Cucumbers On The Eyes: Do They Do Anything?

Is it really a ‘spa day’ if you don’t pop some cooling cucumbers over your eyes?

We’ve all seen it: the classic image of a woman relaxing at a spa, reclined, hair wrapped in a towel, with two cucumber slices sitting on her eyes. The ultimate depiction of relaxation.

But have you ever wondered whether cucumbers actually provide any benefits to the eyes? Keep reading to find out whether cucumbers are more than just a beauty accessory during your facial or not.

Why Do People Put Cucumbers Under Their Eyes?

The point of placing raw cucumber slices on the eyes is to reduce puffiness and dark circles. They’re also used to give the skin a fresh, dewy look.

Cucumber extracts are also used in cosmetics like eye creams and gels for the same reasons.

As raw cucumbers are teeming with water, the slices feel cool on your eyes. This helps cucumber slices function like a cold compress.

Plus, resting cucumber slices over your eyes encourages you to close them and relax during your self-care routine.

Pop the cucumber in the fridge before use for the best results.

Do Cucumber Slices Actually Benefit the Eyes?

The good news is yes, cucumbers do benefit the eyes – they aren’t just there for show. Cucumbers provide antioxidant and cleansing properties that help flush chemical toxins from the body and skin.

Cucumbers also deliver nourishing properties to soothe your skin, protect against irritation, and reduce swelling. Not only that, but cucumbers are excellent for treating inflammation and brightening the skin.

The hydrating properties help keep the skin looking healthy and firm for fresher, more youthful-looking skin. Delicate, dry eyelid skin is associated with fine lines, contributing to premature ageing and an aged appearance.

Aside from being deeply hydrating, cucumbers also contain vitamin C and folic acid to help enhance skin health. They’re also packed with vitamin K to help treat dark circles and soothing properties to calm sunburn.

Not only that, but cool cucumbers can cause constriction of superficial blood vessels. This reduces the swelling of the periorbital skin that can develop after excessive salt consumption, a big night out, or a good cry.

The veggies have been used for their clinical and therapeutic properties for centuries.

Saying that, there aren’t any current studies that confirm the beneficial effects of cucumbers, so it’s still unclear whether simply applying slices to your eyes will make a huge difference in your skin.

But cucumber juice, seed extract, and flowers can all benefit your skin when used as added ingredients to skincare products.

How To Use Cucumbers on Your Eyes

Fortunately, using cucumbers to cool and rejuvenate your eyes is super simple.

As you’ve probably seen from the popular spa images, cucumbers should be set on the eyes in slice form. Cut pieces large enough to cover the brows and upper and lower eyelids for the best results.

A cold cucumber chilled in the fridge works better than a room temperature one for treating puffy panda eyes.

Some people like to peel the cucumber before popping it on their skin if they’re worried about exposure to pesticides.

For the ultimate relaxation, try reclining back with the cucumbers. You can either sit and relax or engage in some short meditative exercises to help your mental health as you unwind.

Leave the cucumbers on your eyes for a few minutes. Definitely don’t leave them to sit on your skin overnight, as they’ll lose their coolness.

It’s a great idea to use the cucumbers in the morning on fresh, clean skin or before an important event. Follow up with your favorite serum, moisturizer, and SPF.

Cucumber Eye Creams

We suggest choosing an eye cream containing the ingredient to make the most of cucumber’s cooling effects. Here are some of our top eye creams featuring cucumber.

Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair

The Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair is an ultra-rich cream designed to treat dehydration lines. Containing a blend of phytonutrients and botanicals of cucumber and arnica, along with vitamins C and E and grape seed extract, the cream protects the eye area against environmental damage.

Meanwhile, vitamin A, wild yam extract, and pro-vitamin B5 repair the signs of premature aging and damage around the eyes.

Revision D.E.J Eye Cream

The Revision D.E.J Eye Cream is a comprehensive eye treatment that’s clinically proven to refresh and rejuvenate the eye area. The cream targets drooping eyelids, crow’s feet, fine lines and wrinkles, and under-eye crepiness.

The eye cream contains cucumber fruit water to soothe and tighten the skin, delivering a pleasant cooling sensation to the eye area.

Use the metal applicator included for gentle application and extra soothing benefits.

Do you want more skincare advice? Here’s the best ingredients for fighting acne .