How to Use Under-Eye Patches: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Use Under-Eye Patches (Including Dissolving Microneedle Types)
This guide is published by EvenSkyn, a Canadian at-home beauty-device company that also sells under-eye patches. We have a commercial interest in this category. The technique guidance below applies to any brand of under-eye patch, and where a different product type suits you better, this page says so.
The short version
Under-eye patches fall into two groups that need opposite application technique. Hydrogel, gel, and collagen patches are wet sheets that work by holding moisture against the skin, so they go on clean skin and can be applied damp. Dissolving microneedle patches carry solid micro-darts that must pierce the skin surface, so they go on completely dry skin with nothing underneath, and they are pressed and held rather than slid into place.
Applying a dissolving microneedle patch the way you would apply a hydrogel patch is the single most common reason people conclude the patches did not work.
Key points
- Identify which type you have before you apply it. The packaging word that matters is "dissolving," "microneedle," "microdart," or "micro-infusion."
- Dissolving microneedle patches require dry skin. Any serum, cream, or water left on the surface begins dissolving the needle tips before they enter the skin.
- Apply nothing underneath a microneedle patch. Layering a serum first is the most common way to waste one.
- Press with flat fingertips for several seconds across the whole patch, then leave it alone. Do not slide or reposition it.
- Wear time is set by dissolution, not by comfort. Published trial protocols have used four hours and overnight.
- Patches are single use. The micro-darts are gone after one application.
- Read the ingredient list before you commit to a schedule. Some patches, including ours, contain a retinoid, which changes the rest of your routine.
Under-eye patches are three different technologies sharing one name
Under-eye patches sold today use at least three unrelated mechanisms, and the shopping category treats them as interchangeable. They are not. A hydrogel patch and a dissolving microneedle patch do different physical things to your skin and need different handling, which is why generic application advice so often produces disappointing results.
The table below is the terminology map. Find the words that appear on your packaging.
| What the packaging says | What it physically is | How it works | Application rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrogel, gel, aqua, jelly | A water-swollen polymer sheet, usually cool and slippery | Occlusion. It holds water and dissolved ingredients against the skin surface and slows evaporation | Clean skin. Damp is acceptable. Slide into position |
| Collagen, gold, bio-cellulose | A saturated fabric or fibre sheet | Occlusion, same as hydrogel. The named ingredient sits in the carrier liquid | Clean skin. Damp is acceptable |
| Foil, sheet, essence mask | A soaked non-woven sheet | Occlusion with a stronger seal | Clean skin. Damp is acceptable |
| Dissolving microneedle, microdart, micro-infusion, microstructure | A backing carrying thousands of solid, needle-shaped spikes moulded from sugars and polymers | The spikes pierce the outer skin layer, then dissolve in the skin's own moisture and release what was moulded into them | Completely dry skin. Nothing underneath. Press and hold |
| Silicone, reusable | A flexible reusable pad | Occlusion only. Carries no ingredients of its own | Usually applied over a serum, which is the opposite of microneedle technique |
The distinction that matters most is the last column. Occlusive patches want moisture present. Dissolving microneedle patches want moisture absent, because surface moisture starts dissolving the tips before they can penetrate. Every other difference follows from that one.
Schematic, not to scale. Skin layer depths and needle proportions are illustrative. The point of the diagram is the difference in where each patch type does its work, not the measurement of any layer.
How to use dissolving microneedle under-eye patches
Dissolving microneedle under-eye patches need dry skin, firm even pressure, and nothing applied underneath. The sequence below applies to any brand using this format, including ours. If your patch does not describe itself as dissolving, microneedle, microdart, or micro-infusion, skip to the hydrogel section instead.
- Cleanse and dry the eye area completelyWash your face, then pat the under-eye area dry and wait. Skin that still feels cool is still evaporating water. Two or three minutes of air drying is usually enough. This step is the one most people skip, and it is the one that decides whether the micro-darts penetrate or slump.
