The 19 Best Eye Creams of 2023

The eyes are our most sightly sensory structures. However, as we age, our eyes tend to become more sensitive to everyday stressors. The skin around our eyes is thinner and more delicate than the skin on other parts of our face, which is why the first wrinkle to appear as we age is often around the eye area.

Aging eyes can manifest in the form of crow’s feet, discoloration, a sunken look, or the opposite: puffiness. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to give the skin around your eyes some extra love. This can start by incorporating an eye cream into your daily skincare routine. Eye creams are specifically targeted to treat the delicate skin around our eyes, and they do much more than a normal moisturizer could.

Luckily, there are plenty of incredible eye creams on the market that are targeted to different concerns, whether it be fine lines, or puffiness, or dark circles under the eyes. Keep reading to learn about some of the best eye creams on the market so you can determine what product is right for you.

Best Eye Creams

Best Eye Cream Overall: Herbal Dynamics Beauty Vitamin K & Green Tea Brightening Eye Cream

What do you sacrifice by choosing an all-natural eye cream? Absolutely nothing! No harmful chemicals? Check. Great for the environment? Check. Amazing results? Check.

If you’re into clean cosmetics, the Vitamin K & Green Tea Brightening Eye Cream from Herbal Dynamics Beauty is perfect for you. Vitamin K suppresses pigmentation, which reduces the appearance of dark circles. Plus, the anti-inflammatory properties of green tea keep under-eye bags and puffiness under control.

This dream cream also features ultra-hydrating ingredients like aloe vera and hyaluronic acid (which is known to combat the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles) for a bright, hydrated, youthful complexion.

Best Eye Cream for Dark Circles: IT Cosmetics Confidence in an Eye Cream

Is there anything worse than hearing, “You look tired?” It’s basically just the nicer version of “You look terrible.” Even when you’re not actually tired, pigmentation around the eyes can be really difficult to treat.

On the (literal) bright side, IT Cosmetics created Confidence in an Eye Cream. This cream utilizes Drops of Light Technology to alleviate darker pigments around the eyes with a glowy apricot hue. Confidence is an amazing eye cream for dark circles.

This product contains a super ceramide complex, a proven skincare treatment for aging skin. The cream also has avocado oil, squalane, and licorice root, an ingredient often used in topical treatments for hyperpigmentation.

Budget-Friendly Eye Cream: Olay Brightening Eye Cream

Are you on the hunt for an affordable eye cream for dark circles? Look no further than Olay’s Brightening Eye Cream. Formulated with vitamins B3 and C, caffeine, and optic brighteners, this cream targets the skin around your eyes and helps you to appear more youthful and well-rested.

This eye cream can be used both morning and night. Over time, it can help to combat discoloration and reduce fine lines. At just $25, it’s a great alternative to many high-end products that claim to provide the same benefits.

Best Eye Serum for Wrinkles: Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex Firming Eye Serum

The probiotic presence of black tea ferment is a key player in this serum. Probiotics offer anti-aging benefits by restoring acidic skin pH, while the copper peptides in this product allow the skin to regain elasticity.

Why not just rely on a general anti-aging cream? Eye creams target the specific issues that crop up around the eyes, like dry skin.

This firming formula also contains edelweiss stem cells to pack an even bigger anti-aging punch. With antioxidants that help ease and brighten the appearance of age spots, Drunk Elephant’s Shaba Complex Firming Eye Serum is the best eye serum for wrinkles and overall aging.

Best Depuffing Eye Cream: Sunday Riley Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream

On the flip side, are you someone who struggles with puffiness around your eye area? Sunday Riley has you covered. The Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream lifts and depuffs the eye area while also combating the appearance of fine lines and dark circles.

Formulated with caffeine and Brazilian ginseng root, this product is ideal for tired-looking eyes. It can be applied both morning and night and even throughout the day when you need a boost.

Best Cooling Eye Treatment: Herbal Dynamics Beauty Clean & Calm Cucumber Cooling Eye Cream

When you think of cucumbers, you probably get an image of someone at the spa with cucumber slices on their eyes. In addition to depuffing skin, cucumber tightens, brightens, firms, and promotes collagen growth and skin cell turnover.

Because of all of these benefits, cucumber makes for an amazing ingredient in eye creams. The Clean & Calm Cucumber Cooling Eye Cream from Herbal Dynamics Beauty soothes, refreshes, and moisturizes the undereye area. It hydrates, fights puffiness, and works to diminish the appearance of crow’s feet and wrinkles.

In addition to cucumber, this product contains squalane and hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin. This cream also contains peptides to promote cell turnover and renewal, and it reduces facial expression muscle contractions that lead to deep wrinkles.

Best AM Eye Cream: First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy AM Gel Cream

Many eye creams are designed to be used at night. However, it’s important to treat your eyes in the AM as well! Specifically formulated for mornings, First Aid Beauty’s Eye Duty Triple Remedy AM Gel Cream delivers an instant boost of hydration to tired eyes.

This fast-absorbing gel cream contains a blend of tripeptides, which promote collagen production and smooth wrinkles and fine lines. Albizia julibrissin bark extract targets puffiness and dark circles. Finally, seaweed extract locks in moisture throughout the day.

This product can be applied to the entire orbital area, so it’s great if you tend to get puffy around your upper eyelids.

Best Brightening Eye Cream: Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème

This brightening eye cream has a huge fan following, and for a good reason! Rich in vitamin C, the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème targets signs of aging and reduces the appearance of dark circles.

The most unusual trait of this product is that it was inspired by banana powder. This pale yellow cream contains special pigments that help to brighten and color correct the eye area instantly.

