Eye creams, who needs them? Just about everyone, actually — no matter your age. While it’s beneficial to start using any anti-aging products in your twenties, eye creams are often the most forgotten when it comes to skin care.
Why are eye creams important?
Because the skin around the eye area tends to be thin and fragile, it requires products specifically formulated for that area. Your go-to moisturizer and serum may work wonders on the rest of the face, but they’re not the right consistency for the thinner skin surrounding the eye. In fact, heavy moisturizers can actually make eyes puffier.
Eyes are more prone to dryness, so it’s important to keep the eyelid and undereye hydrated. Dark circles or puffy eyes can develop as a result of poor diet, lack of sleep, allergies or genetics. And the eyes are usually the first to show signs of aging in the form of fine lines and wrinkles. The earlier you start addressing these issues the better, though it’s never too late to start using an eye cream or serum specifically tailored to your needs.
Do all eye creams work for everyone?
Eye creams are one of our best bets for keeping up appearances (or transforming our eyes when they seem in despair), but some are better than others to target specific concerns. If lines are your nemesis, you need the best eye cream for wrinkles. Dark shadows under your eyes that even the best concealer can’t cover? Look to the best eye cream for dark circles. When it comes to puffiness and a host of other orbital concerns, you should seek out a multitasking eye treatment. The best eye creams can be great aids in looking well-rested even when you’re not.
What ingredients should I look for in an eye cream?
Ingredients can vary depending on what type of issue the eye cream is trying to address. But there are some common components to keep an eye out for, including those that encourage collagen production, like niacinamide and retinol. Caffeine will help decrease puffiness by constricting blood vessels and light reflectors will illuminate those pesky dark areas.
To help you determine which eye cream is best for your needs, we tested and ranked a slew of eye formulas to find out which products are worth the splurge and which should be left on the shelf. Here are the best eye creams for treating a whole range of problems, from puffiness to dark circles to signs of aging.
- CeraVe Eye Repair Cream
- MyChelle Dermaceuticals Ultra Hyaluronic Eye Gel
- Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème
- Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair
- Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex Eye Serum
Read on for the rest of our top eye cream picks.
[ Found: The 18 Best Drugstore Eye Creams ]
Best and Worst Eye Creams (update)
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Best and Worst Eye Creams (update) #1
Eyes are the gateway to your soul. Which is why we hate bogging them down with bags, fine lines and dark circles. To keep your eyes looking as gorgeous as ever, give them a little TLC with one of these best eye creams.
Image: Imaxtree
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Best Eye Cream to Smooth and Soothe: CeraVe
Eye Repair Cream, $15.99 at Ulta Beauty
This ophthalmologist-tested best eye cream for dark circles has a marine and botanical complex that reduces everything from those annoying dark circles to puffiness all while brightening your undereye area. It also contains ceramides to replenish your skin’s natural barrier, hyaluronic acid to tackle fine lines and niacinamide to soothe irritation. Nongreasy and fast-absorbing, the fragrance-free cream uses patented MVE Delivery Technology to release a steady stream of moisture for 24/7 nourishment.
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Best Eye Cream for Puffiness: MyChelle Dermaceuticals
Ultra Hyaluronic Eye Gel, $29 at MyChelle Dermaceuticals
Puffy eyes don’t stand a chance against this best eye cream. It boasts a cooling blend of caffeine, hyaluronic acid, Persian silk tree extract and magnolia flower oil. The mixture helps hydrate and nourish, leading to a decrease in puffiness, fine lines and dark circles. Free of artificial fragrances and colors, this vegan gel is super gentle and won’t stress out sensitive skin.
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Best Eye Cream for Sensitive, Irritated Eyes: Dermalogica
Intensive Eye Repair, $59 at Ulta Beauty
Our eyes can be pretty sensitive, so avoid irritation with this best eye cream. Just because it’s delicate enough to apply under your eyes doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful. The ultra rich cream repairs photoaging thanks to vitamin A, wild yam extract and pro-vitamin B5. Cucumber and arnica work to up elasticity, while grapeseed extract along with vitamins C and E shield your eyes from further environmental damage.