- Apply nothing to the area firstNo serum, no eye cream, no essence, no facial oil, no mist. Anything on the surface both blocks the needles mechanically and starts dissolving them early. If you use a serum elsewhere on your face, keep it clear of the patch zone.
- Open the packet and handle the patch by its edgeTouch only the backing or tab. Fingertips carry oil and moisture, and the micro-dart side is the working side. Do not set the patch down face-up on a counter while you get organised.
- Position it in one movement, below the orbital bonePlace the patch on the under-eye area without sliding it. Sliding drags the darts sideways and can shear them off. Stay on the flat skin below the eye socket rim and away from the lash line. Getting it slightly off-centre is preferable to repositioning it.
- Press evenly across the whole patch for several secondsUse flat fingertips and press with steady, gentle pressure over every part of the patch, including the corners. You are seating the darts through the outer skin layer. You should feel a faint prickle. Sharp pain means you are pressing too hard.
- Leave it in place and do nothingDo not press repeatedly, peek, lift a corner to check, or reposition. The darts dissolve on their own schedule in the skin's moisture.
- Remove it slowly and check the undersidePeel gently from one corner. Hold the used patch up to the light. If the darts have dissolved, the surface will look flatter and glassier than it did in the packet. Darts still standing sharp mean the patch did not seat, which usually traces back to damp skin or too little pressure.
- Apply your moisturiser or eye cream now, not beforeThis is when your regular products go on. Anything hydrating and fragrance-free is a reasonable follow-up.
- Discard the patchThe darts are spent. There is nothing left to deliver on a second use, and reapplying a used patch reintroduces whatever it collected in the meantime.
How firm is firm enough? Published microneedle research applies patches with defined force using purpose-built applicators, and one psoriasis trial used a 15 newton press across a 30 by 30 millimetre area. At home you have thumbs, not a force gauge. The practical translation is steady pressure held for several seconds rather than a quick tap, applied to every part of the patch instead of just the middle.
How to use hydrogel, gel, and collagen under-eye patches
Hydrogel and collagen under-eye patches work by occlusion, so they tolerate the damp skin that ruins a microneedle patch. Apply to clean skin, slide them into position with a fingertip, wear for the time on the packet, and pat in the residue afterwards rather than rinsing it off. Because they are wet sheets, they will slip as they warm up, and repositioning them does no harm.
Two differences from microneedle patches are worth naming. Applying a serum underneath a hydrogel patch is a reasonable thing to do, because occlusion pushes surface products into the outer skin layers rather than being blocked by them. And chilling them does something real, since cool temperature is a genuine part of how they reduce the look of morning puffiness. Neither of those applies to a dissolving microneedle patch.
Which way do under-eye patches go?
Under-eye patches are crescents, and the correct orientation puts the thicker, wider part of the crescent low, sitting on the cheek, with the thinner tapered edge tucked up under the eye following the curve of the orbital bone. The narrow end points toward the inner corner of the eye in most designs. If you place the crescent the other way up, the widest section lands on the thin skin nearest the lash line, which is both the area you least want to load and the area where product is most likely to migrate into the eye.
A practical check: the patch should follow the shape of the shadow you are trying to treat. If it looks like it is pointing away from your cheekbone rather than sitting along it, flip it. For microneedle patches, decide the orientation before the patch touches your skin, because correcting it means sliding.
How long to leave under-eye patches on
Wear time for a dissolving microneedle patch is governed by how long the darts take to dissolve, which is considerably longer than the fifteen to twenty minutes people associate with sheet masks. In a split-face trial of a cross-linked hyaluronic acid microneedle patch, the patches were left on the periorbital and nasolabial areas for four hours specifically to let the microstructures dissolve completely. Overnight wear achieves the same thing with less clock-watching, which is why many products in this format are sold as overnight treatments.
