My Hunt for the Best De-Puffing Under-Eye Patches

Beauty of Joseon makes one of thebest sunscreenson the market, so I was excited to try out its under-eye patch. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do much testing because these eye patches did not want to stay on my face. Because they come layered on top of one another in a — let’s just say — wet canister, they’re saturated with product, causing them to slide down your face before you can experience any brightening or de-puffing benefits. You could, in theory, wear them exclusively lying down, but I got antsy after two minutes (a me issue, I guess) and was left with a ginseng-scented dampness lining my cheeks.

Another K-beauty brand with a gazillionTikTok fans, Medicube and its PDRN line came highly recommended to me by a number of beauty-guru friends. Just like Beauty of Joseon’s, these patches came in a goo-filled container, so much so that the actual patches are almost indistinguishable from the salmon-derived hydrogel bath they reside in. Even more slippery than the Beauty of Joseon patches, these slid down my face, leaving a sluglike trail in their wake. Once again, I attempted to wear them in a more reclined position, but they couldn’t hold strong. I learned that actually staying on is a necessity when it comes to an under-eye patch.

Pioneers in the caffeine and peptide eye-product space, Summer Fridays makes non-slip eye patches that are aptly named for their ability to reduce post-flight puffiness. While these have a subtle cooling effect, they’re best at moisturizing the under-eye area thanks to their glycerin and hyaluronic-acid combo. While the package says to keep these on for ten minutes, I left them under my eyes for closer to 30 while I answered some emails one morning. They did a pretty solid job at de-puffing (see subtle cooling effect), but I actually appreciated the way they hydrated my under-eye area more. These created ideal conditions for smooth concealer application (as opposed to the weird pilling that happens on dry skin).

Whenever I’d mention to a 25-to-35-year-old woman that I was trying out under-eye patches for a story, I would inevitably get hit with a “Well, you’re going to try 111 Skin, right?” Of course, I couldn’t let my community down. These eye patches cover the widest surface area of all of the options—spanning the sides of my nose and safely entering the cheek region. As the name suggests, these have a mild cryogenic effect, subtly cooling my skin, which, as a result, de-puffs. These get the job done in roughly 20 minutes and bring my puffy bags back to normal bags for a solid few hours, but for the price, I’d want my dark circles gone entirely — not just politely discouraged.

These punch well above their price tag, and Rhode continues to impress me withits product efficacy, a real feat for a celebrity-led brand. These eye patches have an instantaneous cooling effect — without even storing them in the fridge — so much so that I can actually feel the puffiness deflating on my face. Like the name suggests, these are generally meant for pre-makeup eye prep, so I put them to the test with a swipe of the best concealer ever (Victoria Beckham Beauty’sthe Concealer Pen), and I can confirm that my under-eyes were marked safe from dry skin-induced pilling.

After weeks of testing eye patches, I’m happy to report back with a clear winner. The Bioeffect Imprinting Eye Masks have everything you could want in one of these products — they de-puffed, they brightened, and, most important, they actually stayed on my face. The Icelandic brand is known for its growth factor made from barley and is said to support the skin’s natural renewal process to help it maintain a healthy and hydrated appearance.

These eye patches are saturated with that EGF serum, making them slippery to the touch. After my previous experiences with dripping pieces of hydrogel, I was worried these would be slipping down my face like their predecessors. Good news: These manage to stay firmly on my face for the suggested 20 minutes of use. They reminded me of a pair of Pilates socks in that they just have enough friction to maintain their stickiness without any suctionlike sensations. Afterward, my under-eye area felt like it just had a tall glass of water, my skin feeling supple with any hints of puffiness eliminated. These have both short- and long-term benefits: Instantly, they cooled and soothed my skin. I was content enough to call it there, but I noticed that after a three-week period of consistently wearing these masks, say, twice a week, my dark circles became ever so slightly less dark — perhaps one dial brighter on the skin-tone spectrum.