Eye patches: types, how to use, popular brands, reviews

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Category: Korean cosmetics

Worried that your eyes look dull and tired? Blame it on late night parties, dry climates, lack of sleep, long hours in front of the computer, or your genes. No matter what is causing them, you need to start using eye masks or eye patches.

The skin around your eyes is delicate. Luckily, all you need are 10 minute Korean eye patches to fix this problem. Korean eye patches and masks are designed to restore damage to the delicate eye area. If you're not already using a Korean eye mask or patch, check out our list of the best ones available right now before you make a purchase.

How to choose eye patches from Korean cosmetics
How to use Korean cosmetics eye patches
Applying Korean eye patches
The best Korean eye patches for wrinkles
The best hydrogel Korean eye patches
Best Korean Gold Eye Patches

What are patches and what are they for?

One of the most common cosmetic defects is dark circles under the eyes. Many women know how difficult it is to deal with them, since the skin in this area is very thin and sensitive. To eliminate this defect, some apply tons of cosmetics, others use the most modern cosmetics, and still others turn to the best cosmetologists.

With the advent of Korean eye patches, the world of cosmetology to solve the problem of caring for the skin around the eyes has literally turned upside down. Today, any woman, regularly using eye patches, can easily get rid of swelling, bruises, and fine wrinkles in the eye area.

Korean patches are similar in appearance to thin plates, which are covered on one side with a viscous gel. This gel contains healing components aimed at solving certain cosmetic problems:

Elimination of excessive dryness and sensitivity of the skin;
Smoothing out small wrinkles;
Obtaining a drainage effect (elimination of swelling);
Intensive nutrition, whitening, moisturizing;
Fast recovery, regeneration.

The uniqueness of this cosmetic product is that with its help you can urgently get rid of obvious aesthetic defects. Namely: quickly eliminate signs of fatigue, remove puffiness and dark circles, restore freshness and healthy radiance to the area around the eyes.

In addition, professional cosmetologists note that eye patches will also be effective when used after prolonged exposure to the sun. Sun rays dehydrate the skin, cause dryness and, as a result, premature aging. The peptides, hyaluronic acid and antioxidants included in the composition quickly regenerate skin damaged by UV rays.

How to use Korean cosmetics eye patches

Wash your face.

Your eye patches will absorb better if you place it on a clean surface. Take care to wash your face before applying eye patches. Do this whether you use a night cream, a day cream, or both.

Use warm water to wash your face. If the water is too hot, it can strip your face of moisture.
Choose a gentle cleanser. Use a cream cleanser to add extra moisture to your skin.
Wet your face, then gently apply cleanser to entire face using circular motions. Rinse off the cleanser, then pat your face dry with a clean, soft towel.

Apply patches to the area around the eyes.

It is important to use your ring (or fourth) finger to apply the eye patches. This is the weakest of your fingers. By using your ring finger, you're less likely to accidentally apply too much pressure and damage the sensitive skin around your eyes.

Apply patches to the area around your eye. Do not rub as you may tear the delicate skin.
Use your sunglasses as a guide. You should apply the patches to any part of your face that is covered by your eye shadow.

Types of eye patches

By material

Based on the material used in manufacturing, there are:

Hydrogel - have a gel-like texture, consist of water and a large dose of high concentration hyaluronic acid. Designed for intensive smoothing of wrinkles and emergency “reanimation” of the skin in the eye area. They give an instant, albeit short-term, lifting effect due to softening, moisturizing, and saturating with a sufficient amount of hyaluronic acid.
Fabric - made from cotton fabric, which is impregnated with medicinal compounds. This is an inexpensive option compared to other types of patches, but is no less effective for getting rid of swelling and dark circles. The only negative is that it does not provide a lifting effect, since the discs do not fit tightly enough to the surface of the skin.

By composition

The composition of the gel is divided into:

Hyaluronic – available in the form of gel pads containing a high concentration of hyaluronic acid. The main task is to eliminate age-related cosmetic defects. With regular use, they can smooth out wrinkles and eliminate severe flaking. However, they are not recommended for use in cases of pronounced swelling. The effect obtained by using hyaluronic patches is compared by many to the effect of Botox injections.
With the addition of gold - one of the most expensive types of patches, in the manufacture of which not only cosmetic and medicinal components are used, but also colloidal gold. The main task is to stop premature aging, effectively smooth out wrinkles, and maintain the natural level of collagen in skin cells.
Collagen ones are considered the most popular because they can eliminate most cosmetic defects of the skin around the eyes in just 15 minutes. However, the duration of the effect is minimal (the effect of the mask stops after a few hours). Collagen discs are used as express help when you urgently need to get your face in order.
Silicone - give a visual smoothing effect, which is achieved due to the appearance of a thin film on the skin. Reusable silicone “pads” are used to isolate the skin when tinting eyelashes and applying makeup.

