It’s no secret that vegetables are good for your health and skin, especially during pregnancy. This is the time you are advised to consume antioxidant and ani-inflammatory enriched veggies that soothe swelling in your body and enhance skin health. But veggies also have amazing skincare perks when you use them topically, and go beyond the latest skincare products infused with a myriad of fancy ingredients. The frozen cucumber hack, for instance, is the latest trend on the block and making us rethink our jade rollers.
This skincare trend involves using a frozen cucumber to massage all over your face to give you a lifting effect. But should you swap your beauty tools, such as a jade roller with a frozen cucumber? We’re settling the debate.
The Perks Of The Frozen Cucumber Hack You Probably Didn’t Know
Using frozen cucumber on your skin offers the complexion many benefits. Cucumber itself is packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients (vitamins C and K, and folic acid to name a few) that are nourishing and soothing to the skin and have been shown to reduce irritation and inflammation in acne-prone skin. Additionally, since cucumbers contain 95% water, they deliver intense hydration, and also help tighten and reduce the appearance of large pores in your complexion. Its regular topical usage can also reduce the size of impending pimples even before they emerge.
The other essential perk that cucumber provides is its cool temperature, which can work wonders on your skin. It helps constrict your blood vessels to reduce redness and inflammation and subsides puffiness in your face (which is a common side-effect of fluctuating pregnancy hormones). Using frozen cucumbers can also make your under-eye area appear brighter, and helps you feel instantly refreshed and more awake.
Then there’s the massage that you give with the frozen cucumber which helps remove excess fluid in your skin, which can worsen due to hormonal changes, if not removed. Hence, massage movements are essential on your face and neck to manually move the fluid and prevent it from becoming stagnant.
Finally, this is a low-cost skin care method that is simple to use. It is also a good choice for expecting mums as it is minimal and doesn’t involve any harmful chemicals are active ingredients that are deemed unsafe during pregnancy—just a pure, natural remedy.
How Does The Frozen Cucumber Hack Work?
Massaging your face with a frozen cucumber can give your lifting effects and also refresh your skin
To reap the benefits, you must learn the right massage techniques! First, start by prepping the cucumber by cutting off one end, placing it in a clean ziplock bag, and refrigerating it for at least an hour. Once it’s cold to the touch, wrap the intact end of the veggie with a clean paper towel so that it’s easy to manoeuvre. Once it’s slightly warm, use the cucumber to massage your face in long strokes toward an upward and outward motion. Avoid pulling it down on your skin, and use very minimal pressure.
An easy place to start is the center of your forehead. Rest the cucumber on your skin firmly and begin creating small circles. Move outward from the center toward your temples, and keep in mind that all your movements should focus toward your lymph nodes, so start from the center and work your way outward. For your cheeks and under-eyes, move toward your ears using small circular movements, and for the neck and jawline, use firm, swooping movements toward the earlobes and down the neck toward the shoulders.
It will only take 5-10 minutes for you to see the results. But keep in mind, these results are temporary, and the effects may lessen once your skin warms up. Nevertheless, it’s a great practice to refresh your complexion in the morning or prep it for your beauty regimen.
Should You Trade Your Jade Roller For This Skincare Hack?
Probably not! And there’s a valid reason behind it. Beauty tools like jade rollers are specifically designed to glide smoothly over the contours of your face, and the materials used are designed to minimise friction when in contact with your skin to prevent the chance of pulling or tugging. Moreover, tools like jade rollers and gua sha can do wonders to de-puff and shape your face. They also help in deeper absorption of skincare actives and maximise benefits to reduce common pregnancy skin concerns like acne, blemishes, and pigmentation.
The frozen cucumber hack is surely simple and TLC-worthy and so don’t forget to try it once or twice a week to revitalise your skin and refresh it in the morning.
Also read:
Moisture sandwich to beat dry skin during pregnancy: Learn how a moisture sandwich could be your ultimate solution to tackle dry skin during pregnancy.
Jello skin trend: Another new skincare trend in town? Know all about the jello skin trend in this post.
What is slugging: Why should slugging be a part of your pregnancy beauty routine? Learn everything in this post.
Featured image: Freepik.com
