The Best Eye Masks to Refresh Your Look, Starting at Just $10 (Yes, You Read That Right) (2024)

Our Top Picks

Active Ingredients: Caffeine, coffee extract, squalane, chamomile, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Hydrating, depuffing, smoothing, soothing | Size: 8 patches (4 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: No

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. "Caffeine constricts blood vessels and can therefore reduce the amount of fluid accumulating," explains New York dermatologist Dr. 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.

Active Ingredients: Aloe, green tea, cucumber | Benefits: Soothing, depuffing, smoothing, plumping | Size: 16 patches (8 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Yes To Cucumbers makes the best drugstore masks if you ask us. These green patches are saturated with 95% natural ingredients including aloe, green tea, and yes, cucumber, all of which offer soothing and depuffing benefits. 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.

Active Ingredients: Vitamin E, Peptide complex, Seaweed | Benefits: Cooling, smoothing, depuffing, firming, softening | Size: 8 patches (4 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: No

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.

Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, caffeine, ferulic acid | Benefits: Boosting radiance, smoothing, depuffing | Size: 60 patches (30 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Board-certified dermatologist Dr. 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."

Active Ingredients: Glycerin, peptides, coconut oil, algae | Benefits: Hydrating, plumping, soothing, smoothing | Size: 4 patches (2 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes

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.

Active Ingredients: Fermented yeast, gallic acid, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Firming, lifting, smoothing, depuffing, boosting radiance | Size: 0.85 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

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. 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.

Active Ingredients: Snail secretion filtrate, bee venom, hyaluronic acid, seaweed extract | Benefits: Hydrating, soothing | Size: 60 patches (30 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes

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. 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.

Active Ingredients: Collagen, caffeine, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Depuffing, hydrating, plumping | Size: 2 patches (1 pair) | Cruelty-Free: Yes

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 co*cktail 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.

Active Ingredients: Vitamins C and E, white truffle extract, mango butter, ceramides | Benefits: Boosting radiance, hydrating | Size: 0.2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

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. It 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.

Active Ingredients: Retinol, avocado oil, coffeeberry | Benefits: Smoothing, retexturizing, hydrating, depuffing | Size: 0.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

"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.

Active Ingredients: Panthenol, aloe, copper peptides, jojoba, glycerin, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Soothing, smoothing, hydrating | Size: 12 patches (6 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes

"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 co*cktail 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.

Active Ingredients: Retinol, collagen, aloe, licorice root, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Smoothing, plumping, hydrating, boosting radiance, soothing | Size: 10 patches (5 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes

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. We also think they make super cute gifts for friends and loved ones.

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

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!

Active Ingredients: None | Benefits: Plumping, hydrating, maximizes product absorption | Size: 2 patches (1 pair) | Cruelty-Free: Yes

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.

Active Ingredients: Cloudberry, hyaluronic acid, peptides | Benefits: Plumping, hydrating, and brightening | Size: 6 patches (3 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes

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.

Active Ingredients: Hydrolyzed silk, hyaluronic acid, allantoin | Benefits: Firming, depuffing, hydrating | Size: 10 patches (5 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes

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.

Active Ingredients: Coenzyme Q10, ginkgo biloba leaf extract, peptides | Benefits: Cooling, depuffing, firming, smoothing | Size: 24 patches (12 pairs) | Cruelty-Free: Yes

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.

Active Ingredients: Copper peptides, bakuchiol | Benefits: Depuffing, cooling, brightening, nourishing | Size: 2 patches (1 pair) | Cruelty-Free: Yes

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.

FAQ

• What are the benefits of eye masks?

  "Eye masks sit on the skin and are very hydrating and nourishing with beneficial ingredients," explains celebrity aesthetician Joshua Ross of SkinLab. 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.