Combat Puffiness and Dark Circles with picks from Estée Lauder, Live Tinted, Joanna Vargas, Skyn Iceland, and more
“Mask” is kind of a loose term these days. There are PPE masks, cloth masks, and various types of skincare masks, like sheet masks and leave-ons. And then you’ve got eye masks. According to Dennis Gross, MD, board-certified dermatologist and the co-founder of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, eye masks are similar to face masks in that they offer a treatment boost for your skin.
Additionally, Dr. Gross notes, “Eye masks are used infrequently compared to a cream.” Think of it like a trip to the spa for the windows to your soul—not something you do every day but a nice refresher when you need it most.
Most masks come in the form of little patches that you place over your under-eyes to address dark circles and puffiness. “I think these are a great option to put in the refrigerator and apply first thing in the morning after a night of salt-rich snacking or alcohol to reduce puffiness,” says Claire Wolinsky, MD, a New York dermatologist specializing in facial rejuvenation.
There are also little pots and tubes containing gels, creams, and balms you can apply all around the delicate eye area morning, night, or whenever you feel like it. These tinctures tackle other eye-area woes, like dryness, fine lines, wrinkles, crepiness, and hyperpigmentation.
We conducted hours of research on the best eye masks for dark circles, evaluating dozens of products on the active ingredients in their formulas, results, and overall value. After consulting with board-certified dermatologists for their expert recommendations, we narrowed down the list to give you the following best in show.
Best Overall: Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Mask
Our number one pick comes from the queen of cosmetics, Estée Lauder. From the beloved Advanced Night Repair line, these eye patches get to work while you get your beauty sleep.
They simultaneously hydrate with squalane and hyaluronic acid, soothe with chamomile, and battle puffiness with caffeine and coffee extract. 1234 “Caffeine constricts blood vessels and can therefore reduce the amount of fluid accumulating,” explains New York dermatologist Hadley King, MD.
The high concentration of ingredients makes for a truly effective product, delivering plumper, calmer, more radiant skin with each application. This eye mask is so good, in fact, that you only need to use it once a week to reap the benefits. We also didn’t experience any irritation after using it.
Who It’s For
These eye patches are suitable for all skin types and anyone wanting to address fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness.
Active Ingredients: Caffeine, coffee extract, squalane, chamomile, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Hydrating, depuffing, smoothing, soothing | Size: 8 patches (4 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: No
Best Drugstore: Yes To Cucumbers Depuffing Undereye Masks
Yes To Cucumbers makes the best eye masks from the drugstore aisle. These green patches are saturated with 95% natural ingredients including aloe, green tea, and yes, cucumber, all of which offer soothing and depuffing benefits.567 You’ll experience a slight tingling sensation as they get to work cooling and plumping the skin – when you’re very tired, place them in the fridge for an extra refreshing effect. These masks get extra points for being vegan and Leaping Bunny certified so you can rest assured there are no hidden nasties in the formula.
Who It’s For
These eye masks are suitable for all skin types including sensitive ones.
Active Ingredients: Aloe, green tea, cucumber | Benefits: Soothing, depuffing, smoothing, plumping | Size: 16 patches (8 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Splurge: 111Skin Sub-Zero De-Puffing Eye Mask
Want to give your eyes the top-shelf treatment? 111Skin won’t let you down. The Cryo Depuffing Eye Mask doesn’t waste time cooling and calming stressed under-eyes. Thanks to Cryo technology (the use of very cold temperatures to help reduce blood flow) it helps to reduce blood flow to the under eyes, reducing puffiness and inflammation. These masks are also formulated with vitamin E to improve cell function and a Peptide Complex which has a strengthening effect on very delicate skin.
Who It’s For
These eye masks are best suited to anyone who has dullness, puffing, or swelling around the eye area.
Active Ingredients: Vitamin E, Peptide complex, Seaweed | Benefits: Cooling, smoothing, depuffing, firming, softening | Size: 8 patches (4 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: No
Best Brightening: Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Brightening Hydra-Gel Eye Patches
Board-certified dermatologist Marie V. Hayag, MD of Fifth Avenue Aesthetics stands behind Peter Thomas Roth’s Potent-C Eye Patches that contain THD Ascorbate Vitamin C – an antioxidant that is 50 times more powerful than traditional Vitamin C. “The caffeine helps constrict blood vessels to reduce the appearance of circles and puffiness,” Dr. Hayag tells Byrdie.