Hydrogel and gel patches are a different question entirely. They stop doing anything useful once they dry out, and a dried sheet will begin drawing moisture back out of the skin. Fifteen to twenty minutes is the usual window, and there is no benefit to leaving them on until they turn papery.
| Patch type | Typical wear | What sets the limit | Leaving it on longer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dissolving microneedle | 2 hours to overnight | Time for the darts to fully dissolve | Not harmful once dissolved. The patch is simply spent |
| Hydrogel or gel | 15 to 20 minutes | The point at which the sheet dries out | Counterproductive. A dry sheet pulls moisture back |
| Collagen or fibre sheet | 15 to 20 minutes | Same drying limit | Counterproductive |
| Reusable silicone | 20 to 30 minutes | The product applied underneath | Neutral |
Where patches fit in your routine
Routine order for under-eye patches depends entirely on type, and getting it backwards is the most consequential mistake in this whole guide. A dissolving microneedle patch goes on first, directly onto bare dry skin, before every other product. A hydrogel patch can go on after a serum. Reversing those two rules wastes the patch in one direction and does very little in the other.
Microneedle patch, evening
- Cleanse
- Dry the eye area completely and wait
- Apply the patch to bare skin
- Apply serums and treatments to the rest of the face, avoiding the patch
- Wear as directed, then remove
- Moisturiser or eye cream over the treated area
Hydrogel patch, morning or evening
- Cleanse
- Optional serum or essence
- Apply the patch
- Remove after 15 to 20 minutes and pat in what remains
- Moisturiser, then sunscreen if it is daytime
What is actually in the EvenSkyn patches
The EvenSkyn Under-Eye Micro-Infusion Patches carry 27 ingredients, and reading the list functionally rather than top to bottom explains more than the marketing copy does. Roughly a third of the list is not there to treat your skin at all. It is there to build the needle.
Dissolving micro-darts have to be moulded from something solid that will hold a point, survive the packet, pierce skin, and then dissolve harmlessly. In this formula that structural job is done by PVP, trehalose, carboxymethyl chitosan, xylitol and anhydroxylitol, and five separate forms of hyaluronic acid. Those sugars and polymers are the needle. The hyaluronic acid does double duty, since it is both scaffolding and a humectant once dissolved. That is a real distinction most ingredient lists never explain, and it is why comparing two microneedle patches on ingredient count alone tells you very little.
| Role in the patch | Ingredients | What it is doing |
|---|---|---|
| Needle structure | PVP, trehalose, carboxymethyl chitosan, xylitol, anhydroxylitol, sodium hyaluronate, hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate, hydroxypropyltrimonium hyaluronate | Forms a solid dart that holds its point, then dissolves in skin moisture |
| Tone and pigment | Niacinamide, 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid | Associated with the look of a more even, brighter under-eye tone |
| Peptides | Acetyl hexapeptide-8, dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate, alanine/histidine/lysine polypeptide copper HCl | Signalling peptides used for the look of softened fine lines |
| Retinoid | Hydroxypinacolone retinoate | A vitamin A derivative. See the section below, because this one changes your routine |
| Soothing and humectant | Glycerin, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, centella asiatica extract, tremella fuciformis extract | Comfort and water binding |
| Antioxidant | Tocopheryl acetate | A vitamin E ester |
| Other actives | Sodium heparin | Included in the formula. Sourcing is covered below |
| Solvents and preservation | Aqua, 1,2-hexanediol, dimethyl isosorbide, pentylene glycol, ethylhexylglycerin | Carry and preserve the formula. Dimethyl isosorbide is the conventional carrier for the retinoid |
We do not publish concentrations for these ingredients, so this page does not claim any. An ingredient list tells you what is present and roughly in what order. It does not tell you how much, and any page implying otherwise from an ingredient list alone is guessing.
These patches contain a retinoid. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate is an ester of retinoic acid that binds retinoic acid receptors directly, without the conversion step that retinol requires. It is generally regarded as gentler than prescription retinoids, but it belongs to the retinoid family, and that has three consequences worth knowing before you build a schedule around these patches.
Do not stack it with another retinoid on the same area. If you already use a retinol or prescription retinoid eye product, you would be applying two retinoids to the thinnest skin on your face. Use them on different nights, or drop one.
