i did it once
how effective did it prove to be?
idk, it was fun/ cool as a cucumber 8)
“The cooling effect of the cucumber can reduce swelling and puffiness while stimulating blood flow to the skin,” says board-certified dermatologist Deanne Robinson, MD, FAAD. [realsimple]posted by HearHere at 1:32 PM on January 31 [1 favorite]
Puffy eyes can be caused by several factors, sometimes all at the same time.
posted by Violet Blue at 1:33 PM on January 31
- Dust mite allergies — Try ice in a facecloth, and dust mite protectors on your pillows, while keeping all bedding away from your face while you sleep.
- Dry skin around the eyes: Dry skin around the eyes can be all but imperceptible even though there may be just enough to irritate your eyes and make them swell. Try a hydroxy acid to remove the dry skin around your eyes.
- Too much/too little — High salt levels can also cause water retention, but so can insufficient potassium.
posted by Violet Blue at 1:33 PM on January 31
I have used both! Sometimes they make my eyes momentarily seem brighter, but importantly sometimes they irritate my eyes. Also, while it can be nice to make yourself slow down and sit in your thoughts, having to lay still with something on my eyes so that I cannot move, read, watch, etc. is very irritating to me. Audiobooks help some but not much.
My take is that cucumbers can help soothe your eyes for example if they are puffy because you have been crying a lot. Tea bags have caffeine which is said to temporarily tighten the skin and so reduces the appearance of puffiness or bags. Both are put on cold, cold reduces inflammation, so you get a small temporary reduction there. Neither are going to work miracles.
I do use this caffeine solution from The Ordinary sometimes. Not very expensive if you want to give it a try. It does not change the anatomy of my eyes, no serum or hack will do that, but I do find it helpful on its own and even more with the rest of my very-modest skincare regimen.
Allergies, alcohol, poor sleep and dehydration all contribute to puffy eyes so making sure you have the best handle you can on those things, could help.
posted by fennario at 1:34 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
My take is that cucumbers can help soothe your eyes for example if they are puffy because you have been crying a lot. Tea bags have caffeine which is said to temporarily tighten the skin and so reduces the appearance of puffiness or bags. Both are put on cold, cold reduces inflammation, so you get a small temporary reduction there. Neither are going to work miracles.
I do use this caffeine solution from The Ordinary sometimes. Not very expensive if you want to give it a try. It does not change the anatomy of my eyes, no serum or hack will do that, but I do find it helpful on its own and even more with the rest of my very-modest skincare regimen.
Allergies, alcohol, poor sleep and dehydration all contribute to puffy eyes so making sure you have the best handle you can on those things, could help.
posted by fennario at 1:34 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Another vote for The Ordinary caffeine serum... my eyes are not chronically puffy but are the first to react to any kind of allergen, and once in a while I wake up with noticeable puffiness. The tiniest possible drop helps a lot.
posted by aincandenza at 2:22 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
posted by aincandenza at 2:22 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Another body-cause of eye bags is cholesterol, it's a condition called xanthelasma. Probably not your situation but it's another reason like the ones listed above to make sure you're under regular care of an internist and having routine bloodwork.
The mechanism of action for the cucumber slices is "cold wet thing on your face." It's temporary, and lasts only for a short amount of time after you take the cold thing off your face. You can keep the wet part by establishing a skincare regimen with a good quality moisturizer.
The cold thing you can replicate much easier and cheaper by putting a spoon in the freezer for 5 minutes and then gently sitting it on your undereye area.
You'll get another vote from me for The Ordinary caffeine serum. It's nice. It's a use-with your moisturizer, not instead of your moisturizer.
Also: sunscreen. Every single day. It will assist with your vanity on a long term basis, and it will also reduce your chance of skin cancer, which is a thing even non-vain people should be scared of.
posted by phunniemee at 3:37 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
The mechanism of action for the cucumber slices is "cold wet thing on your face." It's temporary, and lasts only for a short amount of time after you take the cold thing off your face. You can keep the wet part by establishing a skincare regimen with a good quality moisturizer.
The cold thing you can replicate much easier and cheaper by putting a spoon in the freezer for 5 minutes and then gently sitting it on your undereye area.
You'll get another vote from me for The Ordinary caffeine serum. It's nice. It's a use-with your moisturizer, not instead of your moisturizer.
Also: sunscreen. Every single day. It will assist with your vanity on a long term basis, and it will also reduce your chance of skin cancer, which is a thing even non-vain people should be scared of.
posted by phunniemee at 3:37 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Puffiness is not the same as bags under your eyes. At least for me there are clear triggers for puffiness and it responds well to cold stuff - mask, frozen spoon, ice cube etc. so sure, cold cucumber may also work. Eye bags have a lot more to do with predisposition and many things may feel nice but do little.