“Vitamin C also helps reduce the appearance of darkness and also helps increase collagen production,” she adds. “Ferulic acid and vitamin E help stabilize vitamin C (which is quite unstable and oxidizes easily when by itself), so it can provide its benefits.”
Who It’s For
These patches can be used on dry, combination, and oily skin to improve fine lines, wrinkles, and dark circles.
Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, caffeine, ferulic acid | Benefits: Boosting radiance, smoothing, depuffing | Size: 60 patches (30 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Hydrating: Tarte SEA Pack Your Bags Undereye Patches
Tarte’s ultra-gentle, fragrance-free patches replenish parched skin with glycerin, peptides, marine plants, and coconut oil. After one use, you can expect a hydrated, plumper under-eye area with an improvement in fine lines and puffiness. They’re designed to be used once a week, so make them part of your Sunday facial ritual for a refreshed, hydrated look.
Who It’s For
These eye patches are suitable for all skin types, but the coconut oil is very soothing for sensitive skin.
Active Ingredients: Glycerin, peptides, coconut oil, algae | Benefits: Hydrating, plumping, soothing, smoothing | Size: 4 patches (2 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best for Firming: Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift Mask
If you’re dealing with crepey eyelids or general loss of elasticity, go with Dermalogica Stress Positive. Containing fermented yeast, hyaluronic acid, and gallic acid, this powerful potion delivers noticeably firmer skin while lifting and boosting radiance around the eye area.89 But the benefits don’t stop there: there’s also wild indigo seed in the formula – an ingredient known for its anti-inflammatory and brightening properties and ability to reduce dark circles.
Who It’s For
This eye cream is designed to be used every day, on all skin types.
Active Ingredients: Fermented yeast, gallic acid, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Firming, lifting, smoothing, depuffing, boosting radiance | Size: 0.85 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best K-Beauty: Benton Snail Bee Ultimate Hydrogel Eye Patch
There’s no shortage of amazing Korean eye masks out there, but Benton’s Snail Bee Eye Patches stand out from the rest. As the name suggests, this treatment contains snail mucin (a natural source of hyaluronic acid) and healing bee venom to plump, soothe, and repair the skin while softening the appearance of fine lines.1011 Seaweed extracts also help the skin absorb moisture from the patches and reinforce the skin’s protection. They’re also cruelty-free and suitable for all skin types, but we’d suggest doing a patch test first to ensure your skin isn’t allergic to the snail mucin.
Who It’s For
These eye patches can be used on all skin types and areas of skin you want to smooth – from the cheeks and forehead, to nasolabial folds and neck.
Active Ingredients: Snail secretion filtrate, bee venom, hyaluronic acid, seaweed extract | Benefits: Hydrating, soothing | Size: 60 patches (30 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best for Tired Eyes: Skin Camp Magic Eyes Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Mask
We’re also big fans of Skin Camp Magic Eyes. The kicker is caffeine, which offers a temporary pick-me-up by minimizing under-eye bags while leaving the skin firmer and supremely hydrated. They also contain a cocktail of additional ingredients including hyaluronic acid, collagen, rose flower oil, gold, and amino acids to brighten the under eyes and leave a subtle glow. We also love their gorgeous rose fragrance.
Who It’s For
These eye masks can be used by everyone including very sensitive and oily skin types.
Active Ingredients: Collagen, caffeine, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Depuffing, hydrating, plumping | Size: 2 patches (1 pair) | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best With Vitamin C: Elina Organics Leave On Under Eye Recovery Mask
Containing a whopping 30% vitamin C, plus kojic acid from white truffle extract, this leave-on mask isn’t messing around when it comes to boosting radiance around the eye area and reducing hyperpigmentation.12It also features organic mango butter for its natural emollient properties that helps to smooth and soothe dry skin, and vitamin E to protect the skin from free radicals and stimulate collagen production.
Who It’s For
This mask can be used by all skin types who want to restore, brighten, and reduce under-eye circles.
Active Ingredients: Vitamins C and E, white truffle extract, mango butter, ceramides | Benefits: Boosting radiance, hydrating | Size: 0.2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best for Wrinkles: Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Fine Line Eye Cream with Retinol
“I love this because the retinol is encapsulated, therefore it is not irritating,” says skincare authority and expert cosmetic injector Kristina Kitsos. “Also, the avocado oil, avocado extract, and coffeeberry are packed with antioxidants that help fight wrinkles and protect the skin from a number of different environmental pollutants.” Gentle but super effective? No wonder it’s one of the best-selling masks out there. Apply it each morning to improve the look of dark circles and loss of firmness.
