Whether you’re looking to brighten, firm, or anything in-between, we’ve got you covered.
The use of the best eye creams is a heated debate in the Allure office: About half the team believes slathering the best eye creams for dark circles over this delicate skin can help depuff and minimize the appearance of dark circles over time, while the other half seems to think they’re moisturizers in tiny tubs and offer nothing more than a placebo effect. There is one thing we can agree on, however: No one wants to look like they got only four hours of sleep.
Of course, we asked our dermatologist friends to weigh in on the matter. What we do know for a fact is that “eyelid skin is thinner than the surrounding facial skin, so it can be more prone to sensitivity and irritation,” Tiffany Jow Libby, MD, a Rhode Island-based, board-certified dermatologist at Brown Dermatology, previously explained to us. However, not all eye creams are created equal, which is why we’ve combed through dozens (hell, probably hundreds at this point) of formulas to find the most effective creams and gels for all skin types.
Ultimately, it comes down to the level of prevention you desire. “Because they are landing on thinner skin, eye creams have a tendency to be thicker — a higher amount of oil, less water — than facial moisturizers,” Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Connecticut, tells Allure, comparing the use of an eye cream to “putting extra padding on a spin bike.” And that extra cushioning just might pay off, since it’s also known that the eye area is one of the first to show signs of aging such as sagging skin, fine lines, and crow’s feet.
“As we hit our 30s, hyaluronic acid, our skin’s natural water absorber and plumper, begins to decline,” Dr. Gohara explains, which is why applying the ingredient topically and making up for lost hydration is of the essence. In fact, many of the best eye creams for wrinkles are packed with HA and other powerful ingredients like blood vessel-constricting caffeine and collagen-boosting peptides to help fake a full night’s rest.
Ahead, you’ll find 19 of the best eye creams, including a drugstore favorite by RoC and one of the best retinol eye creams from Sunday Riley, each formulated with active ingredients for the thinnest, most sensitive skin on your body. Oh, and if you’re worried about sun protection with these AHA- or retinol-enhanced formulas, try out our picks for the best eye creams with SPF. You won’t believe your eyes (wink, wink) once you try out our go-tos — heck, you might even skip your concealer.
Best Overall: RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream
Why It’s Worth It: Retinol near your eyes sounds scary, but with this gentle cream, you’ve got nothing to fear. RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream, an ophthalmologist-tested, two-time Best of Beauty Award winner (2020 and 2021), slowly releases the vitamin A derivative to fight fine lines around your eyes.
Best Brightening Eye Cream: Ole Henriksen Banana Bright+ Eye Crème
Why It’s Worth It: The hint of yellow tint in Ole Henriksen’s Banana Bright+ Eye Crème (which doesn’t actually contain banana, by the way) instantly brightens and color-corrects dark circles. Vitamin C and collagen support the skin’s clarity and elasticity. It’s no wonder this petite jar has swooped up two Readers’ Choice Awards as recent as 2023.
Best Cooling Applicator: Ilia Beauty Bright Start Activated Eye Cream
Why It’s Worth It: One of the reasons we love Ilia Beauty’s Bright Start Activated Eye Cream is its ceramic tip, which provides a cooling sensation as you massage the cream into your delicate undereye area — it’s a great way to depuff before putting on makeup, or just starting the day. It’s also a 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner for Best Brightening Eye Cream, so you could say we really think it’s worth your money.
Best for Mature Skin: Peter Thomas Roth Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Eye Cream
Why It’s Worth It: Peter Thomas Roth Peptide 21 Wrinkle Resist Eye Cream might sound a little intimidating with ingredients called Regu-Age, Reforcyl, and Gamma Proteins, but let’s focus on what those ingredients can actually do. In addition to a potent blend of 21 peptides and neuropeptides (which may boost collagen production), these ingredients work hard to minimize signs of aging, such as crow’s feet, fine lines, and deep wrinkles.
A Cup of Joe for the Eyes: The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream
Why It’s Worth It: Don’t be deceived by the price tag. The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream packs just as powerful a punch as the pricier options on this list. The caffeine in the cream helps flush away water retention that can cause puffiness, and peptides smooth over roughly textured skin on this delicate area of the face.
Best Hydrating Eye Cream for Makeup Prep: Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream
Why It’s Worth It: A combination of skin-tightening marine algae and deeply hydrating squalane in this Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream smoothes and moisturizes the eye area so that makeup doesn’t crease or cake.
A Cushiony Formula for the Most Tired Eyes: Augustinus Bader The Eye Cream
Why It’s Worth It: Peptides, which may boost collagen production, are essential for treating and preventing skin sagging. So when your undereye bags are drooping more than usual, might we recommend you whip out the luxurious Augustinus Bader Eye Cream? This ultra-rich cream is filled with firming peptides along with vitamin C to even out skin tone, and calming vitamin B3 (niacinamide) to pamper your under eyes with an awakening treatment.
