Top 5 Reasons Cucumber Extract Is the Skincare Ingredient You Need Right Now

Composed of proteins, flavonoids, antioxidants, lipids, Vitamin C, and minerals, using cucumber extract on your skin is like checking your face in for a two-week stay at the Hotel del Paris Monte-Carlo. Needless to say, your skin will emerge feeling refreshed, less inflamed, and less irritated. However, not all cucumber products are alike. Some contain harmful ingredients like parabens and other unpronounceable petroleum based chemicals. So stick with the natural skincare products—otherwise all that good cucumber stuff goes to waste!

Cucumber is a Natural Astringent

You may not see it happening when you head out the door in the morning, but your skin is constantly under attack. UV rays and pollution cause oxidative stress, making your skin look dull and irritated. But don’t worry—cucumber extract is a natural astringent. Cucumber is rich in silica—which means by using products with cucumber extract, you can peel away the harmful affects and irritation the environment forces on you. So don’t worry next time you get stuck behind an exhaust spewing garbage truck—just grab that cucumber and peel away the day!

Cucumber is Anti-inflammatory

Inflammation—it’s a buzzword we’re all talking about. How do we keep it down in our bodies, our minds, our skin—even in our relationships!? The answer—cucumber extract. Cucumber extract contains phytochemicals that are considered anti-inflammatory. With their combination of vitamins including C and K, cucumbers are excellent warriors when it comes to battling free radicals and even acne, allowing your skin to cool off, de-puff, and clear up. Unfortunately, they do not help with relationships, so don’t surprise your significant other with a dozen cucumbers on date night.

Cucumber Extract Helps Sunburns

Spring is here! We all love to thaw out after a winter freeze, but too much sun means harmful UV rays, irritated skin, and the dreaded sunburn. That’s why it’s important to protect yourself—and cucumber extract does the trick. Not only does cucumber contain natural SPF protection, it also helps soothe and hydrate skin affected by too much sun, helping your skin heal quickly, and prevent wrinkling and aging due to sun damage. So go ahead and hit the beach or jump on a yacht or join the AP tennis tour—just make sure you’ve got a little cuke extract at home for those big sunshiny days.

Cucumber Extract Calms Puffy Eyes and Reduces Dark Circles

Puffy eyes are the scourge of your morning. But you don’t need to hit the spa and adorn yourself in fluffy towels and immerse yourself in ambient essential oils to beat the puff. Cucumber extract in products like Theoderma Peptide Plumping Eye Creme can help reduce puffiness and unsightly circles under your eyes. That’s because cucumber extract contains silica, and ascorbic and caffeic acid, which can calm and lighten skin, ensuring you look like you just finished up a weeklong spa retreat even though that couldn't be further from the truth.