Table of Contents
The Best Eye Creams for 2023
YOUR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE BEST EYE CREAMS
Fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles — all of these and more can plague one of the most sensitive parts of our face: the under eyes. Having healthy-looking eyes can make or break our entire look; puffy bags make us look exhausted and sunken dark circles under our eyes make us look like one of those zombies in horror movies.
That’s where delicate eye creams come in. Since the skin under our eyes is known to be sensitive, and thus is one of the first parts of our skin to show early signs of aging, there has been no shortage of eye cream products aimed to solve such woes.
There are plenty of products that target specific problems. Certain creams work best for collagen production, others for reducing the appearance of dark circles. Some zap away fine lines and others plump with hyaluronic acid.
Without further ado, let’s get to know all the best eye creams on the market and which one is the best for your skin care routine!
WHAT ARE THE BEST EYE CREAMS?
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged ComplexEstée Lauder's eye cream is our top overall eye cream as it reduces puffiness, reduces signs of aging and it can works as a heavy moisturizing night cream. | Mizon Snail Repair Eye CreamTo achieve that Korean glow, the Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream includes snail mucin that keeps skin youthful and has moisturizing components. | Mario Badescu Hyaluronic Eye CreamIf you prefer light eye creams, the Mario Badescu offers a cream that has a lightweight formula. Not only that, it also retains moisture and reduces wrinkles and fine lines. |
Functionality: Quality: Price: | Functionality: Quality: Price: | Functionality: Quality: Price: |
LET’S GO OVER EACH EYE CREAM
#1: ESTÉE LAUDER ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR EYE SUPERCHARGED COMPLEX
This famed skincare and makeup brand nabs our top spot for the best eye cream in the market. Their Eye Supercharged Complex cream is perfect for those who need a good de-puffing, has a thin skin, oily skin, sensitive skin, or anyone who simply wants to fend off early signs of aging.
It’s loaded with tons of antioxidants, thanks to all the fruit extracts in the formula. What you get is a potent brightening effect as well as a repaired skin barrier that is no longer dull and dark, but full of life. Time to say goodbye to zombie’s eyes, for good!
PROS AND CONS OF THE EL NIGHT REPAIR SUPERCHARGED COMPLEX CREAM
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Great for depuffing eyes ✔️ Moisturizing and creamy ✔️ Loaded with antioxidants | ✖️ A little pricey |
#2: MIZON SNAIL REPAIR EYE CREAM
The K-beauty-inspired glass skin look does not include baggy under-eyes, thank you very much! If you’re looking for an eye cream that will fit right into your 10-step Korean skincare routine, then this one might do the trick.
Made of 80% snail mucin, this cream nourishes, speeds up skin regeneration, and locks in moisture within your under-eye area. Don’t believe it? Snail mucin is a potent multi-tasker known to boost collagen production within the skin, which results in an extra youthful appearance. It’s also packed with hydration and ingredients that lock in moisture, and hydration is one of the cornerstones of Korean beauty. This rich cream can work for mature skin and sensitive skin types as this eye gel cream protects the skin barrier, keeps the skin hydrated, and strengthen skin elasticity.
PROS AND CONS OF THE MIZON SNAIL REPAIR EYE CREAM
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Includes snail mucin ✔️ Boosts collagen for a youthful appearance ✔️ Locks in moisture | ✖️ Little visible difference on dark circles |
#3: MARIO BADESCU HYALURONIC EYE CREAM
This cream is a little too good to be true: it’s super hydrating (it’s not named Hyaluronic Eye Cream for nothing!) without being greasy, and it’s lightweight while still being effective. No need to worry about pillow stains the next day. Additionally, it helps reduce the appearance of all those pesky under-eye area issues like fine lines and wrinkles or dryness from the sun.
The downside is it’s pricier than some of the others on this list, but a little goes a long way. You’ll find that just a small amount can do wonders for your face. We’d recommend this for those who suffer from dry undereyes as well as those who prefer a fast-absorbing cream.
PROS AND CONS OF THE MARIO BADESCU HYALURONIC EYE CREAM
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Filled with hydrating hyaluronic cream ✔️ Lightweight ✔️ Reduces fine lines, wrinkles, and dryness | ✖️ Expensive |
#4: CETAPHIL HYDRATING EYE CREAM + SERUM
Our next product is an eye serum + cream hybrid, formulated with skincare favorite hydrating hyaluronic acid. We love that this product is mild, fragrance-free, and suitable for delicate skin, sensitive skin, or thin skin, much like the rest of Cetaphil’s products.
