I’ve Tried Hundreds of Under Eye Patches—These Are The Best 13

The skin around the eye is the most thin and delicate of the entire face, which means both that it’s very prone to dryness and irritation and that it’s typically the first place where we start to see signs of skin ageing appear. Plus, because the skin here is so thin, puffiness from fluid retention is more obvious under the eyes than it is elsewhere on the face, and dark circles appear quickly when skin is dehydrated . 

While I’ve learned that using an eye cream or serum in my daily skincare routine is the best way to address eye concerns in the long-term, under-eye patches can have an instant impact when I need to see results fast. Whenever I wake up with particularly swollen or puffy eyes—usually after a late night at my laptop or a few too many glasses of wine—a pre-chilled under-eye patch is the first thing I reach for, and they never fail in leaving my eyes feeling soothed and refreshed. Top tip: Keeping eye patches cool in the fridge boosts their soothing, cooling benefits tenfold. 

Delivering a hefty dose of hydrating and active ingredients to the eye area, a good under-eye patch can make a big difference in just 10-20 minutes. Dry skin, dark circles, crow’s feet, and puffiness are just a few of the concerns that can be addressed with the right combination of ingredients. The likes of hyaluronic acid, caffeine, and niacinamide are popular choices due to their brightening and hydrating benefits.

There’s also been some really impressive innovation within this product category recently, with many brands switching to reusable and recyclable materials, while others have experimented with different patch shapes in order to target the wider eye area—great for those concerned with fine lines and wrinkles.