This is general guidance for chilled tea bags, not a special green tea treatment. A tea bag can double as a cold compress, which is a modest second career for something sold as a drink.2

How do you use tea bags for dark circles?

  1. 1Chill the tea bags before putting them against your skin.
  2. 2Lie down and place the cold bags over the area beneath your eyes.
  3. 3Keep the application brief: a few minutes is the general approach for a cold compress.
  4. 4Remove the bags after the short compress.
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A washcloth soaked in cold water is another option, so your bathroom does not need a tea selection. Cold spoons can also help reduce the appearance of puffiness.12

What can tea bags actually help with?

Cold compresses restrict blood vessels and reduce swelling. They also minimise the appearance of prominent blood vessels beneath the skin. That makes this approach useful for temporary puffiness rather than a plan to erase every kind of dark circle. Tea contains caffeine and antioxidants, and cold tea bags can help circulation around the area.123

Dark circles can also come from increased pigment, thin skin, loss of fatty tissue or shadows cast by the shape of the eye area. Melanin is the pigment that gives skin its colour. A cold compress does not address all these causes; treatment depends on what is creating the dark appearance.13

What helps beyond a cold compress?

If puffiness follows poor sleep, aim for seven to nine hours a night. Raising your head slightly with an extra pillow can help prevent fluid collecting around your eyes while you sleep. For darkening linked to sun exposure, use sunscreen on your face, including around your eyes, and wear sunglasses. Avoid rubbing or scratching the eye area, which can contribute to swelling and pigmentation.123

When should you get medical advice?

Contact a healthcare provider if darkening or swelling appears beneath only one eye. Eye or eyelid swelling that lasts longer than 24 to 48 hours needs assessment by an eye care professional. If your eyes or eyelids swell while you are wearing contact lenses, remove the lenses immediately. Persistent dark circles or excessive swelling also deserve medical advice rather than repeated home compresses.12

Where this answer comes from

  1. 1Dark Circles Under The Eyes: Causes & Treatmentmy.clevelandclinic.org
  2. 2How To Get Rid of Eye Bagshealth.clevelandclinic.org
  3. 3Dark circles under the eyesdermnetnz.org