DIY Organic Skincare: Green Tea and Cucumber Ice Cubes for Under Eye Puffiness
As an esthetician I take pretty good care of my skin. But as a woman in her early 30’s I’m obsessed with my under eye area. I realize that’s a pretty ridiculous part of the body to be obsessed with, but hear me out. In my early 20’s I developed Syringomas. If you are lucky enough to have never heard of them, they are little white cysts that develop, usually under the eye. For years I was tortured by these, it was all I could see when I looked in the mirror. I hated them. Two years ago, I finally went to a plastic surgeon to see what could be done. The good news for sufferers, for just a couple hundred dollars, you can get rid of them! The bad news, they come back.
I had a few very simple laser treatments where the bumps were simply burnt off. They stayed away for a while but then came back again. Cue more lasers. After this treatment I started noticing that the skin in that area is slightly thickened, like a scar. It has softened in the last few months, thanks to this product, but when I don’t get enough sleep, don’t drink enough water, or fall into unhealthy habits, it SHOWS. I’ve been wanting to try a recipe that would fight puffiness quickly, and I think I’ve found it!
This recipe is great because it combines three things that are considered to be the most effective at temporarily reducing swelling in the under eye area. Caffeine, cold, and cucumber. The lemon is optional, and is thought to reduce dark circles. Please take that with a grain of salt as we all know that dark circles aren’t that easy to get rid of and are often a sign of serious health concerns. I like it because it adds an extra refreshing zing and most mornings I need all the help I can get!
What you’ll need:
- 4 Green Tea Bags
- 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice (optional, not recommended for extra-sensitive under eyes)
- Cucumber
- Ice Cube Tray
What to do:
Pour 2 cups of boiling water over 4 tea bags and let cool completely over several hours. Once tea has cooled and you are ready to make the ice cubes, dice cucumbers and drop a few into each well of your ice cube tray. You want enough so that you will get the benefit of the cucumbers, but not so much that the cucumbers will break up your ice as it thaws. The cucumbers will float to the top giving you a two sided cube, a cucumber side and a green tea-only side. I used too small a container and too many cucumbers on my first try and they melted, slimily, in my hands. (Yes, slimily is a word. Stop trying to correct me and learn from my mistakes!)
Mix 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice into the tea and pour mixture carefully into tray. Make sure to leave some room as this mixture expands when frozen. Put in freezer. Wait for it. No, literally, you have to wait. These things take time.
Remove ice cube and wrap in a protective layer and dab around the eye area for a few minutes. Paper towel, gauze or muslin all work well. Hooray! No one will ever know how many times you hit the snooze button this morning!
I really love this recipe. It’s helped me look refreshed on quite a few “why did I stay up all night reading Game of Thrones?” mornings. Please remember, the lemon juice is optional. It’s refreshing, but it also has lightening properties, so make sure you rinse after using this recipe. Also, be sure to only use this for a few minutes, don’t leave the ice on too long as it can cause redness and inflammation.
If you are in a rush, you can also try putting some green tea bags or cucumber slices in the refrigerator, but you know me, I love a good art project. I mean skincare project.
Have you tried any of my DIY recipes? What did you think?
