Team Marie Claire UK takes you through their top picks…
When doing our skincare routine, we always make sure to apply our best eye cream. However, if the skin under your eyes needs a little extra TLC, we might have just the thing.
Thanks to a combination of too many hours spent on our phone and not enough hours spent fast asleep, we often wake up noticing that our eye area is looking (and feeling) overly puffy and dry.
This is unsurprising – with fewer sebaceous glands and far thinner skin than on the rest of the face, the area around our eyes is prone to damage and is one of the first places to suffer when overtired (check), stressed (check) and dehydrated (yep, check again).
All is not, however, lost. A wealth of clever under-eye patches and masks designed to target the area are on the market, promising to combat everything from fine lines to dry patches and puffiness. We set about testing them to find the very best.
What did we look for when testing the under-eye masks? We took a few things into account, such as if the masks made our eye area appear less puffy and if the skin felt more hydrated. We also checked that the masks did not irritate the area, as the skin around our eyes can be much more sensitive.
Health Editor Ally Head and Ecommerce Writer Grace Lindsay testing the under-eye masks in this roundup
The best under-eye patches and masks to buy now:
Celestial Black Diamond Eye Mask, £12 | 111Skin
This eye mask has been formulated to combat fine lines and dehydration. It contains a small amount of retinol to retexture skin without irritation, vitamins to improve discolouration and a potent peptide complex to fight lines. Although it is a little pricey for just one mask, we are all about treating ourselves when we need that extra boost.
Patchology Flashpatch Restoring Night Eye Gels, £50 | Cult Beauty
We love these under-eye patches as they are specifically designed to be used at night. They are infused with hard-working potent actives to brighten skin, reduce dark circles and sooth overworked, under-rested eyes just before bed. Plus, they feel super relaxing on the skin.
Sarah Chapman Skinesis Platinum Stem Cell Eye Mask, £78 | John Lewis
If you’re really wanting to treat yourself, you can’t go wrong with Sarah Chapman. This clever eye mask is uniquely designed for a 360° focus on the eye contour. It targets three critical areas, with the cutting-edge complex of advanced, scientific actives helping to visibly smooth the brow line, lift slackening lids and brighten dark circles.
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Eye Patches, £45 | Skincity
Peter Thomas Roth’s under-eye patches are loved by celebrities, including Selena Gomez. Enriched with hyaluronic acid, the new Water Drench eye masks draw in moisture from the atmosphere and lock it into the skin to diminish puffiness, dark circles and signs of fatigue. Marshmallow root extract and caffeine work together to depuff and soften the look of fine lines to create a brighter, younger looking eye area.
Dior Eye Reviver Patches, £23 | Dior
We’re going to be honest, one of the main reasons we love these Dior eye masks is because they make a great Instagram photo. Selfies aside, they also help to refresh the eye area and leave an instant glow, so we use them in the morning before applying our makeup.
MIJ Hydrogel Eye Patches 002, £25 | Harvey Nichols
When we heard that Maya Jama had her own range of under-eye patches, we knew we had to try them out. The innovative, hydrogel design is instantly cooling and is drenched in an intensive blend of hydrating glycerin, hyaluronic acid, protective panthenol and allantoin. We saw (and felt) a noticeable difference in our tired eyes after using these.