Hydrogel Eye Patches Under $25
A lot of us are losing sleep lately despite the fact that we’re staying at home all day. For me, lack of sleep usually shows up as undereye puffiness, dry skin, and dark circles, all of which I usually treat with eye creams and hydrogel eye patches that help me look more alive, lol! 🙂
I originally discovered eye patches in 2014 or 2015 when I started getting into K-beauty. I used to think that hydrogel eye patches only came as individually sealed pairs and cost as much as sheet masks, but then I found out that they come in value tubs, too. Usually, you get 30 pairs per jar and they are already pre-soaked in serum, so you can just scoop them out and plop on the eyes. Each jar also comes with a pair of tiny tweezers or a little spatula to safely fish out the patches and avoid finger dipping.
Not only it’s a more budget-friendly way to use hydrogel eye patches regularly as part of your routine, but it’s more environmentally-friendly, too, since there’s no excess packaging to deal with. It’s a win-win!
That said, I’d like to share my thoughts on two products I recently tested: Good Molecules Caffeine Energizing Hydrogel Eye Patches and Derma E Vitamin C Bright Eyes Hydro Gel Patches.
Good Molecules Caffeine Energizing Hydrogel Eye Patches ($18) – These patches feature multiple ingredients that give tired skin a boost in the morning. The formula contains 1% caffeine to de-puff and improve circulation, brightening niacinamide and licorice root extract, soothing aloe vera, allantoin, and green tea extract, as well as skin-plumping peptides. There are definitely a lot of good molecules here, plus, the patches are vegan, cruelty-free, and fragrance-free, too. They are cost-effective as well – each application would cost about 60¢ vs several dollars, compared to individually packaged eye patches. These are some of my favorite patches for morning puffiness!
Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Carrageenan, Caffeine, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Ceratonia Siliqua (Carob) Gum, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Cellulose Gum, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Glucomannan, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis (Licorice) Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butylene Glycol, Potassium Chloride, Arginine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Chlorphenesin, Polysorbate 80, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Calcium Lactate, Sucrose.
Derma E Vitamin C Bright Eyes Hydro Gel Patches ($24) – You can probably guess from the name, but these patches are mostly focused on brightening the undereye area. If dark circles bother you more often than puffiness, these are a better choice – I had very good results using them! The formula features similar ingredients to GM patches, including niacinamide, caffeine, aloe vera, and allantoin. Derma E patches also contain Ethyl Ascorbyl Ether [a mild Vitamin C derivative suitable for daily use], cucumber fruit extract, and a sprinkle of light-reflecting mica. Derma E also snuck in Titanium Dioxide and Ferric Oxide [marked as CI 77891 and CI 77491 on the ingredient list], which are used as natural, mineral colorants and offer a little bit of UV protection. These patches are vegan, cruelty-free, fragrance-free, non-GMO, and gluten-free. They are produced with wind energy and the packaging is recyclable.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Niacinamide, Carrageenan, Ethyl Ascorbyl Ether (Vitamin C), Allantoin, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Arginine, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Ceratonia Siliqua (Carob) Gum, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba (Guar) Gum, Glucomannan, Cellulose Gum, Calcium Lactate, Calcium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Mica, Hydroxyacetophenone, Chlorphenesin, CI 77891, CI 77491, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 80, Sucrose.
Applying eye patches the right way: No matter which brand of hydrogel eye patches you use, normally they will all have a thinner side and a wider side. If you want to address puffiness and dark circles, then you need to apply the patches with the wider side pointed toward your nose. If you use patches to mainly target fine lines and wrinkles, then swap them the other way around and make the wider side face outwards toward your ear. I hope this helps you get the best results!
Have you ever used hydrogel eye patches before? Do you think they actually work?