If you want to add another product into your sensitive skin care routine without worrying about potential breakouts, this serum-slash-cream product is a safe bet! It also has just enough hydrating benefits to keep your face looking.
PROS AND CONS OF THE CETAPHIL HYDRATING EYE CREAM + SERUM
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Mild formula ✔️ Fast-absorbing ✔️ Compatible with all skin types | ✖️ Pricier than others |
#5: THE INKEY LIST BRIGHTEN-I EYE CREAM
Want to brighten up those or reduce dark circles in a jiffy? The Inkey List has a skincare-slash-makeup hybrid just for brightening dark circles. Their brightening eye cream works great as a quick primer on no-makeup days, all while slowly working to make your dark undereye circles brighter over time, making your skin tone even!
Not all eye creams have a potent vitamin c, did we also mention that this cream for dark circles is four times more potent than Vitamin C? That’s a huge promise. We recommend this eye cream for dark circles to use daily as it includes ingredients that protect your skin texture from damage caused by sun exposure, and lighten dark circles.
PROS AND CONS OF THE INKEY LIST BRIGHTEN-I EYE CREAM
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Doubles as a makeup primer ✔️ Good for day use ✔️ Light, brightening effect | ✖️ Not suitable for night use |
#6: LUXE ORGANIX BRIGHT EYES EYE CREAM
In skincare, plenty of the best ingredients are the ones that we wouldn’t even think of putting on our face. The Luxe Organix Bright Eyes Eye Cream contains 80% galactomyces ferment filtrate, which is a type of fungus that is found in the fermented Japanese alcohol beverage sake.
But for such a unique main ingredient, the Luxe Organix eye cream is one of the most accessible drugstore eye cream on our list. You can buy it online or find it at almost any drugstore or beauty store.
This affordable eye cream can last you a long time. As for its benefits, that fungus we mentioned earlier has a ton. These include enhancing the moisture barrier, repairing mild signs of aging, and lightening dark spots. Coupled with niacinamide, adenosine, and caffeine, the formula soothes puffy eyebags while brightening the under-eye area.
PROS AND CONS OF THE LUXE ORGANIX BRIGHT EYES EYE CREAM
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Brightens under eye area and de-puffs eyebags ✔️ Contains 80% galactomyces, a fungus that helps retain moisture ✔️ Accessible | ✖️ Small package |
#7: POND’S AGE MIRACLE EYE CREAM
We’ve mentioned retinol above, but really, we can’t talk about it enough. This mighty ingredient speeds up skin cell turnover and promotes skin regeneration for plumper-looking skin. The vitamin A derivative is a powerhouse when it comes to reversing signs of aging, so it’s no surprise we’ve found it in the formula of the best eye cream for anti-aging, removal of crow’s feet, and skin sagging.
This brightening eye cream firms, tightens, and removes the appearance of wrinkles and crow’s feet in order to reveal young-looking bright eyes. Use this at night and apply sunscreen in the morning as the retinol eye cream like this can increase photosensitivity.
PROS AND CONS OF THE POND’S AGE MIRACLE EYE CREAM
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Brightens under eye area and de-puffs eyebags ✔️ Contains 80% galactomyces, a fungus that helps retain moisture ✔️ Accessible | ✖️ Small package |
#8: ORIGINS GINZING REFRESH
So, there are a bunch of things we love about the Origins Ginzing eye gel cream, but the first one would have to be the super cool formula. On the ingredient list you have natural jojoba wax, green tea, and caffeine from coffee beans, and most importantly, Panax Ginseng. What exactly is Panax Ginseng, you might ask? Well, in the skincare world, ginseng is a powerful antioxidant most popular in Korea.
The superfood/medicinal herb/potent antioxidant is basically a powerhouse, and in skincare, it helps brighten dull skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines, and even balance oil production. Paired with the coffee extract in the formula of the product and you have a pretty great eye treatment that’ll reduce puffiness and dullness in your delicate under eye skin. Oh, and did we mention it’s vegan, too?