In the manufacture of each type, a specific composition of active components is used. However, almost all patches contain hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, collagen, peptides, vitamin complexes, and glycerin.

Rules for storing hydrogel Korean and fabric patches

Patches are produced in individual packages and plastic jars of 60 pieces . Inside the packaging is filled with liquid, which prevents them from drying out and saturates the product itself with useful substances. Storage varies slightly depending on the product form.

Recommendations for storing hydrogel patches:

The container must always be tightly closed and do not let air through.
Store at room temperature 18-24 degrees .
Do not leave near objects that can become very hot . For example, the battery. When exposed to high temperatures, the liquid in the jar may deteriorate.
Do not expose sunlight , otherwise the serum will deteriorate, as will the product itself.
Once opened, store until the expiration date indicated on the package.
Do not leave in rooms with high humidity, for example, in the bathroom.
For best effect , store in the refrigerator . With this storage, swelling is better relieved and beneficial properties are preserved longer. In addition, you will get a cooling effect, which will help you wake up faster in the morning.

Fabric patches must be used immediately . Otherwise, the liquid will dry out and you will have to throw them away. Reuse is prohibited! When storing, follow these simple recommendations:

The closed package should be stored in a dark place with an optimal level of humidity, at room temperature.
Avoid exposure to sunlight and high temperatures.
Like hydrogel ones, to improve the effect of use, they can be stored in the refrigerator.
After use it should be thrown away . This is a one-time use product. You should not try to reuse them.

When express care is required

Korean patches can be designed for both one-time and reusable use. For example, if the goal is simply to give freshness to your face, you can use disposable ones. If you need to “heal” the skin, remove peeling, smooth out wrinkles, you will need to regularly use reusable ones.

This express care can be done at any convenient time: after a hard day at work or a sleepless night, before breakfast or while cleaning the house. Within twenty minutes, while the express mask has an effect, you can do any business. After removing the mask, the skin around the eyes will take on a fresh, rested look.

What other patches are there?

In addition to local eye masks, there are also a lot of different facial patches, so I’ll tell you a little about them.

For problematic skin. Small transparent circles are glued directly to the pimple area, gradually removing the site of inflammation by drawing out fluid and pus. They are completely invisible on the skin, and it is advisable to apply them for 6 hours, and then replace them with a new one, if necessary.
For nasolabial folds. Such patches help to avoid pronounced wrinkles of the nasolabial triangle. In fact, wrinkles in this area can also occur in young people due to active facial expressions or a low percentage of body fat. By the way, many eye patches can also be applied to the nasolabial folds.
For cheeks. Patches allow you to moisturize and nourish the skin of your cheeks, because it is usually much drier than the rest of the face. One of my favorite products. And all because I have combination skin and the cheek area always lacks moisture.
For lips. Patches allow you to nourish the skin of your lips and make you forget about dryness and dehydration for a long time. After using them, your lips become very soft and smooth. And they act quite quickly, because the effect can be obtained within 10 minutes.
For the neck. Paying enough attention to the face, we forget about the neck, but it also reveals our age. Therefore, this area has its own patch, which allows the skin in this area to look more elastic and tightened. And you need to wear it for quite a long time, about 4 hours.
Cleansing. These products pull out all the dirt, oil, and blackheads on various parts of the face. They are most often used by those with oily and combination skin. There are patches for the nose, forehead and chin. I used them for a very long time, but now I switched to cleansing wipes.

Well, that's basically all I wanted to say. Whether you use patches in your care or not is up to you. But as express products, they work with a bang, quickly returning the skin to its well-groomed appearance. And the skin around the eyes most of all needs additional nutrition and hydration, because it does not contain sebaceous glands.

Shining look to you! See you!

How to use patches: detailed instructions

Each type of this cosmetic product has its own characteristics of use, so you must first read the recommendations offered by the manufacturer.

Instructions for use for all types of eye patches:

Prepare your facial skin. To do this, remove all cosmetics, remove any remaining dirt and sebum products using a special tonic. If the procedure is carried out in the morning, then standard washing without the use of cosmetics will be sufficient.
Take one “pad” out of the container and place it on the lower/upper eyelid. Then take out the second one and place it on the other eyelid. If you use fabric patches, lightly moisten them with water first to help them adhere better to the surface of the skin. When using hydrogel ones, warm them in your palms, tear off the protective layer and only then apply. The strips must be glued very carefully so that the upper edge of the cosmetic material is located no higher than 2 mm from the eyelash line of the lower eyelid.
After the time specified by the manufacturer has expired (15-60 minutes), it is necessary to carefully pull off the patches, moving towards the temples.

