Is Frozen Cucumber Good for Your Skin? TikTok Definitely Thinks So

Via @mireyarios/Tiktok (3)

Fresh cucumber has a number of health benefits—and of course, people have used them for skincare for years. Slices of cucumber on the eyes during a facial are quintessential! There are major benefits of using cucumber for skin, particularly how cucumbers can help with swelling and skin irritation.

While TikTok food hacks have always been a thing, people are now turning to TikTok for skincare hacks. Recently, one TikTok user even boasted the benefits of using a frozen cucumber on her face to reduce puffiness. However, just because somebody claims something works on the internet doesn’t always mean it’s true. Here’s what we discovered.

What Is the Frozen Cucumber Trend?

After waking up with a “puffy face,” TikTok user @mireyarios shared how she uses frozen cucumbers to de-swell and refresh her skin. The cucumber isn’t anything special or complicated—it’s simply a sliced cucumber that’s frozen, and she exposes her skin to the sliced half of the cucumber.

@mireyarios Frozen cucumber 🥒 #frozencucumber #frozencucumberhack #puffyface #iceroller #iceontheface #diyfacemask #diyskincare #science #fittok #mothersday ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

When she starts, Mireya moves the cucumber “upward and outward,” moving the cucumber from the crook of her nose and her cheek, around the cheekbone below her eye, and up toward the end of her face. After a few strokes, she then moves the cucumber down toward her lips, working the same motion up her cheeks. She repeats the steps toward her chin, using the cucumber to smooth and lift. Sometimes she will even “lift her skin up” toward her hairline and massage her cheeks with the frozen cucumber to reduce swelling.

As she shows users how to do this, she says the frozen cucumber is “extremely cold and refreshing” and feels like a “DIY ice roller.”

When she’s finished, Mireya tells her viewers to notice how the side she just worked on is “lifted and sculpted” compared to the other side of her face. While this skincare trend does seem refreshing, especially for the hot summer months, we still wondered if a frozen cucumber is good for your skin. So we turned to an expert to get the lowdown.

Is Frozen Cucumber Good for Your Skin?

Yes! Dr. Nazanin Saedi, a board-certified dermatologist, associate professor, and co-chair of the Laser and Aesthetics Surgery Center at Dermatology Associates of Plymouth Meeting, confirms that using a cucumber can indeed help with swelling and irritation of the skin.

“I’m a fan of this TikTok trend. I’ve been stashing cucumbers in my freezer as a quick skincare hack for years,” says Dr. Naz. “I agree that it helps with swelling and puffiness. It’s like putting a bag of frozen peas on your eyes when they are puffy. The cold will cause vasoconstriction and will help with congestion, especially around the eyes.”

Dr. Naz also encourages this trend, confirming that using a frozen cucumber is good for your skin. “When you use a frozen cucumber to massage your skin, you are also helping drain the lymphatics around the eyes which can further help reduce the appearance of puffiness.”

How to Use Frozen Cucumbers on Your Skin

Dr. Naz has a few caveats. The first is making sure that you keep things sanitary.

“The last thing you want to do is slather bacteria around your face and eyes, this could lead to breakouts or an infection,” says Dr. Naz. “Wrap the cucumber before freezing to avoid any contamination to your skin and consider using a new cucumber for each use. And grab a towel, it will protect your hand from freezing!” She also says to be gentle when using a frozen cucumber around your eyes because the skin is delicate.

And while frozen cucumber can help with swelling and puffiness, it won’t work for hydration and “lifting your face.”

“Despite cucumbers being made of mostly water, I’m not convinced a frozen one does much to hydrate your skin,” says Dr. Naz. “Your face will not look lifted, but it might look a little tighter as a result of not being puffy!”

Of course, skincare isn’t all they’re good for—don’t forget to check out these cucumber recipes.