Introduce it gradually. Retinoid tolerance in the eye area builds slowly. Starting with a single patch and watching how your skin responds over several days is more sensible than committing to a fixed weekly cadence from day one.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Standard dermatology guidance is that topical retinoids should be avoided during pregnancy and by those planning to conceive, as a precaution. A large Nordic cohort study published in 2026 found no clear increase in major congenital malformations after early-pregnancy topical retinoid exposure, and its authors still concluded that topical retinoids should be avoided in this group. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive, speak to your doctor before using any retinoid-containing product, including this one.
Sourcing, and why we checked
Two ingredients in this formula are worth naming, because in most products they come from animals. Heparin is conventionally derived from animal tissue, and chitosan, the base of the carboxymethyl chitosan that helps form the needle, is conventionally made from crustacean shells. We asked our supplier to confirm the origin of both before making any claim. The formula is animal-free.
That answer resolves a second question at the same time. Because the chitosan here is not crustacean-derived, the shellfish-allergen caution that applies to many chitosan-containing products does not apply to these patches. If you have a shellfish allergy, or you want the sourcing documentation before you buy, contact us and we will share what our supplier provided.
Common mistakes
| What happened | Most likely cause | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Darts still look sharp on the removed patch | Skin was damp, or pressure was too light or uneven | Dry longer before applying. Press across the entire patch, corners included |
| Patch would not stick | Residual product, oil, or moisture on the skin | Cleanse, dry fully, and apply nothing beforehand |
| Felt nothing at all | Often normal. A faint prickle is typical and some people feel nothing | Judge by the state of the removed patch, not by sensation |
| Stinging or lasting redness | Pressing too hard, compromised skin barrier, or retinoid sensitivity | Stop, let the area recover, and space out sessions. Persistent reactions need a clinician |
| Nothing changed after one use | Expectation mismatch | Trial protocols in this format run weeks, not days |
| Patch slid out of position | Applied to damp skin, or repositioned after placement | Place once, in one movement, on dry skin |
| Irritation began after several weeks | Possible retinoid accumulation, or stacking with another retinoid | Audit your routine for a second retinoid. Reduce frequency |
What these patches cost per treatment
Per-treatment cost is the number that matters for a consumable, and it is rarely printed anywhere. Here is the arithmetic on our own product at current listed prices, so you can run the same calculation on anything you are comparing.
| Pack | Price | Pairs | Cost per treatment | Cost per patch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-month supply | $69.99 | 8 pairs, 16 patches | $8.75 | $4.37 |
| 2-month supply | $99.99 | 16 pairs, 32 patches | $6.25 | $3.12 |
Buying the larger pack costs $39.99 less than buying two of the smaller packs, a difference of about 29 percent per treatment. Prices are those listed at the time of writing and change; check the live listing. The useful habit to carry into any comparison is dividing pack price by number of pairs, because pack sizes in this category are inconsistent and headline prices are not comparable.
How to evaluate any under-eye patch
Evaluating an under-eye patch comes down to six questions, and none of them is the brand name. Apply these to anything you are considering, ours included.
- Which mechanism is it? Occlusive sheet or dissolving microneedle. This determines everything else, including whether the reviews you are reading are even relevant to the product in your hand.
- Is the full ingredient list published? If a brand will not show you the list, you cannot check it against the rest of your routine or against your own sensitivities.
- Does it contain anything that conflicts with what you already use? Retinoids and exfoliating acids are the usual collisions. This requires reading the list, not the marketing.
- What is the cost per treatment? Pack price divided by pairs.
- What problem are you actually treating? Dark circles caused by pigment, by visible blood vessels, or by the shadow of a hollow are three different problems. Hydration and surface treatments do least for the structural kind.
- What does the brand claim, and in what language? Specific, hedged, appearance-based claims are a better sign than transformation promises.