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:40 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
posted by koahiatamadl at 4:40 PM on January 31 [2 favorites]
Depending on what kind of bags/puffiness you have going on, you may want to explore the possibility of a lower blepharoplasty. I know, I know, plastic surgery what a terrible thing etc etc etc, but it’s a very effective procedure at improving the look of that area. It doesn’t create an uncanny valley appearance at all. It’s surgery, so, ok not as cheap as cucumbers but there’s only so much that topicals can do. (Definitely explore allergy treatment first, though.)
posted by stowaway at 8:45 PM on January 31
posted by stowaway at 8:45 PM on January 31
I have heard of Preparation H being used to reduce both eye bags and for filling in wrinkles. The supportive evidence appears to be expensive repackaged products in fancy boxes using the same basic ingredients sans the awful butthole associations.
I had a nurse friend refer to feeding her newborn and changing her diapers as tubal duties. So in that sense one orifice or another.
posted by y2karl at 10:18 PM on January 31
I had a nurse friend refer to feeding her newborn and changing her diapers as tubal duties. So in that sense one orifice or another.
posted by y2karl at 10:18 PM on January 31
You might consider some sort of under eye treatment, in combination with these reusable eye masks. I haven’t used them personally, but a friend swears by them. I don’t have recommendations for specific serums or products, as I haven’t personally had this issue.
A pricier, but probably more effective, option is a micro current device (e.g Ziip, NuFace). They work very well at de-puffing and firming the skin. You can find them used on EBay, Poshmark, etc. I haven’t used mine specifically for under eye treatment, but it is definitely effective where I do use it. You can see immediate results, but they are temporary. People say you can see permanent results with long term use, I just haven’t been consistent with it.
posted by bluloo at 11:19 AM on February 1
A pricier, but probably more effective, option is a micro current device (e.g Ziip, NuFace). They work very well at de-puffing and firming the skin. You can find them used on EBay, Poshmark, etc. I haven’t used mine specifically for under eye treatment, but it is definitely effective where I do use it. You can see immediate results, but they are temporary. People say you can see permanent results with long term use, I just haven’t been consistent with it.
posted by bluloo at 11:19 AM on February 1
Response by poster: Thank you everybody for your feedback and suggestions.
posted by DavidfromBA at 12:45 PM on February 1
posted by DavidfromBA at 12:45 PM on February 1
There are three practical answers.
1. You need a bleph. Period. There are no skincare solves for this. Sometimes the bag is herniation of the fat pad, sometimes it's excess skin, sometimes it's to do with a ligament, and sometimes it's a malar bag which is related to excess fluid retention and underlying health issues.
2. For a quick fix, especially if you do not wear makeup, there are some eye skincare products that temporarily depuff by doing something to the skin to scaffold it with gel that dries down or something. I think Peter Thomas Roth has one. You'll want to Google it and search for videos of people describing magical results. That's the kind of product that will remedy this short of surgery.
3. Get your health checked. Things to check including allergies, kidney function, and if you have any other legitimate concerns based on symptoms to look into that may be related to excess fluid retention, come ready to ask about those.
Apart from that, try limiting your sodium to 2000 mg per day (which basically means preparing all of your own food at home, and cutting out most processed foods--have a look at low sodium diet guidelines) and ensuring you get sufficient water intake. You can Google lymphatic drainage techniques, but they may not help if the issue is not just lymph.
posted by pearl228 at 5:42 PM on February 2
1. You need a bleph. Period. There are no skincare solves for this. Sometimes the bag is herniation of the fat pad, sometimes it's excess skin, sometimes it's to do with a ligament, and sometimes it's a malar bag which is related to excess fluid retention and underlying health issues.
2. For a quick fix, especially if you do not wear makeup, there are some eye skincare products that temporarily depuff by doing something to the skin to scaffold it with gel that dries down or something. I think Peter Thomas Roth has one. You'll want to Google it and search for videos of people describing magical results. That's the kind of product that will remedy this short of surgery.
3. Get your health checked. Things to check including allergies, kidney function, and if you have any other legitimate concerns based on symptoms to look into that may be related to excess fluid retention, come ready to ask about those.
Apart from that, try limiting your sodium to 2000 mg per day (which basically means preparing all of your own food at home, and cutting out most processed foods--have a look at low sodium diet guidelines) and ensuring you get sufficient water intake. You can Google lymphatic drainage techniques, but they may not help if the issue is not just lymph.
posted by pearl228 at 5:42 PM on February 2
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First make sure there isn’t a medical reason for eyebags like thyroid or kidney problems by talking to your doctor. If there isn’t one, the options are acceptance, makeup, and surgery.
posted by cotton dress sock at 1:14 PM on January 31 [4 favorites]