Forbes: The Best Under-Eye Patches For Dark Circles, Fine Lines And Puffiness

rejuvenating eye gels in use

Original Article by: Tina Chadha, 

Whether you’ve spent the day staring at a screen, just gotten off a red-eye, indulged in too many glass of wine and french fries the night before or are just plain exhausted, the first place the effects show up is often around the eyes. “The skin around your eyes is five times thinner than the rest of the skin on your face,” says aesthetician Alexandra Accardo, founder of Alexandra Accardo Studio. “That’s why signs of aging, like fine lines and wrinkles, occur there first.”

Naturally, you want to give this focal point the highest level of attention it deserves. To start, protect the delicate zone from the sun and allergens and always apply an eye cream or serum with specialized ingredients targeting your skin’s needs. Then, step things up a notch with some of the best under-eye masks, which we’ve rounded up below.

Besides looking cute on Instagram for your #selfcare selfies, “under-eye patches deliver a high concentration of active ingredients directly to the skin,” says Dr. Brian Brazzo, an ophthalmic and facial plastic surgeon who specializes in the eye area. Because the mask acts like an occlusive dressing, a higher amount of the product is absorbed by the skin, he says. This means that it could make the desired outcome greater than anything applied from a jar or bottle. Ahead, we’ve polled experts and rounded up the best under-eye patches to minimize puffiness, wrinkles, dark circles—and leave you looking like you’ve had a full night’s rest.

✨ Best Under-Eye Patches Overall: Patchology FlashPatch Rejuvenating Eye Gels


Best Under-Eye Patches Overall

A Complete Package For Rejuvenating Tired Eyes

Beauty concern: Puffy, tired eyes, fine lines and wrinkles | Active ingredients: Caffeine, hydrolyzed collagen, centella asiatica | Cost per pair: $1.60

As its name suggests, Patchology knows a thing or two about under-eye patches, and the brand carries some great options. Morgan Rackley, an Atlanta-based aesthetician and founder of Luminous Skin Atlanta especially loves the FlashPatch Rejuvenating Eye Gels for targeting tired eyes. The formulation contains a strong dose of caffeine to improve circulation and reduce puffiness, and hydrolyzed collagen to pump hydration and elasticity. “I like to use brightening or de-puffing eye patches in the morning,” she says. “Concealer looks better, and eyes look more awake.”

Other bonuses: The hydrogel patches don’t slip and slide, a common complaint with eye masks, ensuring actives are delivered to the needed area. And the affordable cost for these ingredient-packed patches makes using them consistently more feasible. Need more convincing? In a 100-person study conducted by the brand, 100% of participants reported their eyes appeared revitalized after just one use, and 97% said their eye area looked less puffy.