Who this suits, and who should look elsewhere
Dissolving microneedle under-eye patches suit people dealing with the look of fine surface lines, dryness, and dullness in the under-eye area who are willing to run a consistent routine over weeks and can accommodate several hours of wear. They fit reasonably into an evening routine, and they are a sensible option for anyone who wants delivery beyond what a cream does without moving to in-clinic treatment.
They are a poor fit in several situations, and it is worth being direct about them. If your under-eye shadow comes from a herniated fat pad or genuine volume loss, no patch addresses the structure creating that shadow, and this is an area where a consultation is a better use of money than a subscription. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive, the retinoid makes this the wrong product for now. If you already run a prescription retinoid near the eye, adding these is redundant at best. If you have active eczema, dermatitis, or broken skin in the area, wait until it has settled. And if what bothers you most is morning puffiness, a chilled hydrogel patch is cheaper, faster, and better suited to that specific job than a microneedle patch is.
If your interest is in the eye area more broadly rather than patches specifically, our guide to under-eye anti-aging covers how patches, eyelid devices, and topical routines compare.
What the evidence does not establish
Honesty about the limits here is more useful than another round of claims. The published trials on dissolving microneedle patches in the eye area are mostly small, frequently run or funded by manufacturers, and typically last four to eight weeks. They generally test one specific patch formulation, which is not the same as testing the format in general, and certainly not the same as testing ours.
Evidence for an ingredient is also not evidence for a finished product. Niacinamide has a substantial literature behind it, but that literature does not tell you what a given quantity of niacinamide moulded into a dissolving dart achieves in the under-eye area over a month. We have not run a clinical trial on these patches, and this page does not present one. What we can tell you accurately is what is in them, how to apply them properly, and what the published work on this delivery format has and has not shown. For the fuller evidence review, including which studies exist and how they were designed, see our article on whether under-eye microneedle patches actually work.
Frequently asked questions
How do you use under-eye patches?
It depends on the type. Dissolving microneedle patches go on completely dry, freshly cleansed skin with no products underneath, are pressed firmly and evenly for several seconds, and are left in place for hours. Hydrogel and gel patches go on clean skin, can be applied damp or over a serum, and come off after 15 to 20 minutes. Applying one type using the other's method is the most common reason patches underperform.
Which way do under-eye patches go?
The wider, thicker part of the crescent sits low on the cheek, and the thinner tapered edge curves up under the eye along the orbital bone. In most designs the narrow tip points toward the inner corner of the eye. If the widest part of the patch is sitting up near your lash line, it is upside down.
How long should you leave under-eye patches on?
Dissolving microneedle patches need long enough for the darts to fully dissolve, commonly 2 hours to overnight. One published split-face trial used a four-hour wear time specifically so the microstructures dissolved completely. Hydrogel and gel patches are done at 15 to 20 minutes and become counterproductive once they dry out.
Do you apply under-eye patches to clean or moisturised skin?
Clean and completely dry for dissolving microneedle patches. Moisture on the skin surface starts dissolving the darts before they penetrate, so any serum, cream, or leftover water works against you. Hydrogel patches are more forgiving and can go on damp skin or over a serum.
What do under-eye patches do?
Occlusive patches such as hydrogel and collagen types hold moisture and dissolved ingredients against the skin surface, which temporarily plumps the look of fine lines and can reduce the appearance of puffiness, especially when chilled. Dissolving microneedle patches instead place their ingredients past the outer skin barrier through micro-darts that dissolve in the skin, which is a different mechanism aimed at the look of texture and tone over weeks rather than an immediate effect.
How often should you use under-eye patches?
Hydrogel patches are gentle enough for daily use. For dissolving microneedle patches, published trial protocols have used once or twice weekly, and starting at the lower end is sensible while you learn how your skin responds. If the patch contains a retinoid, as ours does, build up gradually rather than starting at a fixed high frequency.
Do you use under-eye patches before or after serum?
Before, if it is a dissolving microneedle patch. It goes directly onto bare dry skin, and serum underneath is the most common way to waste one. After serum is acceptable for hydrogel patches, where occlusion helps drive surface products in.