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Best Eye Cream for Dark Circles: Drunk Elephant
Shaba Complex Eye Serum, $60 at Sephora
Most eye cream brands like to brag about their product’s ingredients, but Drunk Elephant actually boasts about what’s left out of its formula. That’s because the serum skips light deflectors commonly used by others to trick the eye and instead focuses on actually treating the eye area. What it does have are potent black tea ferment and copper peptides that work as a team to slow down the signs of aging and support a firmer-looking appearance, edelweiss stem cells and niacinamide to diminish fine lines and wrinkles plus CoQ10 to combat environmental aggressors.
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Best Undereye Cream: First Aid Beauty
Eye Duty Triple Remedy AM Gel Cream, $36 at DermStore
Not only will this best eye cream enhance your undereye area, but it’ll also perk up your upper eyelids. The daytime eye treatment gives an instant boost of cooling hydration to tired eyes as it firms and rejuvenates your eyes top to bottom. A mix of tripeptides encourages collagen production to smooth the look of lines and wrinkles, while albizia julibrissin bark extract tones down puffiness and dark circles.
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Best Hydrating Cream: Kiehl's
Creamy Eye Treatment With Avocado, $48 at Kiehl's
You can spread avocado on toast or under your eyes. The latter option will translate into a burst of hydration that gently moisturizes the delicate skin underneath your eyes. It’s all thanks to avocado oil (natch), beta-carotene and shea butter. And best of all, it won’t budge under makeup, so it’ll keep working throughout the day.
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Worst: DDF
Erase Eye Gel, $39 at Ulta Beauty
The saying "if it ain't broke, don’t fix it" applies here. Fans of the brand are highly disappointed with the company’s new-and-improved version of its Erase Eye Gel. Not only are they unimpressed with the thicker consistency, but they’re also displeased with the eye cream’s less-than-stellar results.
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Best Anti-Aging Eye Cream: Youth To The People
Age Prevention Superfood Eye Cream, $35 at Sephora
Think of this as a green smoothie for your peepers. Packed with certified superfood kale that contains high levels of phytonutrients and flavonoids to help tackle signs of aging, this best eye cream also contains tripeptide 5 to not only assist in the process but prevent future damage. It’s 100 percent vegan, can be used on all skin types and is free of synthetic or added colors and fragrance.
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Best Overachiever: Dr. Dennis Gross
Ferulic + Retinol Eye Cream, $69 at Sephora
Packed with powerful antioxidants and anti-aging ingredients, this impressive eye potion attacks every eye concern and really works. It reduces inflammation, lightens dark circles and lessens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
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Best Camouflager: Tata Harper
Illuminating Eye Crème, $105 at Tata Harper
Formulated with diamond dust, this ultra hydrating eye cream provides a luminescent soft-focus veil that masks dark shadows and signs of fatigue.
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Best Eye Brightener: La Roche-Posay
Pigmentclar, $42.99 at La Roche-Posay
Pandas are the only creatures that can get away with looking cute with huge dark circles encircling their eyes. Luckily for us, the French have come to our aid. This best eye cream counters the problem with a decongestant (to improve circulation), a melanin inhibitor (to lighten the dark areas) and light-reflecting pigments (to illuminate).
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Best Eye Cream for Wrinkles: Olay Eyes
Pro-Retinol Eye Treatment, $17.39 at Target
If you’ve got deep wrinkles, look for an eye treatment that contains retinol, a derm-approved ingredient that effectively diminishes those deep-set grooves. And just know that you don’t have to spend major bucks for a product that’s truly top shelf. Olay’s potent formulation visibly smooths out crinkles in less than a month.
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Worst: Physicians Formula
Hydrating Eye Cream, $39.99 at Amazon
Testers of this drugstore eye formula were left underwhelmed. Not only did the eye treatment not live up to its claims, but it also left consumers’ eyes irritated and puffy. No wonder this eye dud has been discontinued.
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Best Tag Team: Murad
Professional Eye Lift Firming Treatment, $70 at Sephora
Murad’s pro-grade serum comes with undereye patches to help the hyaluronic acid penetrate deeper below your skin so that it plumps and smooths out any crepiness.
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Best Multitasker: Neutrogena
Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream, $23.99 at Ulta Beauty
This tried-and-true drugstore fave uses a combo of retinol and hyaluronic acid to moisturize and plump up the delicate skin around your peepers while reducing wrinkles. Bonus: It also works well in smoothing the fine lines above your lips.