There is no need to wash your face after the express mask. To obtain a more pronounced effect, you can do a light massage - the remaining composition must be gently rubbed into the skin with your fingertips.

Instructions for using eye patches

When purchasing an eye care product from a Korean brand, you should study not only the purpose and composition of the product, but also recommendations for its correct use. Often women want to get an immediate effect, and to achieve this goal, care must be carried out strictly following the manufacturer’s recommendations.

The plates must be applied to the appropriate areas of destination (eyelids, near the temporal area, on the skin under the eyes, on the entire eye area).
The application of patches is regulated by the time of day. In the morning, the pads are applied to problem areas after the first wash and soaking the face with moisture-absorbing wipes. In the evening or during the day - after treating the face with a degreasing cleansing toner.
Some types of patches have a protective layer that must be removed before applying the plates to the skin.
When gluing the plates, you should limit the contact of the eyelash line with the latter. Contact with impregnated patches in the eyes can cause irritation, tearing and pain. If, due to careless use, the product gets into the eyeball area, you should rinse it thoroughly with running water.
For ease of application of impregnation, you can use special spatulas or tweezers, which are sold complete with patches.
The exposure time for eye patches on problem areas varies - from 15 to 60 minutes. During this period, the plates dry out; they should be removed with progressive movements in the direction from the corners of the eyes to the temple.
After removing the patches, you should perform a light patting massage with your fingertips on the areas where the patches were glued.

The first attempts at applying plates are not always successful, but with daily use you will learn how to glue them in a couple of seconds. Many forms of patches are not convenient, but the problem can be solved very simply. You can always adjust them to your eye shape using regular scissors.

Eye patches: before and after effect

A one-time use of such express care will not completely remove deep wrinkles or severe swelling. By the way, even the most expensive cosmetics cannot do this. The effect of the patches can be compared to the effect of a mask - after the first use, the skin will noticeably brighten, slight swelling will subside, and freshness and healthy color will return. To obtain a more pronounced effect (smoothing wrinkles, eliminating peeling for a long time), regular use of this cosmetic product will be required.

For bags and swelling

Korean eye patches, designed to eliminate this problem, provide a pronounced lymphatic drainage effect. They contain the following active components:

Horse chestnut extract, aimed at increasing the tone of the walls of blood vessels.
Kinkgo Biloba (leaf extract) promotes decongestant and antioxidant effects.
Vitamin complexes and vegetable oils aimed at solving problems with metabolic processes and microcirculation.
Hexapeptide-8, necessary for short-term relaxation of facial muscles.

From dark circles

Cosmetologists recommend fighting dark circles with the help of express masks with caffeine, fruit and lightening substances (lactic or tartaric acid). The mask will be effective if dark circles appear due to overwork, lack of sleep or stress. You should not expect any special results if the problem is not of a cosmetic nature, but of a physical nature.

For eyelids

To care for the eyelid area, it is recommended to use hydrogel-based pads. The action of the active components included in the composition is primarily aimed at smoothing the skin surface, moisturizing, and revitalization.

Depending on the number and severity of cosmetic problems, a course of express care is selected. Patches can be applied daily or used in a course with an interval of 1-3 days. Daily use gives an immediate effect, allowing you to maintain natural moisture and freshness of the skin in the eye area.

To eliminate more serious cosmetic defects (age-related changes, severe swelling, etc.), it is recommended to take a three-month course consisting of 15-30 express procedures.

Factors affecting shelf life

If you store your patches incorrectly, it can cause them to spoil before their expiration date. To prevent this from happening, you should pay attention to the following factors:

Opening the package. Once opened, the product can be used for an average of 3-6 months if we are talking about hydrogel ones. Specific terms must be looked at on the packaging.
Fabric ones must be used immediately after opening.
Storage.
Storage temperature, humidity level.
Refrigeration storage is optional . If you keep the patches in the refrigerator, they will definitely not spoil, as the temperature, humidity and light will be in the optimal range.

What are the contraindications?

Eye patches have their limitations on use. Manufacturers recommend carefully studying the composition before use to exclude a possible allergic reaction. If you are prone to allergies, you must first conduct a test. You need to stick one patch on your wrist, leave it on for ten minutes, then remove it. If within 24 hours you do not find any changes on the skin, then you can safely use them for the eye area.

In addition, it is not recommended to use patches for those who have various damage to the skin (wounds, microcracks, cuts). For rosacea and conjunctivitis, the use of patches is also strictly prohibited.

