And why it isn't the worst beauty idea to come from the app
That said, don't dismiss them all. Every now and again one trend/tutoria/hack comes to the fore offeringsage advice. Enter the frozen cucumber beauty hack, a budget-friendly skincare tip that's easy to do and is backed up by skin experts.The thrifty fruit hack has been making the rounds on TikTok recently as a DIY alternative to gua sha facial massage and cryotherapy - both of which are great for de-puffing, soothing and sculpting skin.
With over 5.3 million views and counting, the viral skincare hack involves users massaging a – you guessed it – frozen cucumber around their face for a couple of minutes just as you would a gua sha or facial roller. Users claim a whole host of skin benefits from amped up hydration and more radiant skin, to reduced pore size and less noticeable under-eye circles.
But does it really work? We reached out to skin expert Marie Reynolds for her take on the viral skincare tip…'Cucumber itself contains an abundance of vitamins - particularly B Vitamins which are great for your skin,' explains Marie. 'They're also rich in Calcium and Vitamin C as well as Silica which is one of the tissue salts which is fantastic for the skin. It helps with humectant properties and is also calming, soothing and anti-inflammatory.
'When you freeze cucumber it's easier and nicer to apply,' advises Marie. For best results, you'll want to use the cucumber as you would a facial roller tool or gua sha - in sweeping motions from the inwards outwards. 'Start from the chin and lips and glide outwards to the ear. Using the cucumber underneath the eye sockets is fantastic for de-puffing the eyes, and move down the neck in circular movements towards the collar bone. There's no right or wrong way as long as you are moving upwards and outwards.'Ok: you're not going to see radical results from using a frozen cucumber to sculpt your face. It is a cheap and soothing facial technique though.