How to Reduce Eye Bags with Coffee Grounds

Co-authored by Melissa Jannes and Janice Tieperman

Last Updated: March 5, 2024 Fact Checked

Coffee makes you feel more awake in the morning, but did you know it can actually make you look more awake too? That's right—you can use coffee grounds to get rid of dark eye circles and under-eye bags. As a diuretic, the caffeine in the coffee grounds can help lower any fluid buildup under your eyes, which can help get rid of under eye bags and dark eye circles.^{[1]
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Research source} Try out this DIY undereye treatment, and if you see a visible difference, consider adding coffee grounds to your morning routine throughout the week!

Things You Should Know

Place plain coffee grounds in the fridge for 15 minutes, then add water and spread them beneath your eyes with your fingers to reduce puffiness.
Add honey to your coffee grounds to help soften the skin under your eyes.
You can also add an egg to tighten the skin under your eyes.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Making the Coffee Ground Mixture

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1
Pour 2 tsp (1.6 g) of coffee grounds into a bowl. Pinch or scoop a few spoonfuls of coffee grounds into a small bowl. If you’ve already brewed a pot of coffee, use the old grounds from the pot. If you’re using fresh grounds, add a few drops of water into the bowl to make the coffee moist and easier to apply.
- If the coffee isn’t moist, then it won’t adhere to your skin very well.
- Coffee powder can also work for this treatment! If you’re using instant coffee packets, 1 sachet should do the trick.^{[2]
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Tip: If you don’t feel like adding any other ingredients to your coffee mask, consider setting your plain grounds in the refrigerator for 15 minutes! Cooler grounds are especially useful in reducing under eye puffiness.^{[3]
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Mix in 0.5 tablespoons (7.4 mL) of honey to make your skin feel smooth. Squeeze a small amount of liquid honey into your bowl of coffee grounds, then use a spoon to stir the mixture together. While you don’t have to add extra ingredients to your coffee grounds, the honey makes the grounds a bit easier to apply to the skin.^{[4]
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- This works especially well with coffee powder.
- Honey also helps make your skin feel soft.^{[5]
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Stir in an egg white if you don’t want to use honey. Separate and pour 1 egg white into your bowl of coffee grounds. Using a spoon or whisk, mix the grounds and egg together until the texture is smooth and consistent.^{[6]
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- Egg whites can help firm and tighten away any obvious wrinkles.
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Pour in 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of water to make the mixture runny. Before applying the mask, add in a small amount of cool tap water into the mixture. Stir all 3 ingredients together until the mask has a smooth, even consistency.^{[7]
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- The mixture should resemble slightly thickened chocolate milk.
- If you’re using an egg white, you don’t need to include water.^{[8]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Applying the Coffee Grounds Under Your Eyes

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1
Dip your fingers into the coffee grounds. Coat your pointer and middle finger with the coffee grounds. If you didn’t add honey or water to the grounds, you might have to scoop the coffee onto your fingertips.^{[9]
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- If you included honey and water in your coffee mixture, consider using a thick makeup brush to apply the mixture.
2
Spread the grounds in a curved, 1 in (2.5 cm) line beneath your eye. Apply the coffee grounds beneath the inner corner of your eye. Move your fingers slowly, so you don’t get any grounds in your eyes. As you apply the coffee to your under eye area, focus on creating a line that’s around 1 in (2.5 cm) thick. Then, repeat the process on your opposite eye.^{[10]
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- Always work outwards from the inner corner of your eye.
- If necessary, dip into the coffee mixture again to evenly coat the skin.
- Double check that you’ve covered the entirety of your under eye bags with the coffee before letting the grounds sit on your skin.
Tip: To prevent any coffee from getting in your eyes, try keeping your eyes closed while you apply the grounds to your skin.
Set a timer as you go about the rest of your morning routine. At this point, try not to move your head around too much, or the grounds might fall from your skin.^{[11]
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Wash off your face with tepid water. Dip a clean cloth or tissue in warm water and gently wipe your skin. After the coffee mixture is gone, use another damp cloth or tissue to finish cleaning off your skin. At this point, look in the mirror to see if you notice a difference in your eye bags!^{[12]
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- Try not to use hot water to rinse your face, or you might irritate your skin.
- Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see any visible results. Coffee grounds don’t yield the same results for everyone!
Once or twice each week, continue applying coffee grounds over your eye bags. Perform the treatment on days when your bags are especially prominent, like when you first wake up. As you go about your normal schedule, try incorporating this new treatment into your standard skincare routine.^{[13]
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Things You’ll Need

Coffee grounds or powder
Bowl
Spoon (optional)
Thick makeup brush (optional)
Honey (optional)
Water (optional)

Tips

Don’t expect any miraculous results when you apply coffee grounds topically. Some believe that caffeine helps blood circulate through your skin, but there isn’t a lot of scientific proof to back these beliefs yet.^{[14]
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