While cucumbers may be refreshing to eat, and my be a popular ingredient for homemade salads in summers, their benefits should not be overlooked. Their refreshing taste comes with more advantages than you may think. This light food sits humbly in the vegetable drawer at most times, just sitting there patiently waiting for mommy to scoop it up and serve it to the kids. While it may be a popular component of a salad every now and then, it’s not availed as much as it should be. Perhaps, once we fully know what the humble cucumber is capable of, it’s period of wait might come to an end.
1. Revitalizes the Skin
Cucumbers are mostly water. They do a wonderful job with hydrating your body and skin. Eating cucumber isn’t the only way to make use of them. What you can also do is:
Add the following contents in a blender:
- ¼-inch slices of cucumber
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel
- 1teaspoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Once the paste is made, apply the mask on damp skin and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse if off with lukewarm water. Repeat twice or thrice a week for a refreshed and revitalized look.
2. It Makes a Great Summer Snack
Isn’t that true? Why snack on potato chips and sugary biscuits which mostly just add to unnecessary calories? Feeling a little hungry between meals? Grab a cucumber or two, slice it up or chop it, maybe squeeze some lemon juice on the top and grab a fork! It won’t just make your insides feel a lot cooler, especially in the heat of the summers, but you will also slowly notice a change in the hydration of your skin.
3. Reverses Skin Tan
Cucumbers are versatile. They’re not just great with hydration, but they also reverse the skin tan! Seriously, what else gets both the jobs done? What you need to do is, grate a few cucumbers. Once they’re grated, take a clean washcloth to squeeze the juice out. Now apply the juice to the face. Repeat this several times weakly and you will notice an even skin tone and also your tan reversing.
4. Get Rid of Eye Puffiness Using Cucumbers
Ever wondered why women keep slices of cucumbers on their eyes? Does it actually work? Yes, it definitely does. If you have puffy eyes, just place a slice of cucumber on each eye and relax for at least 15 minutes. How will this help? The cucumbers contain ascorbic acid and caffeic acid which help with water retention and removal of puffy eyes.
5. Test Sunburn
Did you know that cucumbers rids your body of its latent heat? That’s why it’s effective for sunburn. It is indeed the cheapest and easiest remedy one can use for immediate relief of sunburn. You can apply cucumbers and even make a paste out of it and just apply on the affected area. Let it rest for as long as you want. Notice the magic after.
6. Treat Dark Circles
As mentioned earlier, it’s not just that cucumbers are beneficial to the eyes only. Not only do they help control puffiness, but also help with dark circles. The antioxidants and silica crammed in cucumbers help the dark circles slowly fade away. All you need is two slices of cucumber. Place them on your eyes for a good 20 minutes. Or alternatively you can also use cotton balls soaked in cucumber juice.
Try these cucumber techniques this summer, these will surely benefit you.