Who It’s For
This eye cream can be used on dry, combination, and oily skin and anyone who wants to improve dark circles, puffiness, and fine lines.
Active Ingredients: Retinol, avocado oil, coffeeberry | Benefits: Smoothing, retexturizing, hydrating, depuffing | Size: 0.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best for Sensitive Skin: Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Gold Eye Masks
“Wander Beauty Baggage Claim eye masks contain hyaluronic acid and glycerin to smooth thin, sensitive under-eye skin,” offers Dr. Wolinsky. They can also be used to reduce under-eye bags and circles with aloe leaf, calendula, amino acids, and peptides. This cocktail of ingredients gives the eye area an overall more refreshed appearance. They also come in a pack of six which is one of the most generous in our roundup.
Who It’s For
These eye masks are suitable for all skin types, including sensitive ones.
Active Ingredients: Panthenol, aloe, copper peptides, jojoba, glycerin, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Soothing, smoothing, hydrating | Size: 12 patches (6 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best With Retinol: KNC Beauty Eye Masks
Looking for a product that makes you look rested even when you’re not? KNC Beauty’s Star Eye Mask is your new best friend. These cute but effective shooting star-shaped patches combine retinol, collagen, licorice root, and hyaluronic acid to plump, boost radiance, and hydrate the skin before you put on makeup.1312 We also think they make super cute gifts for friends and loved ones.
Who It’s For
While they’re suitable for all, these masks contain retinol so you may want to be cautious if you have very sensitive skin.
Active Ingredients: Retinol, collagen, aloe, licorice root, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Smoothing, plumping, hydrating, boosting radiance, soothing | Size: 10 patches (5 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Lifting: Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Pure Luxury Eye Patches
These eye patches from Peter Thomas Roth basically treat everything: dark circles, fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet, puffiness, and more. While they’re successful at combating all of the above, this mask is a favorite for lifting tough areas. The combination of 24K gold, colloidal gold, and hydrolyzed collagen each visibly improves fine lines by giving the skin a more youthful appearance overall—bye-bye fine lines and wrinkles!
Who It’s For
These eye patches can be enjoyed by everyone who wants to target multiple concerns at once.
Active Ingredients: 24K gold, colloidal gold, hydrolyzed collagen, caffeine, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Lifting, firming, hydrating, de-puffing | Size: 60 patches (30 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: No
Best Reusable: Dieux Skin Forever Eye Mask
If you’re looking for a sustainable alternative, Dieux Skin’s reusable eye patches are made from 100% non-porous silicone so you can wear them for more than one use (lasts up to one year with daily use, to be exact). They help products such as eye creams, serums, and moisturizers, saturate deeply into the skin, boost hydration, and leave a beautiful plumping effect. As such, they’re a clever way of getting the most out of your favorite products.
Who It’s For
As these masks help maximize absorption of your existing products, they really can be used by everyone.
Active Ingredients: None | Benefits: Plumping, hydrating, maximizes product absorption | Size: 2 patches (1 pair) | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Clean Beauty: Mei Apothecary Cloudberry Dew Eye Gel Mask
The adorable cloud shape in the Mei Apothecary Cloudberry Dew Eye Masks correlates to the product’s star ingredient: cloudberry. The vitamin C and antioxidant-rich ingredient, along with hydrating peptides and hyaluronic acid, visibly plump and awaken the eye area after just one use. Not only are these eye patches super affordable for the pack of three, but they’re also clean, vegan, and cruelty-free.
Who It’s For
These eye masks are vegan and formulated for all skin types.
Active Ingredients: Cloudberry, hyaluronic acid, peptides | Benefits: Plumping, hydrating, and brightening | Size: 6 patches (3 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Firming: Joanna Vargas Bright Eye Firming Mask
If the skin around your eyes isn’t as firm as it used to be, reach for Joanna Vargas’s Bright Eye Firming Mask. These patches deliver a hefty dose of moisture with hydrolyzed silk proteins (that hold 10,000 times its weight in water) and hyaluronic acid (that holds 1,000 times its weight in water). There’s also soothing allantoin – an ingredient that plumps the skin while addressing sagginess and keeping puffiness at bay.
Who It’s For
Use these eye masks if your under-eye area is very dry with lost elasticity. They’re suitable for all skin types.
