Does putting cucumber slices on your eyes work?

01/15/25 11:34am

Okay, here’s the deal. I was at a spa last week with my family and my mom was doing one of those cucumber-over-the-eyes face mask things. The thought sort of blossomed in my head, what are those cucumbers even for? I asked the spa worker when she came in what the cucumbers were for but her answer sounded kind of empty and nonsensical. My mom didn’t know what the cucumbers do, either. I Googled it, but the results are kind of all over the place. What say you, wikiHow? What are the cucumbers for? Do they actually do anything or is just vibes?

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Ellen Turner
Double Board-Certified Dermatologist

03/13/25 12:56pm

To be honest, I don't think putting cucumber slices on your eyes really does much. I come from a functional medicine background and always advocate using a natural treatment if it's the most effective option, but there isn't an ingredient in cucumber that actually scientifically can reduce puffiness or swelling. However, cold items will help to reduce puffiness or swelling. And that's why there are devices out there that will reduce puffiness or swelling through a cold applicator. I think if you take a cold cucumber slice and place it over the eyes, the cucumber itself is not necessarily doing anything healing, but the cool temperature may be making an impact. It's also aesthetically enjoyable–the texture feels nice and cucumber slices are the perfect size to place over the eyes.

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WikiChinchillaJammer673

01/16/25 1:56pm

I also recently became obsessed with this and dug into the research. Everyone was giving me different answers, even my esthetician! Okay, here’s the deal so far as I can tell. There are two real, confirmed benefits that I’ve found. First, cucumber slices are wet and cold. This means they’re really good at cooling your skin off, and people often get inflammation around their eyes—especially if they don’t sleep as much as they probably should. So, they help in that aspect.

There’s another benefit that seems to be proven: it helps to slightly improve the coloration of your skin. Cucumbers inhibit an enzyme called tyrosinase. Tyrosinase inhibits the production of melanin, which is the stuff that makes your skin darker. So, in theory, the cucumbers do make the skin around your eyes appear a little brighter which can probably make you appear more youthful. These things aren’t like…world-changing when it comes to skincare, but the cucumbers do something!

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WikiGladeWhisperer804

01/18/25 7:29am

Putting cucumbers on your eyes acts as a cold compress because they're cold and wet. This helps to reduce puffiness and dark circles. The coolness constricts your blood vessels, which helps with swelling, and the wetness hydrates your skin, which helps with dark circles.

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WikiBandicootSlinger522

01/18/25 4:16pm

Idk the science but to me the cucumbers feel nice on my skin. There's a soothing effect because they're cool to the touch. And idk having something on my eyes is kind of relaxing because it makes me feel like I have a sleep mask on my eyes which makes me sleepy. Very calming.

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