Select location

Few people know, but patches can be placed in different ways:

wide side to the bridge of the nose - to eliminate dark circles and swelling;
wide side to the temples - from facial wrinkles and creases.

You can also use patches to smooth out the nasolabial, eyebrow folds and other problem areas.

Recommendations for selection

Before purchasing, you must thoroughly study all selection criteria. In addition, you need to determine in advance the goals you want to achieve: eliminate wrinkles, remove swelling, bruises, give freshness, etc.

Manufacturer

This innovative development is the merit of a team of professional Korean cosmetologists, doctors, and scientists. Therefore, it would be wise to choose a product produced by Korean manufacturers. You can also use the rating of the best patches, which will be presented below.

Volume

If you decide to try patches for the first time, then you should not immediately take a set of 60-90 patches. For the first use, it will be enough to purchase a container with 2-12 pieces.

Application

Most of the patches are intended for the area under the eyes. However, some manufacturers produce pads that can also be used for the upper eyelid. In addition, it is also important to consider the time of application: manufacturers produce overlays for evening/morning use or universal ones that can be used at any time.

Action

An extremely important criterion when choosing eye patches. It determines for what purposes they will be used. Are they needed for express care that gives instant results, or for ongoing care that has a cumulative effect. At the same time, it is extremely important to consider what cosmetic problems the patches should be aimed at solving.

Patch selection criteria

Of the numerous variety of Korean cosmetics, patches are the most preferred product. However, their large assortment sometimes makes it difficult to choose. The recommendations below will help you choose a truly worthy and useful set of eye pads.

In order for eye pads to truly be effective, you must first determine the purpose of their use. Carefully read the instructions regarding the purpose of the product.
In addition, their shelf life is short, so you can first try the so-called samples. They are sold in small containers of 10-12 pairs.
Among the proposed options are eyelid pads and eye patches, their effects vary. And there are options that apply to the entire eye area. In addition, pay attention to the time of day when it is recommended to use patches - morning, evening, throughout the day.
From the offer of Korean products, one should distinguish between express and permanent care products. The cost of express care products is higher compared to daily complex facial rejuvenation products. The effect of their use occurs within half an hour.
Our large selection of eye patches includes single-use and multiple-use options. Disposable patches are disposed of immediately after the skin moisturizing procedure, but reusable patches require disinfection.

How to understand that the patches have gone bad

If you have doubts about the freshness of your cosmetic product, you should not continue to use it and it is better to dispose of it immediately . Otherwise, it may harm your skin or cause an allergic reaction. The following are possible reasons and signs that may indicate that the product has gone bad:

The expiration date has passed . The period of safe use of the product is indicated on the packaging by the abbreviations 3M/6M, where the number indicates the number of months during which the patches can be used after opening. After this period, you should get rid of them.
The liquid with which the patches are soaked has changed color . This indicates that the product was stored incorrectly and is damaged.

Used patches

Repeated use of patches designed for one-time use does not lead to the expected result. The active substance is almost completely absorbed into the skin during the first procedure.

Already used stickers cannot be sent to a common container, otherwise the remaining patches in it will become unusable.

If the composition in the jar has partially evaporated and the top patches have become dry, their further use will be pointless. Products should be thrown away like used ones.

The serum contains volatile substances, which leads to its rapid evaporation. Therefore, the container should be closed as tightly as possible.

What effect can you expect from applying patches?

Patches reduce swelling and blueness in the eye area. The serum components help cope with these problems by 50% and the base by 50%. Due to light pressure on the skin, a lymphatic drainage effect occurs, fluid outflow improves and swelling subsides. The same goes for blue reduction. One of the reasons for such circles is venous stagnation. If you improve the drainage of fluid from the tissues, dark circles under the eyes become less noticeable.

Cosmetologist

“The effect of the mask is not long-term. Patches are good for a short-term period, for example, helping to prepare the face for an important event or applying decorative cosmetics.”
— Anastasia Melnikova

Types of patches

Fabric bases are budget-friendly. A strip of thin material soaked in serum dries quickly. The mask does not have time to release all the beneficial substances during the procedure. Some components evaporate into the air.

Hydrogel foundations are more expensive. For maximum hydration and nutrition, it is preferable to use these masks. Due to their tight fit, they quickly smooth out wrinkles under the eyes.

Hydrogel is a mixture of water-soluble polymer, water and moisturizing components. The main component of the polymer is seaweed. After gluing the hydrogel base, the beneficial substances of the serum are evenly absorbed into the tissue.

Thanks to the base, the serum does not dry out for a long time and remains in a chilled state. In fact, the material of the mask does not matter much; you should treat the patches like a serum and, when purchasing a product, focus on the composition.