How to store eye patches so they don't dry out

Heat, light and air

• Heat thins the gel and pushes essence out of the patch, so it arrives limp and slides on the skin.
• Direct sunlight is hard on any water-based formula — a windowsill is the worst shelf in the house.
• Air is only a problem once the seal is broken. A nicked or half-torn sachet will dry out; use it that day or bin it.

A closed drawer, a bathroom cabinet away from the shower steam, or a bedside box are all perfectly good. Room temperature is fine.

Fridge rules

The fridge is optional and it's the one upgrade worth making, because a cold patch does the de-puffing part better. Store sealed sachets in the door or a small box — not touching the back wall, where things can partially freeze. Half an hour of chill is plenty; overnight is fine too.

Why freezing is a bad idea

Freezing a hydrogel breaks its structure. Ice crystals rupture the gel network, and when it thaws you get a patch that's watery in places, stiff in others, and tears when you lift it. It's also uncomfortably cold against thin under-eye skin. Chill, don't freeze.

Reading the date on the pack

Cosmetic packs carry either a best-before date or a PAO symbol — the small open-jar icon with a number like 12M, meaning the product is intended to be used within twelve months of opening. For a single-use sachet, opening and using happen in the same minute, so the unopened shelf life printed on the pack is the number that matters.

Travel

Sachets travel well: flat, sealed, no liquid bottle to declare. Keep them out of a hot car and away from the bottom of a bag where they can be crushed. They won't be cold when you arrive — a few minutes in a hotel minibar fixes that, and even at room temperature the hydration step still works.