What are Under Eye Patches and How They Work

Benefits and Considerations when using under eye patches

 

 

Patches for under eyes are becoming a regular “must have” product among regular skin care products.   There are so many patches out there and they all claim to do magic to the skin around your eyes.  Eye patches can re-hydrate dry under eye skin, reduce wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness.  They are designed to regenerate and tone tired, stressed skin.

(Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links.  That means that if you make a purchase I might receive a small commission at no extra cost to you)

What are under eye patches?

Under eye patches  were invented by a scientist from South Korea.  In the beginning patches resembled Band-Aids: they were made out of cloth and were soaked in emulsion that made patches very sticky.  Patches were very expensive and not many people could afford it.  Nowadays, patches are relatively affordable and any one can purchase them.

Simply put, under eye  patches are mini masks that are designed to be applied to the delicate skin under your eyes.

Majority of these patches are made out of hydrogel; however, there are patches that are made out of cloth, bio cellulose and other products.

Eye patches are soaked in essence or serum and contain concentrated amount of vitamins, minerals, moisturizing and many, many other beneficial ingredients.

What do under eye patches do?

The main purpose of under eye patches is to moisturize the delicate skin under your eyes.  As I mentioned in another article, skin around eyes contains less amount of sebaceous glands which makes skin in this area to be prone to dryness.  Also skin around eye is much thinner which makes it very delicate and prone to wrinkles and other signs of aging.  Good moisturizing is extremely important for this area and patches are excellent addition to your regular skin care.

Patches can also reduce puffiness and dark circles under the eyes and minimize wrinkles.  If you have some specific concerns you would like to target, consider the following:

Dark circles under the eyes: look for patches that contain caffeine, panthenol, and calming essential oils like mint, lavender and chamomile.

Puffiness:  hyaluronic acid, caffeine

Wrinkles around eyes: antioxidants, vitamin C, retinol, peptides.

 

How to use patches

·         Remove make up and wash your face using double-cleansing method

·         Apply toner

·         Apply patches for 15-20 min (or according to the instructions)

·         Remove patches and follow by serum/essence and/or eye cream

 

Under Eye Patches Dos’ and Donts’

You can apply patches at any time of the day as many times a week as  you want to (or have time to do so).  Also, apply patches when you are using sheet masks with intensive treatments like retinol, AHAs or clay masks.  You would want to protect delicate skin around the eyes from strong ingredients.

One golden recommendation on how to use any skin care product including eye patches: read carefully and follow manufacturer’s instructions.  Please, do not disregard them as those instructions are written by professionals, doctors and cosmetologists.

Do not apply any serum/essence or cream before applying patches; patches simply won’t work.

Do not leave patches on for longer, than recommended by the manufacturer.  Patches will dry out  and that might cause you more wrinkles.  And never sleep in patches; some sites would recommend that, please, do not do that.  Patches are designed to be worn for as long as it is indicated on the box; wearing patches overnight will cause patches to dry and stick to your skin; what can be beneficial in trying to scrape a dry patch off the delicate under eye area?

Do not reuse patches; all patches are designed to be used once and then disposed.  You might find some recommendations on how to soak used patches in water or even “cook” them in a microwave to obtain an essence.  Please, do not do that.  There are many affordable essences that are specifically designed to be just that…..an essence (at the end of the page I included a list of affordable essences/serums under $15).

Some bloggers also suggest using eye patches for nasolabial folds and wrinkles.  You could do that; it won’t hurt your skin.  However, eye patches are specifically designed for eyes; so you might not see any improvements while using them in other areas.

Patches are usually kept at room temperature; however, many manufacturers suggest placing a jar with patches in your fridge for 20 minutes before applying to the skin.  Cold patches work well on puffiness; however, it is not very advisable to keep patches in the fridge all the time as cold temperatures will slow down the effectiveness of the essence/serum.

 

 

 

Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Mask – A gold foil eye mask that is individually packaged to hydrate, brighten, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and dark circles.

Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask – as the name states these patches contain retinol and are designed to fight wrinkles and fine lines; use twice a week for 15 minutes.

Nu-Pore Revitalizing Anti-wrinkle Eye Gel Patches – contain cactus collagen, aloe vera, vitamins A and C; these patches fight wrinkles, puffiness and dark circles; they are also excellent for brightening and whitening effect.

Nero Mori Eye Treatment Mask (Under Eye Patches) – these patches reduce puffiness and dark circles; brighten and tighten skin under the eyes; patches are infused with vitamins A, C and E, hyaluronic acid and retinol.

 

 

Koelf Ruby and Bulgarian Rose Eye Patch – these patches are formulated to revitalize skin and promote a healthy and youthful appearance. With ingredients such as ruby powder and Bulgarian damask rose flower water, the hydrating gel in each eye patch can also clarify skin tone.

Koelf Pearl and Shea Butter Eye Patch – contains 20 various minerals and amino acids which make skin luminous and bright.  Shea Butter  keeps skin smooth and sleek.

Koelf Gold and Royal Jelly Eye Patch – Gold & Royal Jelly for Smooth and Firm skin.

Petitfee Gold Hydrogel Patch – This black pearl and gold extract hydrogel eye patches really moisturizes the skin and helps reduce puffiness

SNP Bird’s Nest Aqua Eye Patch – contains 11,700 ppm bird’s nest extract and hyaluronic acid to supply moisture to dry skin, and creates a thin skin coating film to protect skin

Dr. Hedison Returning Eye Patches – A highly concentrated eye zone patch that contains gold and 6 herbal extracts, peptides, and collagen.

Thank you for reading this post.   If you have any eye patches that you would like recommend or would like to read a review about, please, leave a comment.  I will be happy to help.

Stay beautiful!!!

 

 

Read a post on What Causes Under Eye Dark Circles and Puffiness.

 

Serums and Essences on Amazon under $15

[TOSOWOONG] Green Tea Eco Brightening Essence – from $9.35

MISSHA Time Revolution Skin Care / Treatment Essence, Night Repair Ampoule – $6.96

Cos De Baha Vitamin A Retinol 2.5% Facial Serum – $10.80

Eva Naturals Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum – $12.95

Inn&Co Hyaluronic Acid Serum with Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Rose Hip and Green Tea – $9.25