I Tried A Heated Eye Mask So You Don't Have To.

by BR Kellie

Ever spent so much time in front of a computer screen that when you walk away from it you feel like you're in The Matrix and all you see around you is letters instead of humans and trees and cars and other animate and inanimate objects? Same. All the time. Along with a sense of reality no longer being real after too much screen time, comes the discomfort of sore, reddened eyes. In the past the only way I've been able to deal with this is by desperately waiting for bedtime so I could get some relief via sleep. That was until a writer friend sent me a link to a heated eye mask that purported to relieve and relax dry, tired eyes with thermal spring water steam in just twenty minutes. Naturally, in the name of beauty, I added to cart, paid and prepared for an eye-opening (or should that be closing!?) experience!

Reader, sometimes it pays to have no expectations. 

First of all, this is not a one size fits all mask. It hooked over my ears and then sat on my face in such a way that it didn't hit the parts of the eyeballs where I would've appreciated a little pressure, and it was so big width-wise that it felt like it was cutting off air supply to my nose, making deep breathing and relaxation nigh on impossible. Still, in the name of bringing relief to the screen-staring masses I persevered.

As stated on the pack, once the mask was removed from its packaging it began to heat up. Initially I thought it was broken as the heat wasn't all that great. A few minutes in and I began to have concerns that my eyelids were burning and that damage was being done. Stubborness sunk in, I powered through the potential for pain, and a minute later all felt warmly well. Except I really was struggling to relax due to the inability to breathe normally and the slight irritation of baggy ear straps tickling my temples. Fifteen minutes on the majority of the warmth was lost and I was happy to call the masking experience done.

So, was it worth it? (At this point I think you know my feelings, but in the name of beautitific investigation results must be mentioned.)

Post-mask, it wasn't like my eyes felt worse, or the same. They did feel less sore, but then I'd just spent fifteen minutes lying down with my head a little elevated and my eyes closed, which usually helps relieve my aching eyeballs. However, the area around my eyes did, surprisingly, feel more hydrated. So maybe the spring water steam did work? That being said, I didn't see any notable difference around my eyes the way I do on the occasions that I use gel eye patches.

Compounding my lack of enthusiasm for the product was the guilt I felt. This is a one and done mask. It's also pretty bulky. And while I'm not perfect when it comes to keeping my environmental footprint as small as possible, I do try my best, with recent goals being to buy products that are not one use and to buy products that have recyclable packaging. The heated mask does not meet any of my criteria, and the eco-guilt I felt buying, then using, then throwing it away was real.

Now that my eyes have been opened to the world of heated eye masks, would I buy a heated eye mask again? That's a no from me. Sure, it was only four dollars, but the brief and barely-there relief wasn't worth the money spent or the guilt endured for using such an environmentally unfriendly product. Next time I want a warm compress on my eyes and a lie down, I'll soak a face cloth in warm water, fold it over multiple times so it retains the heat, then pop it over my eyes and tap out for ten to fifteen.

So, have you tried a heated eye mask? What were your thoughts? Or is a heated eye mask a hard pass for you? Or something you're simply not interested in? Get chatting below!