Can you sleep in under-eye patches?
Dissolving microneedle patches are commonly designed for overnight wear, and sleeping in one is a practical way to guarantee full dissolution. Hydrogel patches are a poor choice for overnight because they dry out, slip off, and can start drawing moisture back from the skin once dry.
Should you refrigerate under-eye patches?
Chilling helps hydrogel and gel patches, because the cold itself contributes to the temporary reduction in the look of puffiness. Do not refrigerate dissolving microneedle patches. Cold storage risks condensation inside the packet, and moisture is the one thing that degrades the darts before use. Store those at room temperature, away from humidity.
Can you reuse under-eye patches?
No. Dissolving microneedle patches have spent their darts after one application and have nothing left to deliver. Occlusive sheets have given up their essence and become a contamination risk once they have been on skin and set aside. Both types are single use.
Do microneedle patches hurt?
They should not. Typical sensation is a faint prickle or a slight tightness as the patch settles. Micro-darts at this scale are designed to stay above the depth where pain receptors and blood vessels sit. Sharp pain, stinging, or bleeding means something is wrong, most often excessive pressure or a compromised skin barrier, and you should stop.
Why did my microneedle patch not stick?
Almost always residue on the skin. Cleanser film, leftover moisturiser, facial oil, or water still evaporating all prevent adhesion. Cleanse, dry thoroughly, wait a few minutes, and apply the patch to bare skin with nothing else on it.
Can you use under-eye patches every day?
Hydrogel patches, yes. Dissolving microneedle patches are generally not intended for daily use, and daily use of a retinoid-containing patch on the eye area is more likely to cause irritation than to speed up results. Follow the schedule on the packet and reduce frequency if you see lasting redness or dryness.
Do you wash your face after using under-eye patches?
No. After removing either type, leave the area unwashed and apply moisturiser over it. Washing immediately removes what you just applied. With microneedle patches specifically, rinsing right after removal defeats the purpose of the application.
Can you wear under-eye patches with makeup?
Apply patches to bare skin, not over makeup. Many people use a hydrogel patch as a preparation step before makeup, which works well. Microneedle patches are better suited to the evening, since they need hours of wear and the skin is freshly opened afterwards.
Do the EvenSkyn under-eye patches contain a retinoid?
Yes. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate appears in the ingredient list. It is an ester of retinoic acid that binds retinoic acid receptors directly rather than requiring the conversion retinol needs, and it is generally considered gentler than prescription retinoids. It is still a retinoid, so it should not be stacked with another retinoid on the same area and should be introduced gradually.
Can you use these patches while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Standard dermatology guidance is to avoid topical retinoids during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, and when trying to conceive, as a precaution. Because these patches contain hydroxypinacolone retinoate, that guidance applies to them. Speak with your doctor or midwife before using any retinoid-containing product during pregnancy.
Can you use under-eye patches with a retinol eye cream?
Not on the same night, if the patch also contains a retinoid. Doing so applies two retinoids to the thinnest skin on the face and raises the likelihood of irritation without a matching benefit. Alternate nights, or choose one. Check the ingredient list of both products before assuming they are compatible.
What should you apply after removing an under-eye patch?
A fragrance-free moisturiser or eye cream. Avoid exfoliating acids, additional retinoids, and strongly fragranced products immediately after a microneedle patch, since the skin barrier has been transiently disrupted and is more reactive than usual.
Are under-eye patches safe for sensitive skin?
Occlusive hydrogel patches are usually well tolerated. For dissolving microneedle patches the answer depends on the ingredient list rather than the format, and a retinoid-containing patch deserves caution on reactive skin. Patch test on a small area first, start at a low frequency, and avoid use entirely on active eczema, dermatitis, or broken skin.
Are these under-eye patches vegan or animal-free?