Active Ingredients: Hydrolyzed silk, hyaluronic acid, allantoin | Benefits: Firming, depuffing, hydrating | Size: 10 patches (5 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Cooling: Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels
Tired, puffy eyes? These gel pads might be your best bet. The cooling formula works to depuff swollen skin around the eyes while offering a firming, smoothing effect to make the entire eye area appear more toned. They do this with highly potent active ingredients and Icelandic glacial water that’s known for its toning and brightening properties.
Who It’s For
These eye masks can be used by all but are best suited to stressed, tired skin.
Active Ingredients: Coenzyme Q10, ginkgo biloba leaf extract, peptides | Benefits: Cooling, depuffing, firming, smoothing | Size: 24 patches (12 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Best Biodegradable: Live Tinted Rays Copper Eye Masks
If you’re concerned about the waste of single-use eye masks, go with Live Tinted. These biodegradable patches can be tossed away guilt-free, but that’s not the only thing we love about them. They cool the skin under your eyes to create a depuffing effect while brightening dark circles and nourishing tired skin with bakuchiol (a gentle alternative to retinol), a triple complex of copper peptides, and banana extract.
Who It’s For
If you have sensitive skin and have previously found retinol too irritating around your eyes, then this is a great alternative. It’s also suitable for all skin types.
Active Ingredients: Copper peptides, bakuchiol | Benefits: Depuffing, cooling, brightening, nourishing | Size: 2 patches (1 pair) | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Where We Stand
When it comes to eye masks, Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Eye Treatment is a reigning champion. With weekly use, you can expect reduced puffiness, smoother skin, and an all-around radiant eye area. If you’re on a budget, we recommend Versed The Fix Emergency Eye Mask. Not only is this pick budget-friendly, but it can also tackle a number of concerns at once with good-quality organic ingredients.
How We Researched
Each eye mask in this roundup was chosen after hours of online research where we considered a variety of different brands, hundreds of online reviews, and insight from a range of skincare experts and dermatologists. We also assessed and marked each mask on a number of specifications including their formulas, active ingredients, benefits, and ease of use.
- Formula and active ingredients
- Benefits and results
- Ease of use
- Cruelty-free
- Packaging and design
What to Look For in Eye Masks for Dark Circles
- Antioxidants: According to board-certified dermatologist Corey L. Hartman, MD, some of the best ones to look for if you’re after brightening benefits include antioxidants, such as vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E, and coffeeberry. Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Cream is an eye treatment chock full of antioxidants, but if you prefer single-use patches, go with Mei Apothecary Cloudberry Dew Eye Masks.
- Caffeine: Another one of Dr. Hartman’s suggested ingredients, this is commonly found in all kinds of eye products, thanks to its ability to constrict blood vessels, tamping down puffiness and dark circles. Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Eye Treatment is an excellent choice if you’re looking for something with caffeine.
- Moisturizing Ingredients: Any type of product that’s going around the eye should contain moisturizing ingredients because the skin in this area is innately drier, Dr. Hartman explains. Ingredients to look for include glycerin, hyaluronic acid, aloe, and other humectants, like Snail Bee Ultimate Hydrogel Eye Patches.
FAQ
What are the benefits of eye masks?
“Eye masks sit on the skin and are very hydrating and nourishing with beneficial ingredients,” explains Ross. Containing soothing, tightening, and exfoliating actives, most are meant to address under-eye concerns, like dark circles, puffiness, and hyperpigmentation.
“Like face masks, eye masks are a great treatment boost,” says Dr. Gross. However, since they aren’t meant for daily use, he notes that eye masks “should never take the place of your daily topical.”
How do you apply eye masks?
With eye patches, you’ll want to place the tapered end underneath the inner corner of your under-eye area, carefully smoothing the wider end toward your temples. With a balm or gel, you can typically apply it like regular eye cream, tapping it gently over the entire eye area, including the eyelid, and up to the brow bone.
Most eye masks should be left on for about 15 minutes, then rinsed off. However, some gentler formulas can be left on overnight.
How often should you use eye masks?
“Eye masks are used infrequently compared to a cream,” Dr. Gross tells Byrdie. That said, the frequency of use really depends on the formula, as well as your skin type and specific concern.
Some eye masks will yield results with weekly use, whereas others may be more effective if used two or three times a week. “Also, I would advise to only try one new mask or product at a time in case of an irritation or allergy,” says Dr. Wolinsky.