Best for Boosting Radiance: Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester CCC + Ferulic Brightening Under-Eye Cream
Why It’s Worth It: Vitamin C and ferulic acid are a powerhouse antioxidant combination when it comes to brightening your skin. The Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester CCC + Ferulic Brightening Under-Eye Cream’s radiance-boosting abilities are so impressive that it nabbed an Allure Best of Beauty Award in 2022.
Melanin-Targeting Eye Cream: La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Anti-Dark Circle Brightening Eye Cream
Why It’s Worth It: La Roche-Posay’s Pigmentclar Anti-Dark Circle Brightening Eye Cream is basically a dark circle eraser in a tube. This creamy, fragrance-free formulation contains a skin-enhancing cocktail of brightening niacinamide, anti-inflammatory caffeine, and antioxidant-rich thermal spring water for moisture replenishment. Also on the brightening front is phe-resorcinol, which inhibits melanin production, similar to kojic acid.
Best Eye Cream for Puffiness: Isdin K-Ox Eyes
Why It’s Worth It: Isdin K-Ox Eyes might have a hefty price tag for such a small tube, but trust us when we say that this 2021 Best of Beauty Award winner is the real deal. This potent serum is infused with hyaluronic acid and vitamin K oxide to significantly decrease puffiness and dark circles while keeping the area incredibly hydrated. (However, as with any eye cream, don’t expect results right away. Consistent use matters in the long run.)
Best for Tightening Undereye Bags: U Beauty The Return Eye Concentrate
Why It’s Worth It: U Beauty’s The Return Eye Concentrate is a multitasker that addresses skin concerns such as puffy eyes, discoloration, and sagging undereye bags. The brand’s signature Siren Capsule Technology, which consists of biomimetic plankton extract and peptides, plays a key role in nudging stagnant fluid, tackling puffiness, and endorsing collagen production.
Best Tightening Effect: Dr. Loretta Tightening Eye Gel
Why It’s Worth It: You’ll definitely want to add Dr. Loretta’s Tightening Eye Gel as the last step of your skin-care routine (well, aside from SPF in the A.M.) because it nabbed a 2019 Allure Best of Beauty Award for the best depuffing eye cream on the market. Algae extract boosts collagen production while peptides are responsible for tightening undereye skin.
Concentrated, Fermented Goodness: SK-II LXP Ultimate Revival Eye Cream
Why It’s Worth It: Pitera (a.k.a. a proprietary complex derived from fermented yeast) is the ingredient that has made SK-II the global phenomenon it is today. And while we’d assume it’s pretty highly concentrated in its fan-favorite essence, the SK-II LXP Ultimate Revival Eye Cream has eight times more of the ingredient than any product before it. The result? A rich, deeply hydrating treatment that nourishes the area and provides vitamins and nutrients to brighten, firm, and prevent damage from pollution.
Best Eye Cream for Uneven Skin Tone: InnBeauty Project Bright & Tight Eye Cream
Why It’s Worth It: As the name suggests, InnBeauty Project Bright & Tight Eye Cream targets both dark undereye circles and fine lines at the same time. Its glow-inducing effects are thanks to a mix of brightening powerhouses vitamin C and tranexamic acid, while skin-firming peptides and caffeine play a major role in boosting skin elasticity.
Brings Down Inflammation: Charlotte Tilbury Cryo-Recovery Eye Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Trust us, the Charlotte Tilbury Cryo-Recovery Eye Serum is truly an eye-opening formula. Like your favorite latte, it’s infused with caffeine to stimulate circulation and reduce inflammation. This lightweight serum also contains Swiss ice wine, made with antioxidant-rich frozen grapes, to moisturize and firm your delicate undereyes.
Bacteria-Fighting Formula: Fortify+ De-Puffing + Protecting Eye Cream
Why It’s Worth It: Puffiness? We don’t know her, thanks to this Best of Beauty-winning Fortify+ De-Puffing + Protecting Eye Cream. In the affordably priced tube (we love!) is collagen to reduce the appearance of fine lines, moisturizing aloe vera, and zeolite, a volcanic mineral that fights germs and bacteria with each use.
Best Refreshing Eye Gel-Cream: Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb
Why It’s Worth It: Like a tall glass of water for your under eye area, Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb kicks hydration into overdrive to ensure no dry skin is left behind. The line-smoothing cream promises long-lasting moisture and a visibly radiant finish, thanks to powerhouse ingredients like soothing tiger grass, glycerin, squalane, and ceramides.
Best Retinol Eye Cream: Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinol + Niacinamide Eye Serum
Why It’s Worth It: Sunday Riley 5 Stars Retinol + Niacinamide Eye Serum combines the two powerhouse ingredients, along with barrier-restoring ceramides, for a brightening, fine line-reducing treatment overnight. Your eyes will look refreshed and youthful before you can even hit the snooze button (again).
Best Eye Cream for Dark Circles: Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex
Why It’s Worth It: Estee Lauder’s ANR Eye Supercharged Complex is a lightweight, silky gel-cream featuring a peptide exclusive to the brand that visibly reduces the look of dark circles — whether they’re blue, purple, or brown in nature — with regular use.