Therapeutic Eye Masks:
Relax Your Eyes with Mask Therapy

Copyright © Rebecca Turner

Therapeutic eye masks are excellent for relieving eye tension if you have:

• Eye strain from doing too much close-up work
• Computer Vision Syndrome (which affects 75% of users)
• Been doing daily eye exercises to improve vision naturally

Relaxing your eyes after eye exercises is particularly important because seeing clearly is as much about eye muscle flexibility as it is about eye muscle relaxation.

In this eye mask review, I'll cover a few different products made specifically for relaxing the eyes and facial muscles using heat, cold and pressure.

These masks also help relieve:

How Healthy Are Your Eyes?

How do your eyes feel right now? Are they dry, itchy or tired? Have you spent several hours at the computer already or has the day only just begun?

It wasn't until I paid attention to my eyes that I realized just how badly I was treating them. I would sit at a computer for 3-4 hours without a break and completely ignore the tension and discomfort in my eyes. But this is a warning sign - it's your eyes telling you: "stop, this is too much!"

The danger of Computer Vision Syndrome is that it can seriously make your natural eyesight deteriorate. In the short term, using a computer monitor reduces your blink rate (from 16-20 to 6-8 blinks per minute) causing eye irritation.

The big picture problem is this: near-point stress is increased, putting hours of eye strain on your ciliary muscles. It becomes harder to focus, accelerating any predisposition for myopia (nearsightedness) and if you're over 30, it can form the basis of presbyopia (aging vision that affects everyone, eventually).

Don't just ignore it. Alleviate the symptoms of CVS before it gets any worse. The article linked above will give you some important advice to follow while using the computer for prolonged periods. And for relieving the massive eye strain it causes, I recommend one of the eye masks below.

Solace Gel Soothing Eye Mask

The Solace Gel Soothing Eye Mask is specifically designed to cool tired eyes. The gel filling makes the mask fluid and so it molds closely to your face. The eye holes prevent the cooling gel from being applied directly to your eyeballs, as it's in the surrounding muscle where tension builds up, not actually in your eyes. When cooled, this eye mask is particularly good for soothing sinuses, head colds, sunburn, and tired or puffy eyes. However it can also be warmed, if you prefer that deep heat. Having this eye mask on hand will also encourage you to take five minutes to relax your eyes each day, which is good for preventing myopic deterioration caused by eye strain.

To Chill - Put it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, or in the fridge for 60 minutes. Make sure you never freeze the mask solid!

To Heat - Fill a sink or bowl with hot water (not boiling) and soak the mask for 5-10 minutes. Use the straps to remove it. Note: not suitable for the microwave.

Quick Tip - As before, don't apply the mask directly to your skin - I recommend buying a material cover with it to protect your face from direct exposure to the heat or cold.

> Buy this eye mask or read more reviews at Dream Essentials

Silk Eye Pillow Flax Seed and Lavender

The Silk Eye Pillow is filled with flax seed and scented with lavender to calm your mind. Scents can be very powerful and evocative; the universally relaxing aroma of lavender is ideal for calming a stressed-out mind.

The fabric is soft and cooling, while the shape of the pillow moulds perfectly to your face, blocking out any light. It also creates a soothing pressure to acupressure points surrounding the eyes to relieve tension and calm active muscles.

To Chill - I like the eye pillow at room temperature, however you can place it in a plastic bag and leave it in the freezer overnight for cool relief.

Quick Tip - Don't heat your eye pillow as it's not designed for that. If you want a microwaveable eye pillow, see the Warm Whiskers eye pillows at Dream Essentials.

> Buy this eye pillow or read more reviews at Dream Essentials