PROS AND CONS OF THE ORIGINS GINZING REFRESH
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Includes ginseng, a powerful antioxidant ✔️ Balances oil production ✔️ Vegan | ✖️ Expensive |
#9: AHC THE PURE REAL EYE CREAM FOR FACE
Our next pick for the best eye cream in the market, this eye gel cream is over 91% natural and also clinically tested. Results of the studies show that the cream is, in fact, effective in warding off signs of aging like fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, dark circles — you know, the works. Basically, the product helps lift the skin around the eyes by improving the elasticity of the dermis through ultrafine microemulsion particles.
And if you’re wondering why the product name says “for Face,” that’s because this eye gel isn’t actually just for your eyes! You can also use it all over your face to smooth out some problem areas there, too. Lastly, this eye cream for dark circles is fit for day use as well as night use.
PROS AND CONS OF THE AHC THE PURE REAL EYE CREAM FOR FACE
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Great for depuffing eyes ✔️ Moisturizing and creamy ✔️ Loaded with antioxidants | ✖️ A little pricey |
#10: SKIN GENIE ANTI-EYEGING
Our penultimate pick for this list, we’ve named it the best dedicated eye cream for those on a tight budget. This is for all those naysayers out there that think under-eye treatment products are a huge waste of money. Thanks to local innovators, now we can enjoy bright eyes free of the look of dark circles, wrinkles, and fine lines, without spending a fortune.
Fans of the cooling sensation of jade rollers or those pain relief rollers you can find at the local drugstore are sure to love this product. Instead of a cream or gel formula that comes in a bottle/tube/jar/what have you, this one is actually a roll-on. So not only are you treating your eyes to all these wonderful anti-aging ingredients in the formula, you’re actually giving them a massage, too in the skin underneath and blood vessels. If you’re prone to staying up at night, then you’ll know that your eye area is in desperate need of some massaging!
PROS AND CONS OF THE SKIN GENIE ANTI-EYEGING
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Helps eliminate early signs of aging ✔️ Budget-friendly ✔️ Helps improve blood circulation in undereye area | ✖️ Not as moisturizing as creams/gels |
#11: PIXI COLLAGEN EYE SERUM
Finally, we’re rounding up this extensive list with a serum that is just perfect, perfect, perfect for oily skin types. Why, you may ask? If you absolutely despise the feeling of putting on moisturizer, creams, serums, or any other product that makes your face feel greasier than it already is, then you’re in for a treat.
Pixi’s Collagen Eye Serum is lightweight and fast-absorbing while still hydrating your under-eye area behind the scenes. Best for daily use!
PROS AND CONS OF THE PIXI COLLAGEN EYE SERUM
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Helps eliminate early signs of aging ✔️ Budget-friendly ✔️ Helps improve blood circulation in undereye area | ✖️ Not as moisturizing as creams/gels |
DOES EYE CREAM ACTUALLY WORK?
Full disclosure, eye creams and gel eye cream have been the center of heated discourse within the skincare-slash-beauty community. Many experts believe that eye cream is nothing more than a glorified moisturizer with little to no special use, while others think that the skin around the eyes needs a more specifically-formulated product to avoid irritation. We’ve actually written a little something about it on the website, which you can read here.
To summarize, in the Venn diagram of expert opinions about eye cream, you’ll find that most of them agree on one thing: there are certain ingredients that help. These include retinol, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, peptides, vitamin C, vitamin e, and antioxidants. Find these ingredients in a cream, and there’s a huge chance they’re effective.
Retinol eye cream helps speed up cell turnover while hyaluronic acid and ceramides helps your dehydrated skin feel skin moisturized. There are also natural extracts like shea butter and avocado oil that are fantastic for almost any skin type. Now, be sure to take note of these ingredients, because you’ll find them in the creams we recommend below.
But to answer the question: yes, there is an eye cream that actually works.
SHOULD YOU USE EYE CREAM EVERY DAY?
The answer is a resounding YES! The delicate eye skin is prone to aging, puffiness, and dark circles, and using eye cream daily can help keep these issues at bay. Eye creams are specially formulated to hydrate and nourish the skin around the eyes, and they contain ingredients that can stimulate collagen production and promote cell turnover.
Using eye cream every day can also help prevent and minimize fine lines and deep wrinkles in your sensitive skin, making the skin around your eyes look smoother and more youthful. Using eye creams will help mitigate skin concerns, and brighten dark circles in your undereye skin, for less tired eyes. Plus, incorporating this step into your daily skincare routine can be a relaxing and pampering way to start or end your day.
