CUCUMBERS, creams and ice-cold masks – my dark circles have seen it all.
As a 37-year-old mum of three, I’ve tried everything to hide the tell-tale signs of sleepless nights.
But just when I thought I had exhausted every affordable option, along comes a TikTok trend using . . . raw potatoes.
Videos on the app, which have been viewed more than 1.9 billion times, showcase instant, eye-brightening results, making spuds out to be a skincare sensation.
I am fan of them baked, mashed, fried and roasted, but I was understandably dubious about rubbing raw potatoes over my face in the name of beauty.
However, out of sheer desperation, I decided to give it a go.
Plus, it’s cheap as chips. With a pack of potatoes delivered in our weekly food shop, this skincare hack didn’t actually cost me a penny more than usual.
As a finance administrator from Oxford, with a husband, three children aged 13, 11 and six, plus a dog, splurging on expensive skincare and treatments is impossible, with new school uniforms and after-school clubs to regularly pay for.
So the price was a big tick from me.
By leaving the potatoes out of our Sunday roast, I had enough tatties to use for two weeks.
To get started, I took the fresh bag of spuds from my kitchen cupboard and sliced them into circles, applying them to my under-eyes.
It is recommended that you leave them resting on your dark circles for ten to 20 minutes, depending on how much time you have. But to make the most of absorbing the supposed miracle juice, I left them on my under-eyes while I watched a 30-minute episode of Coronation Street.
Luckily, the moisture and starch in the potatoes makes them slightly sticky, which helps them to sit without any slippage.
My sagging under-eye skin began to feel tighter, smoother and lighter than ever before.
Immediately, I felt a soothing, cooling effect on my tired eyes.
This felt similar to the impact a fridge-cool eye mask gives, but it looks a lot less Instagram-worthy.
The smell, however, was unfortunately not as relaxing, giving off a more earthy, nutty scent compared to the luxurious wafts of expensive eye creams.
After just a few days, I noticed a truly remarkable difference.
My sagging under-eye skin began to feel tighter, smoother and lighter than ever before.
It turns out that potatoes are a naturally high source of hyaluronic acid, a potent hydration ingredient often found in moisturisers.
So, while working their magic on my dark circles, they also boosted my skin’s overall moisture levels.
I then decided to try a different method that would save time.
After watching TikTok user and licensed skin consultant @skyesfskin chop the potatoes into chunks and just glide the starchy white part over her under-eye area, I followed suit. But instead of just swiping them over my eyes a few times, I held the chunks over my dark circles for around ten minutes on each eye.
The bigger pieces provided more juice, which made my eye area feel extra-hydrated.
Seven days into testing spuds, the results had already exceeded my expectations and backed up the online TikTok hype.
Curious about the roots of this unconventional remedy, I decided to dig a little deeper into the science and history of potato-based skin treatments.
I was surprised to discover that, according to one source, the Quechua people of the Andes mountains have been doing this for centuries.
Over generations, they have relied on raw potato masks to heal their wind-chapped skin and treat topical cuts and burns.
Packed with healing properties such as vitamin C, B6 and zinc, the sugar and starches in potatoes are said to help calm inflammation.
But that’s not all. They also contain enzymes which are associated with brightening the skin.
Dr Dean Rhobaye, an aesthetic specialist at Sloane Clinic in Harley Street, central London, says: “Raw potatoes contain various bioactive compounds.
“The release of enzyme catecholase has amazing brightening and lightening effects on the eye area, even better than cucumber.
“It’s also a natural source of vitamin C, along with azelaic acid and niacinamide.”
This concoction of anti-inflammatory properties is also said to improve acne and other reactive skin issues, such as rosacea or eczema.
As my experiment continued, it became evident that potatoes are more than just a kitchen staple — they are a skincare superpower.
Meanwhile, the comments section on TikTok is filled with further skin recommendations for spuds. One user wrote: “I’m Hispanic and my mom used potatoes for dark circles and to lighten her armpits lol.”
Another chimed in: “I do the same when I get a stye: Its anti-inflammatory properties help heal it quicker.”
As my experiment continued, it became evident that potatoes are more than just a kitchen staple — they are a skincare superpower.
In fact, they are not only anti-inflammatory but also antioxidant and antimicrobial, making them a go-to treatment for sunburn and acne and even for reducing the signs of ageing.
As my two-week trial came to an end, I couldn’t ignore the visible improvements in my under-eye circles.
The affordability and accessibility of potatoes compared to traditional skincare products is a huge advantage — and I actually had a lot of fun with it.
My family all shared a laugh when they caught me with potato chunks resting on my face.
And there were priceless expressions on my mum friends’ faces when I told them I’d discovered the remedy for dark under-eye circles.
But I’m the one who gets the last laugh — because now I can tackle my tired eyes without shelling out a fortune.
That being said, it is a skincare step you need to make into a daily habit to really reap the benefits. It will not make all that evidence of sleepless nights completely disappear in one hit.
But just when I thought I knew my favourite way to have a potato was as a crispy roast, it turns out my appreciation for a raw spud overtakes even that.
Who would have thought that tatties are more than a kitchen marvel — they are a skincare hero, too.
