Natural DIY Under Eye Masks
No matter who you are or what your life is like, things get busy.
Stress piles up at work, you make too many plans with family and friends, and all of a sudden, you can’t remember the last time you had a meal that wasn’t out of a take-out bag.
One of the best things you can do after a long week at work, driving the kids around, and taking care of everyone else is to set aside time to take care of yourself.
And when you’ve got a self-care day (or hour, as the case may be) planned, nothing hits the spot quite like a relaxing eye mask.
Eye masks work wonders for under-eye circles, dark spots, and puffiness. Not only are they terrific for your skin, but they can benefit your mental health as well. Everyone needs some me-time now and then, and making an eye mask from home is a perfect way to give your under-eyes some much-needed TLC.
What ingredients to look for
When choosing ingredients for a DIY eye mask, knowing what to look for is essential. Here are a few guidelines to follow when choosing ingredients that will react well with your skin.
Ingredients to use:
- Coconut oil and olive oil are both effective moisturizing agents.
- Herbal or white teas contain antioxidants that freshen skin and may reduce puffiness and swelling around the eyes.
- Avocados are full of vitamin A and vitamin E, which work wonders on the skin.
- Vitamin E gel capsules are a great way to hydrate and nourish the skin.
- Apple cider vinegar is another ideal ingredient for your skin in small amounts. Let the pungent odor speak to how powerful it is for cleansing skin. It acts as a natural antibacterial—just be careful not to overdo it.
Ingredients to avoid:
- Rather than moisturizing your skin, alcohol dries it out. This can lead to breakouts, irritation, itchiness, and discomfort—especially around the eyes. Steer clear of adding alcohol (or other substances that contain alcohol) into your DIY eye mask creation.
- Dairy milk is another ingredient to avoid putting on your skin. Milk spoils quickly on the skin and can lead to funky smells. Instead, opt for water or a plant-based oil.
- Egg whites can lead to skin tightness, dryness, and irritation, rather than moisturized and hydrated skin. Plus, getting salmonella if you accidentally ingest some of the mask simply isn’t worth it.
Three natural eye masks to try at home
Here are three of our favorite eye masks to try from home. They use natural ingredients that are soothing for your skin and beneficial for the planet, so your self-care day is doing double-duty.
Cucumber and rose mask
First up is a classic. Cucumber and rose not only remind us of a day in the spa, but these powerhouse ingredients are also packed with hydration to give you a natural glow. If you’re just looking for something to brighten and moisturize, look no further.
Steps:
- Get your hands on a cucumber and chop a few tablespoons worth. Grab your blender or food processor and grind until pulpy.
- Add rose water and continue mixing until you reach a thick, gel-like consistency.
- Either apply to a cotton round and leave under your eyes or apply directly to the skin. Leave on for 10 minutes and rinse off with lukewarm water.
Coffee eye mask
This eye mask is for bags—not your shopping bags or that Louis Vuitton satchel you’ve been lusting over, but the undereye bags left over from finals week or those super-stressful days when you were performing parenting duty solo. The caffeine in coffee helps boost skin and reduce sagginess and fluid retention to get rid of under-eye bags. Plus, this is an efficient way to recycle your used coffee grounds, so it gets an A+ for being Earth-friendly.
Steps:
- After your morning cup of coffee, grab your filter and dump the coffee grounds into a small bowl.
- Measure out a teaspoon or two of coconut oil and mix until soft. If you need to soften the oil a bit more, you can warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave or on the stovetop. But be sure to let it cool completely before applying it to your skin.
- Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes and gently rinse off. Be careful not to scrub as you’re rinsing, as this may irritate your skin and hurt your eyes.
Aloe and avocado eye mask
We all know the benefits of eating avocado (or maybe we just love avocado toast), but it has benefits for the skin as well. Avocado is packed with healthy fats to hydrate your skin, while aloe is another rich source of moisture and hydration. If you’re looking to make your skin feel softer, this is an appealing option.
Steps:
- Mash a ripe avocado in a large bowl until soft.
- If you’re a plant mom, add some aloe from an aloe plant. Otherwise, use pure aloe extract, which you can find at most grocery stores. Aim for equal parts of both. For example, if you add one teaspoon of mashed avocado, add one teaspoon of aloe.
- Apply under your eyes and let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes, rinsing off gently when you’re done.
Benefits of an eye mask
The benefits of using an eye mask are abundant. Here are some of our favorite ways an eye mask can help your skin and your mind.
Puffiness
One of the more common benefits of using an eye mask is to reduce puffiness. Our eyes become puffy or swollen when fluid accumulates between the layers of tissue around our eyes and eyelids. This is especially common with seasonal or animal allergies—or staying out a bit too late the night before (not that we’re judging!).
A few other causes for eye puffiness include pink eye, an eye infection, injury to the eye, orbital cellulitis (inflammation), or thyroid eye disease. An under-eye mask soothes puffiness, but do note that it cannot soothe any of the underlying conditions of eye puffiness, so you should see a doctor if any irritation or swelling persists for more than two days.
Under-eye circles
Many people also use eye masks to help reduce the appearance of under-eye circles. We’ve all been to a party that went until 2am or had a work project we stayed up all night to do. No matter the reason for your late night, you don’t have to let your under-eye bags give you away.
Under-eye bags become more common as you age and are caused by an accumulation of fluid around the eye and the weakening of the eye muscles and tissue. Under-eye bags can look like saggy, dark circles and are usually caused by lack of sleep, allergies, or smoking.
Luckily, eye masks are an easy way to get rid of those extra bags and keep your face shining and bright.
Dryness
Most eye masks are also packed with tons of hydration to help moisturize your skin and help brighten your eyes. If you have naturally dry skin or winter air-induced dry skin, an eye mask can help lock in moisture around your eyes and keep your skin moisturized, bouncy, and fresh.
Mask on, feet up
Using an eye mask is an easy way to be kind to your skin and take care of yourself after a long week.
Need some extra help when it comes to self-care? We’ve got a fabulous guide to help you learn how you can take care of yourself, destress, and relax.
A perfect place to start is with a Kinder Beauty Box. We handpick vegan beauty products that are free of parabens, sulfates, and harmful toxins. Plus, we never use products that have been tested on animals—ever.
Sources:
Puffy Eyes: What Causes Them and What To Do About It | Cleveland Clinic
Bags under eyes - Symptoms and causes | Mayo Clinic
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