The formula is animal-free. That is worth stating specifically because two ingredients in it, heparin and the chitosan used to build the needle structure, are conventionally animal-derived in most products, chitosan usually from crustacean shells. We confirmed the origin of both with our supplier before making the claim. A useful side effect is that the shellfish-allergen caution attached to many chitosan-containing products does not apply here.
About this guide
The EvenSkyn content team wrote this guide. EvenSkyn is a Canadian at-home beauty-device company that designs and manufactures anti-aging devices including the Lumo+ (radiofrequency, EMS and light therapy), the Phoenix microcurrent bar, the Venus eye device, the MicroInfuser, and the MatureSmile LED whitening kit, and also sells the under-eye patches discussed here.
Product details, ingredient lists, and prices were taken from our own current product records at the time of writing. Application technique reflects the physical requirements of each patch format and the wear times used in published trial protocols. Where evidence is limited or absent, this page says so rather than filling the gap. No clinician has reviewed this specific page, so it carries no medical byline. It is general information about product use and not medical advice. For anything involving your own skin, medication, or pregnancy, speak with a qualified healthcare provider.
Last reviewed August 2026.
References
- Choi SY, Kwon HJ, Ahn GR, et al. Hyaluronic acid microneedle patch for the improvement of crow's feet wrinkles. Dermatologic Therapy. 2017;30(6):e12546. DOI 10.1111/dth.12546. PMID 28892233.
- Anti-Wrinkle Efficacy of Cross-Linked Hyaluronic Acid-Based Microneedle Patch with Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Epidermal Growth Factor on Korean Skin. Annals of Dermatology. 2019;31(3):263. DOI 10.5021/ad.2019.31.3.263. Split-face trial, 52 participants, four-hour wear time to full dissolution.
- Antiaging effects of retinoid hydroxypinacolone retinoate on skin models. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2018. Article S0190-9622(18)31012-0.
- Wang C, et al. The synergistic effect of retinyl propionate and hydroxypinacolone retinoate on skin aging. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2023. DOI 10.1111/jocd.15662.
- Refsum E, Furu K, Cesta CE, et al. Topical retinoid use in women of reproductive age and risk of major congenital malformations in exposed pregnancies: a Nordic cohort study. British Journal of Dermatology. 2026;194(4):640-647. DOI 10.1093/bjd/ljaf500.
- Engineering Microneedle Patches for Improved Penetration: Analysis, Skin Models and Factors Affecting Needle Insertion. Drug Delivery and Translational Research. PMCID PMC8006208. Reports transepidermal water loss returning to baseline by 24 hours and roughly 94 percent of visible microchannels closed at 24 hours.
- Additional Use of Hyaluronic Acid-Based Dissolving Microneedle Patches to Treat Psoriatic Plaques: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Annals of Dermatology. 2025. DOI 10.5021/ad.24.024. Source of the 15 newton defined application force over a 30 by 30 millimetre area.
Keep reading
- Do under-eye microneedle patches actually work? The evidence review, including which studies exist and how they were designed.
- Under-eye anti-aging in 2026. How patches, eyelid devices, and topical routines compare across the whole eye area.
- Micro-infusion, what it is and how it works. The mechanism behind micro-channel delivery.
- Micro-infusion contraindications and safety. Who should not use at-home micro-channel treatments.
The short decision
If you want an immediate, temporary improvement in the look of puffiness before an event, buy a chilled hydrogel patch. It is cheaper and better at that specific job.
If you want to work on the look of fine lines and uneven tone over a period of weeks, and you can accommodate hours of wear and a consistent schedule, a dissolving microneedle patch is the format built for that. Read the ingredient list first, check it against what you already use, and confirm that nothing in it conflicts with your circumstances.
Our Under-Eye Micro-Infusion Patches are the dissolving microneedle type, at $8.75 per treatment on the smaller pack or $6.25 on the larger. The formula is animal-free. It also contains a retinoid, which makes these unsuitable during pregnancy and breastfeeding and means they should not be layered with another retinoid. If either applies to you, this is not the right product, and we would rather say so here than after you have bought it.
