Cucumber for under eye puffiness

It is a popular practice to place freshly cut cucumber slices over one's eyes in order to reduce puffiness and "that tired look". Some think that cucumber flesh can reduce swelling and revitalize skin. Alas, it cannot.

Cucumber is over 90 percent water and the rest is mostly inert fiber with no skin benefits. However, cucumber slices do sometimes reduce puffiness a bit. That's because they are cold! You store your cucumbers in the refrigerator, don't you? It is the cold (not the cucumber) that shrinks the swelling by constricting blood vessels and thus reducing inflow of fluid into soft tissues. You can get the same results with a washcloth dipped in cold water.