Style
When you wake up in the morning after hardly sleeping the night before, it's tempting to reach for a cup (or three) of coffee and to accept that dark circles and puffy eyes are your unfortunate reality for the day. But that's where these nifty little patches come in. The best under eye masks can deliver serum that relieves swelling and puffiness, make it appear smoother and feel softer, and even provide effective ingredients that improve your skin's barrier function.
The delicate and thin skin under your eyes is susceptible to all kinds of issues — from milia (those tiny white bumps that appear out of nowhere and are so difficult to get rid of) — to broken blood vessels. Retaining water this month? You can thank your under eyes for being the first part of your body to give you away with puffy lids and swelling.
But, as much as this area of our faces can be finicky, it just wants and needs TLC — and eye masks are the perfect product to incorporate into your skin care routine. For starters, they require little to no effort on your part. After cleansing and toning your skin, apply the patches and let them work their magic for 10-20 minutes as you get dressed, eat breakfast, and make the bed. Feeling particularly puffy that day? Place the patches in your freezer for 10 minutes before wearing them. When your timer goes off, remove the eye mask, dab a bit of eye cream under your eyes and a moisturizer with SPF on your skin, and go about your day with bright eyes that will make it look like you actually got your Zzz's.
1
An Intensely Moisturizing Treatment Made From Gold & Pearls
Petitfee Black Pearl & Gold Hydrogel Eye Patch, $10 (60 Sheets), Amazon
It's not just hype: The pearl essence in these eye patches contains amino acids and minerals that repair skin, while the gold, green tea, cucumber, and grapefruit seed brighten your skin and add an incredible layer of moisture that keeps your under eye area supple.
One fan raves, “I can get very dark under eyes due to lack of sleep..and wow. I have never seen such quick results from an eye product ever in my LIFE. Super cooling..and I actually sleep with these on at night and wake up with super moisturized, soothed, and brightened eyes. Remarkable product.”
2
Collagen Eye Patches For Brighter, Softer Skin
Etude House Collagen Eye Patch, $9 (10 Pairs), Amazon
These hypoallergenic eye patch sheets are soaked in collagen essence and botanicals and are absolutely killer at brightening dark circles and making rough, dry skin silky smooth. Reviewers say these do a great job of adding much-needed hydration to your skin — which provides the perfect base for makeup application.
For just $8 you get a pack of 10, which means whether you use these every night regularly or sporadically when dark circles appear, you’ll get plenty of bang for your buck with these eye patch sheets. Fans even say that they started to see the effects of these under eye masks after just one 15-minute application.
3
Cooling Eye Gel Patches With Antioxidants & Elastin
skyn ICELAND Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels, $30 (8 Pairs), Amazon
It takes just 10 minutes to reap the benefits of these cooling, eye skin tightening eye patches, which are packed with ingredients like elastin to tone uneven skin, gingko balboa leaf extract for increased blood circulation, and the antioxidant Coenzyme Q10, which prevents free radicals from causing future skin damage.
While this is a pricier under eye mask (you get eight pairs of eye gels for $30), reviewers keep coming back again and again for this pair: “I buy these again and again. I love the fresh look it gives me and it feels soothing.” Best of all, this set is not tested on animals and is 100-percent vegan.
4
Oxygenating Eye Masks That Address Puffiness
bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Eye Mask, $46 (4 Pairs), Amazon
All of the ingredients in this eye mask are aimed at de-puffing swollen eyes and making you look (and feel) more awake and alert — from three types of oxygenating ingredients to cool and soothing cucumber extract to skin brightening Vitamin C. How they work: One side of the packet will have a dry pad while the other will hold the solution. Apply pressure to the side with the solution until you hear a popping sound. This will release the solution onto the dry pads which you can then apply underneath your eyes. Be careful when you press the fluid chamber to release serum onto the pads – they're easy to rip.
One reviewer praises this mask, “These are the only things that get rid of the bags under my eyes. I have very sensitive eyes and have no problem when I use these. The only thing is is that they are VERY expensive, so I only use them for special occasions, however wish I could afford to use them every day!"
5
Collagen-Rich Skin Tightening Patches For Faking A Full Night's Rest
Grace & Stella Anti-Wrinkle + Energizing Eye Masks, $16 (12 Pairs), Amazon
These Korean eye patches are described by reviewers as "amazing" "jelly-like fluid soaked patches" that tighten skin around the eyes and feel soothing and refreshing. They're made with collagen and provide an optimum level of hydration to under eye skin.
They’re also vegan, 100-percent cruelty-free, and free of parabens, so these eye patches are a purchase you can feel good about. While these will give your skin a cooling sensation when they first go on, reviewers report that goes away after just a few minutes. While manufacturers recommend you leave these on for 15 to 20 minutes, there’s no harm in leaving them on for more time, and some reviewers report seeing great results after leaving them on for even longer than the directed time.
6
A 24K Gold Eye Treatment That Increases Blood Circulation
LA PURE 24K Gold Eye Treatment Mask, $17 (15 Pairs), Amazon
Increase blood circulation and cellular metabolism (which eliminates dark circles and reduces puffiness) and stimulate collagen production with these 24K gold eye patches, which contain hyaluronic acid, collagen, and grape seed extract. The combination of antioxidants and effective ingredients treats the issues you want to take care of today and prevents future damage.
One fan raves, “I really wish I found this years ago. I tried a lot of name brand eye masks and this by far is the best quality and value. When I take these off I can see how filled in my circles and corner of my eyes are and the dark circles are lighter. It is clearly noticeable.”
7
Dry Eye Mask Sheets That Can Be Used With Your Favorite Toner, Essence, Or Serum
MUJI Eye Care Mask, $6 (10 Pairs), Amazon
These dry eye mask sheets can be soaked in hydrating toner, essence, or serum and applied to your under eyes. The complete control over what goes in your eye mask makes these perfect for sensitive skin types — and they're incredibly affordable.
Bustle may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Bustle's editorial and sales departments.
