Don’t throw away your next tea bag after you’re done steeping!
You could inadvertently be wasting one of the best health and beauty secrets for your eyes.
Yes, the tea that you enjoy drinking offers several benefits when applied on your eyes — it’s soothing, relaxing, and beautifying.
So let’s take a look at why everyone should be using tea bags on their eyes!
Benefits of Using Tea Bags on Eyes
Tea bags can instantly soothe and refresh the eye area.
In addition to helping to tame puffiness and inflammation, tea bags are actually potent enough to be used as a home remedy for some serious conditions and injuries that commonly affect the skin around the eyes.
Many of the same medicinal properties of tea that help to heal and fortify our bodies from the inside also provide topical benefits.
What Kind of Eye Problems Can You Treat With Tea Bags?
- Swollen Eyes or Inflammation: Caffeinated teas are great for reducing puffiness because they make the skin around the eyes taut. The flavonoids (antioxidants) and tannins in green tea and black tea can draw out excess fluid that could be causing that swollen, puffy look you see in the mirror.
- Dark Circles: If you have dark circles caused by not getting enough rest, give those tired eyes some tea! Dark circles are often caused by blood vessels that have become visible. Cold black and green tea bags are great for reducing the appearance of dark circles because the caffeine content narrows blood vessels around the eyes.
- Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis): Many people swear by using chamomile tea to reduce the irritation and swelling associated with pink eye. Green tea is another top pick due to its antimicrobial properties.
- Red Eyes: The anti-inflammatory properties found in nearly all teas provide refreshment for eyes that are red and swollen. The cool wetness of a tea bag is especially soothing when eyes are red due to dust, dryness, or crying.
- Dry Eyes: A moist tea bag is perfect for alleviating dryness. Choosing an herbal tea over an astringent caffeinated tea is a good idea when trying to soothe dry, sensitive eyes.
- A Black Eye: If you have a throbbing black eye, the tannins in black tea and green tea can be great for helping to reduce swelling and bruising. It’s also possible that tannins can help to keep internal bleeding in check to promote faster healing.
- Stye: The tannins in black tea and green tea are also great for treating styes. Green tea’s antibacterial and analgesic properties can be especially helpful for bringing down the swelling and irritation associated with styes.
How to Use Tea Bags on Eyes?
The first thing to remember is that tea bags should always be wet when you use them on your eyes.
You can simply use a tea bag the same way you would apply a cold compress to your eyes.
When you have the tea bags ready, just lie down on your back and close your eyes. Then place the tea bags so that they cover your eyelids and the surrounding area.
Leave the tea bags on your eyes for about 15 minutes. Repeat several times a day if necessary.
Also, feel free to reuse a tea bag that you’ve just used to make an actual cup of tea. However, it’s best to remove the tea bag from the cup as soon as it’s done steeping to avoid transferring any germs from your mouth to your delicate eye area.
Can warm tea bags be used on eyes?
Yes, but always make sure that tea bags have been allowed to cool to prevent burns on your sensitive eye area. You may want to consider using a tea bag as a “warm” compress when the goal is to drain a stye because the warmth will help to draw out the infection.
In addition, warmth is preferred when trying to alleviate dry eyes because warmth can help to stimulate the release of oil from glands.
If you want to use the tea bag later or want it to be cold, put it in the refrigerator after you’re done steeping the tea.
What Kind of Tea Bags to Use?
Both caffeinated and herbal teas are beneficial when using tea bags on your eyes.
Generally, black and green teas are ideal when you want to create tightness and constriction in the area around your eyes. That’s why both work great at reducing puffiness, dark circles, and black eyes.
Herbal teas are ideal when you’re trying to soothe irritated eyes. Herbal teas lack the caffeine and tannins that cause the tightness and constriction achieved by “real” teas.
You can skip the fruity teas when trying to get some relief for your eyes. Chamomile and rooibos are the two big winners in the herbal category for bringing down inflammation.
Whichever tea you are drinking and applying on your eyes, I recommend buying high-quality, organic tea bags that are free of plastic.
What Is the Best Time to Put Tea Bags on Eyes?
You can put tea bags on your eyes any time you feel like doing it!
Do it the first thing in the morning or before going to bed.
Or why not relieve puffy and red eyes with teabags during a coffee or lunch break at your work?
I personally like to take power naps in the afternoon and that’s the perfect time to use this home remedy.
Try Tea Bags for Healthier, Happier Eyes
You may find that you never want to leave the house without having a little “tea time” on your eyes after you see the way this hack gets rid of puffiness and circles.
It’s also great to have knowledge about the medicinal perks of using tea bags topically on your eyes for everything from styes to black eyes.
You should never use tea bags in place of actual medical care if you’re suffering from any type of eye injury or infection. While tea bags are great for providing relief for mild issues, the benefits of tea aren’t always potent enough to handle severe medical issues.
The bottom line is that you’ll gain a new perspective on tea once you put it on your eyes!
And tea bags also have more healing uses in addition to treating your eyes. Another great tip is to use tea bags to stop bleeding for small wounds or after tooth extraction.
