As a beauty editor, I’m constantly fielding skin- and hair-related questions from my friends and family members. What’s the difference between setting powder and setting spray? How do I apply self-tanner? What’s the deal with castor oil for brows? But one of the most popular request, by far, has been the following: What eye cream should I use?
Luckily, this is a question I’m deeply passionate about. I’ve been using eye cream since I was 15 years old (a woman at the mall makeup counter told me I had excessively dry under-eyes, and I will never forget it to this day), and I’ve globbed on more formulas than I can count throughout my career. Suffice it to say, I can rattle off multiple recommendations based on your main skin concern: puffiness, dark circles, fine lines, or just plan ol’ dehydration.
I’ve finally decided to write them all down, if only so I can text my friends this link instead of furiously typing paragraphs the next time they ask for my favorites. I also tapped board-certified dermatologist Morgan Rabach, MD, co-founder of LM Medical, for even more ingredient insights and application tips. Below, find the nine eye creams I’ve personally vetted and will never—ever!—stop recommending.
The Best Eye Creams, Listed
- Best for Dark Circles: Alpyn Beauty Instant Bright Eye Dark Circle Firming Cream
- Best for Puffiness: Ilia Bright Start Activated Eye Cream
- Best for Fine Lines: U Beauty The Return Eye Concentrate
- Best Hydrating: Versed Water Rush Hydrating Eye Gel
- Best Immediately Gratifying: Olehenriksen Banana Bright+ Vitamin C Brightening Eye Crème
- Best for Sensitive Eyes: Ourself HA+ Replenishing Eye Serum
- Best Under Makeup: Naturium Multi-Peptide Eye Cream
- Best Budget: The Inkey List Caffeine De-Puffing + Dark Circle Eye Cream
- Best Splurge: Sisley-Paris Supremÿa at Night the Supreme Anti-Aging Eye Cream
The Best Eye Creams of 2024
Best for Dark Circles: Alpyn Beauty Instant Bright Eye Dark Circle Firming Cream
Best for Puffiness: Ilia Bright Start Activated Eye Cream
Best for Fine Lines: U Beauty The Return Eye Concentrate
Best Hydrating: Versed Water Rush Hydrating Eye Gel
Best Immediately Gratifying: Olehenriksen Banana Bright+ Vitamin C Brightening Eye Crème
Best for Sensitive Eyes: Ourself HA+ Replenishing Eye Serum
Best Under Makeup: Naturium Multi-Peptide Eye Cream
Best Budget: The Inkey List Caffeine De-Puffing + Dark Circle Eye Cream
Best Splurge: Sisley-Paris Supremÿa at Night the Supreme Anti-Aging Eye Cream
What to Look for in an Eye Cream
Ultimately, you should choose an eye cream based on your skin type or any specific goals you’d like to address. For example, if you struggle with dark circles, brightening ingredients like vitamin C or niacinamide will be most helpful; if fine lines are your main gripe, look for formulas with retinol, peptides, or gentle AHAs. Here, Rabach lists the most common actives found in eye creams and what they’re best suited for:
- Caffeine reduces the size of blood vascular decreasing dark circles and puffiness.
- Retinol stimulates collagen production, helping to reduce fine lines.
- Peptides help collagen and elastin production keeping the skin firm.
- Hyaluronic acid hydrates reducing the appearance of fine lines.
- Vitamin C and vitamin E are antioxidants, so they improve skin tone and texture.
In terms of what ingredients to avoid, again, you’ll want to consider your skin type. Those with oily skin should opt for lightweight, gel-base formulas, Rabach says, while people with drier skin might want a thicker confection brimming with skin-plumping hydrators. Those with especially sensitive eyes might want to specifically look for hypoallergenic eye creams; the term has no set definition, but they tend to come fragrance-free and are generally gentler on the skin. “Avoid products with potential irritants like alcohol, dyes, botanicals, or preservatives,” Rabach adds.
FAQ
Do under eye creams really work?
Short answer? Yes, especially if you have specific skin concern with the delicate skin you’d like to target. See, the skin underneath and around the eyes is super thin (it’s one of the thinnest, most sensitive areas of skin on your entire face, in fact!), so it requires extra care.
While you can totally tap your moisturizer on the area, you might find more success with a product tailor-made for the special skin region. “Formulations have special ingredients, like caffeine, to reduce puffiness and dark circles,” says Rabach. Not to mention, the sensitive skin might not be able to handle more potent actives, such as retinol; eye creams that do contain retinol tend to use lower concentrates to account for that sensitivity, Rabach adds.
How should you apply eye cream?
“You should use eye cream both in the morning and evening after cleansing,” says Rabach. I like to apply mine post-serum, pre-moisturizer. “Don’t rub; gently tap,” she adds. Again, the skin underneath the eyes is super sensitive—any rubbing or tugging can create microtears, which only exacerbates puffiness and fine lines. A good rule of thumb is to apply with your ring finger, as that’s typically your weakest digit.
What eye creams do dermatologists recommend?
Rabach personally recommends the Alpyn Beauty Instant Bright Eye Dark Circle Firming Cream (a favorite of mine I listed above!). “It’s an excellent peptide-packed eye cream with visibly brightening niacinamide, fine line-targeting reneseed, and a peachy-pink hue to blur dark circles,” she shares. “It targets fine lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness, and elasticity.”
Source: WhoWhatWear
