Nine Masks to Get Rid of Bags Under the Eyes
For some people, the dark, and usually purplish, bags under their eye are an aesthetic problem. So they look for ways to get rid of them. Why? To look healthy, fresh, and rested.
Fortunately, there are a wide variety of homemade masks to soothe your eyes and reduce the appearance of bags. They moisturize this area, promote circulation, and provide important nutrients to the skin. Therefore, let’s look at some natural masks.
Causes of bags under the eyes
Dark circles under the eyes are dark spots that form around the eyes and are visible because the skin in this area is thinner. In addition, they’re sometimes accompanied by eye bags.
By themselves, they don’t pose a serious health problem. In fact, they’re usually just a cosmetic problem. However, some cases are related to hormonal imbalances, circulation problems, or fatigue.
Generally, the appearance of dark circles under the eyes is due to two reasons: melanin deposits and dilation of the blood vessels in the eye area. Of course, this also depends on skin pigmentation and skin thickness. Additionally, some factors should be taken into account, such as:
- Aging
- Hormonal changes
- Mental or physical stress
- Liquid retention
- Fatigue or lack of sleep
- Nutrient deficiency
- Dry skin
- Overexposure to sunlight
- Smoking and alcohol
- Hyper-pigmentation disease
In order to know how to remove bags under your eyes, it’s important to know their causes. In this way, appropriate treatment can be chosen according to the case. To do this, it’s best to consult a dermatologist.
Masks to soothe and reduce bags under your eyes
Most people experience bags under their eyes at some time. As you can see, there are many factors that can affect their appearance. However, by using some masks, you can relax your eyes and improve the appearance of the areas affected.
However, it’s important to note that these solutions come largely from popular culture and there’s no evidence to prove their effectiveness. Despite this, they’re usually safe to use and quite economical. Would you like to try them out?
1. Cucumber mask
There’s no scientific evidence to prove that cucumber helps get rid of bags under the eyes. However, in the popular realm, it’s one of the most widely used remedies to relax the skin around the eye. According to a study published in the journal Fitoterapia, it has high water content and can help soothe skin irritation and swelling.
Ingredients
- 1 piece of cucumber
- A piece of apple
- 1 tsp. of almond oil
Preparation
- Put the apple and cucumber in the fridge for 5 hours until they’re cold. This will increase the anti-inflammatory effects on your face.
- Then, grate both ingredients
- Mix them with the almond oil and form a paste
- Close your eyes and apply them to the affected area
- Sit back and relax and let it sit for 20 minutes
- Rinse with warm water
Learn more about the Uses for Almond Oil You Didn’t Know About
2. Cucumber and potato mask
Another mask to eliminate dark circles under the eyes is one made from cucumber and potato. Both ingredients are rich in water and can help refresh the eye contour.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cucumber
- 1 medium potato
Preparation
- Firstly, grate and blend the cucumber and potato and combine them into a paste
- Then, apply the mixture below your eyes
- Relax your face while the cream takes action
- After 15-20 minutes, rinse with a lot of water
3. Chamomile tea to get rid of bags
Masks containing chamomile are gentle on sensitive skin and help minimize the tired appearance of bags under the eyes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. of water
- 1 chamomile tea bag
- 2 tbsp. of natural yogurt
Preparation
- Firstly, make the chamomile tea
- Then, add a little natural yogurt until you have a creamy mixture
- Finally, apply over and around your eyes
4. Carrot mask
As with other home remedies, there’s no evidence to prove that carrots can get rid of bags under the eyes. However, many people use it as the base for a mask to improve this situation because they consider it provides antioxidants to the skin. Do you want to try it?
Ingredients
- 1/2 carrot
- 1/2 fresh cucumber
- 2 tsp. of vegetable oil
Preparation
- Firstly, grate the carrot, add the vegetable oil and mix well
- Secondly, let sit for 5-10 minutes
- Thirdly, during that time, cut two fine slices of cucumber
- Then, spread the carrot and oil paste over your closed eyes and relax them. Cover with the cucumber slices.
- Finally, let sit for 10 minutes and remove with a wet cloth
5. Tomato mask
Phytonutrients contained in tomatoes may help inhibit the negative effects of the sun’s UV rays, as detailed in research published in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology. Sun exposure is one of the risk factors for bags under the eyes and aging.
In this case, we propose taking advantage of these properties with a lemon mask. However, it’s essential to only use it at night, since subsequent exposure to the sun can cause stains.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. of lemon juice
- 1 tbsp. of tomato juice
Preparation
- Firstly, mix the tomato juice with the lemon juice
- Secondly, gently apply the mixture over the eye bags.
- Then, let sit for 10 minutes and rinse with water
- Finally, do this procedure two times a day
6. Egg and glycerin mask
There are those who suggest that egg whites act as a firming agent on the skin. However, there’s no evidence to confirm this. However, you can combine it with glycerin to try it in this anti-dark circles mask.
Ingredients
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp. of liquid glycerin
Preparation
- Beat the egg white until it’s a white color and mix with the liquid glycerin
- Once you have that mixed, apply to the contour of your eyes
- Finally, let sit for 5-8 minutes and rinse with warm water
7. A mask for tired eyes and under-eye bags
You can make this mask with potato or apple. It’s a good option to moisturize the skin around your eyes and help reduce bags under them.
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. of water
- 1 potato or apple
- 10 basil leaves
- 2 paper towels
Note: An alternative to the basil leaves is celery leaves.
Preparation
- Firstly, heat the water and add the basil leaves
- Secondly, grate the potato with the skin on (quickly, because the potato oxidizes)
- Thirdly, put the grated potato on the paper towels
- Then, wrap it up, forming a ball
- Put one ball over each eye and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes
- Put the basil water in the fridge to chill it
- Finally, after the 15 to 20 minutes has passed, remove the potato and rinse with the basil water
8. Papaya and milk mask
Papaya masks are mainly used to moisturize dry skin. However, in this case, we’ve combined it with a little milk to try to get rid of bags under the eyes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. of papaya
- 1/2 c. of milk
Preparation
- In the blender, mix the papaya with milk until you form a paste
- Then, apply the mixture below your eyes (directly or using a cotton ball)
- Let sit for 15 minutes and then rinse your face with water
- Repeat this mask once a week
9. Mint leaf mask
A simple mask with mint leaves can be enough to refresh the eye contour and give you a fresher face. Although there’s no evidence of its ability to get rid of bags under the eyes, it’s a safe option you can try without problems.
Ingredients
- 20 mint leaves
Preparation
- Crush up the mint leaves until you have a paste and apply it to the affected areas
- Finally, let sit for 15 minutes and rinse with water
Read more about The Amazing Health Benefits of Carrots
Summary on how to treat bags
There are many factors that affect the presence of bags under the eyes. However, there are some ingredients of natural origin that could be useful to minimize them and relax the area.
However, you must consider that almost all of them come from popular culture and, therefore, may not be effective in many cases. Thus, to find more effective and proven options, consult a dermatologist.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Mukherjee, P. K., Nema, N. K., Maity, N., & Sarkar, B. K. (2013). Phytochemical and therapeutic potential of cucumber. Fitoterapia. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2012.10.003
- Groten K, Marini A, Grether-Beck S, et al. Tomato Phytonutrients Balance UV Response: Results from a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2019;32(2):101–108. doi:10.1159/000497104
- Llagostera Pagès, M. (2006). Cuidados de la piel. Atencion Primaria. https://doi.org/10.1157/13094777
- CCI. (2006). Albahaca. Plan Horticola Nacional.
- Arnoldo, J., & Espinoza, V. (2017). El cultivo de la albahaca. Eco Agricultura.