In the world of beauty, consistency is key when it comes to skincare. So, if you want to maintain healthy and youthful-looking skin around your eyes, using an eye cream every day is a must. Trust me, your eyes will thank you!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the best anti-aging eye cream to get rid of fine lines and wrinkles?
There are plenty of wonderful eye creams in the market that are approved by a board-certified dermatologist and have formulas specifically to target early signs of aging. We’ve included a few of them in the guide above, including the EL Advanced Repair, Skin Genie Anti-EYEging, and Pond’s Age Miracle Eye Cream.
One we haven’t yet mentioned is the Neutrogena Hydro-boost Eye Gel Cream, which boasts a few anti-aging properties apart from its hydrating formula.
Another popular one is the Ole Henricksen Banana Bright Eye brightening eye cream. Banana Bright Eye boasts a formula packed with banana powder, vitamin C, and vitamin E to zap away stubborn fine lines and wrinkles.
Side note: banana powder, according to the product’s creator Ole Henriksen, is a secret ingredient from plenty of makeup artists for countering dark circles. Who knew?
These products all have formulas that stimulate collagen production as well as speed up the turnover of skin cells, both important processes to achieve a youthful appearance and smooth fine lines. Collagen is an important protein when it comes to revitalizing skin.
Is there an eye cream that actually works?
With so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for your needs, but there are a few key ingredients to look for when searching for an effective eye cream.
One of the most important ingredients to look for is retinol. Retinol is a powerful ingredient that can help to stimulate collagen production and increase skin cell turnover, which can help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles over time.
Hyaluronic acid is another key ingredient to look for in an eye cream. This can help to increase skin hydration, which can make the skin around your eyes appear smoother and more supple.
Vitamin C is another powerful ingredient that can help to brighten the under-eye area and reduce the appearance of dark circles. It can also help to protect the skin from environmental damage, such as UV rays and pollution.
There are also some specific eye creams that have been clinically proven to work. For example, the Olay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum is a popular option that has been shown to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes.
Ultimately, the best eye cream for you will depend on your individual needs and concerns. It’s important to choose an eye cream that is formulated for your specific skin type and to use it consistently to see the best results. With the right ingredients and approach, you can find an eye cream that actually works for you.
What is the best treatment for aging eyes?
The skin around our eyes is one of the first places to show signs of aging, including fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging. Fortunately, there are several effective treatments that can help improve the appearance of aging eyes.
One of the best treatments is to use a high-quality eye cream that contains ingredients like retinol, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C. These ingredients can help to stimulate collagen production, increase skin hydration, and brighten the under-eye area. Using an eye cream consistently can help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles over time.
Another effective treatment for aging eyes is to use a targeted serum or treatment that is formulated to address specific concerns, such as dark circles or puffiness. Look for products that contain caffeine, arnica, or vitamin K.
In addition to using topical treatments, it’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent further damage to the skin around the eyes. This includes getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding smoking and excessive sun exposure.
If you’re looking for a more immediate solution, cosmetic treatments such as fillers, Botox, or laser resurfacing can help to address deeper wrinkles or sagging skin. However, it’s important to consult with a qualified dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon before undergoing any of these treatments.
Overall, the best treatment for aging eyes is a combination of targeted skincare products, a healthy lifestyle, and possibly cosmetic treatments, depending on the severity of the concerns. With the right approach, you can help to keep your eyes looking youthful and radiant for years to come.
CONCLUSION
If eyes are the windows to the soul, then your under-eye area should look just as dazzling! We hope this guide was helpful in helping you find the best products for your skin’s needs. Have any experiences, thoughts, or tips and tricks to share? Let us know in the comments below!
Until then, check out the best content on beauty and skincare right here!
Editor’s Choice
ESTÉE LAUDER ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR SUPERCHARGED COMPLEX
Struggle with de-puffing your undereye area? No problem. This famed eye cream is known to help immensely with dark circles and puffiness, as well as fine lines and wrinkles. If you have a damaged barrier, then this cream is perfect for you.
It’s packed with nourishing ingredients that will restore life to your skin, including all the antioxidants found in fruit extracts (this cream has plenty of them) and caffeine extracts. The cream also includes sodium hyaluronate, a cousin of the popular hydrating ingredient, hyaluronic acid.
Joey is an AB Psychology graduate of the University of St. La Salle – Bacolod. Her life’s passions include writing, film, and spending hours on end binge-watching fashion vloggers on Youtube.