Best Illuminating Eye Cream: Tatcha The Pearl Tinted Eye Illuminating Treatment

Tatcha’s The Pearl Tinted Eye Illuminating Treatment is essentially a tinted moisturizer for your under eyes. This skincare product contains Japanese anti-aging superfoods and hyaluronic acid to boost hydration. It also has light-refracting pearl pigments to combat darkness and add radiance.

This formula also contains Tatcha’s famous silk powder, which helps smooth the appearance of fine lines and imperfections. It’s perfect for those who prefer a low-maintenance beauty routine.

Best PM Eye Cream: Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask

You might know Laneige for their famous Lip Sleeping Mask. Did you know they have an Eye Sleeping Mask as well? This leave-on mask formulated with caffeine, vitamin P, and enzymes works to hydrate, depuff, and soothe eyes overnight.

An unique aspect of this product is the packaging. The wand doubles as a tool that can give you a massage as you apply the product gently. So, in addition to reaping the benefits of the product’s ingredients, you can also incorporate a relaxing facial massage into your nighttime skincare regimen.

More Eyes Creams to Consider

There are more products to think about than just our top recommendations. To ensure our list is truly exhaustive, we wanted to go over a few of our honorable mentions.

La Mer The Eye Concentrate

It’s not cheap, but there’s a reason people pay top dollar for this little green pot: it works. Chock-full of luxurious, antioxidant-rich ingredients like algae extract (proven to have anti-aging properties), The Eye Concentrate from La Mer is all about hydration.

The sleek silver-tip applicator helps to regenerate and soothe via microcirculation (pro tip: store it in the refrigerator to keep it cool for extra smoothing and contouring results). In the search for the best anti-aging eye cream, this is a definite treat-yourself elixir for firm, awakened eyes.

Physicians Formula 24-Karat Gold Collagen Eye Cream

After looking at this eye cream’s ingredient list, you would probably be surprised by its $17 price tag! The Physicians Formula 24-Karat Gold Collagen Eye Cream features 24-karat gold, glycerin, and vegan collagen to restore firmness and elasticity.

Infused with gold flecks, this luxurious (yet affordable) cream moisturizes, nourishes, and restores the under-eye area. This quick-absorbing formula can be used both morning and night and leaves behind a beautiful, radiant glow.

SkinCeuticals AOX Eye Gel

Eye cream isn’t meant to be used only when you start noticing fine lines and wrinkles. Taking care of your skin while you’re young can lead to fewer problems later on, so it’s important to start incorporating an eye cream into your routine as soon as possible.

The SkinCeuticals AOX Eye Gel is ideal for young skin, as it can help prevent and combat signs of UV-induced aging. This product contains a combination of antioxidants that can help neutralize free radicals, improve the appearance of under-eye circles, fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and, most importantly, prevent future signs of aging.

If you’re in your 20s or 30s and are looking for an eye cream, this is a great option. Remember—the steps you take now can greatly impact your skin in the long-run.

Supergoop! Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Cream SPF 40

The skin around your eyes is incredibly delicate, and it’s important to protect it at all costs. Using an eye cream infused with SPF is a great way to add a layer of much-needed protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays.

Supergoop! is known for their SPF skincare products, and it’s no surprise their Advanced Anti-Aging Eye Cream is one of the best on the market. In addition to protecting your skin from the sun with an SPF of 40, this mineral eye cream instantly brightens the under-eye area and lessens the appearance of puffiness and dark circles. It’s a win-win all around!

Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

If you’re looking for a simple yet effective product to hydrate your under eyes, you can’t go wrong with Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. This classic formula doesn’t have any crazy claims but instead relies on natural ingredients to revive under eyes.

The avocado oil found in this gentle eye treatment restores the skin’s natural moisture with amino acids, vitamins A, D, E, and potassium. Cocoa butter softens the skin, and shea butter restores skin’s suppleness and protects from dehydration.

Herbal Dynamics Beauty Mango & Green Tea Firming Eye Mask

One of the properties that diminish in our skin as we age is firmness. The Herbal Dynamics Beauty Mango & Green Tea Firming Eye Mask is designed to restore firmness, resulting in younger and brighter looking eyes.

Multiple ingredients are at work in this product. Mango butter softens, while apple extract soothes. Caffeine reduces the look of puffiness and dark circles, and phospholipids replenish the eye area with moisture.

This product is a face mask—so it’s designed to be left on the skin for at least three minutes. After removing, you can follow up with your favorite eye cream to lock in moisture. Store this mask in the fridge for an incredible cooling sensation!

Kiehl’s Youth Dose Eye Treatment

Kiehl’s Youth Dose Eye Treatment uses pro-retinol, vitamin C, glycerin, and grape seed extract to brighten skin and minimize fine lines and dark circles.

Similar to the Ole Henriksen eye cream, this formula acts as a primer. Upon application, it smooths, brightens, and works to combat darkness. Enjoy the appearance of more youthful eyes it gives!

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel

Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Eye Gel-Cream is incredibly lightweight in texture yet packed with skin-loving ingredients. The hyaluronic acid in this formula works to hydrate and smooth skin without leaving behind a greasy finish—making it perfect for those with oily skin.

With a 4.5 star rating on Amazon, it’s safe to say this product is a fan favorite. It can be used both morning and night. The best part about it? It’s less than $20!

CeraVe Eye Repair Cream

If you’re searching for a hydrating eye cream, know that it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. CeraVe’s Eye Repair Cream contains a blend of ceramides, antioxidants, hyaluronic acid, and jojoba oil to tackle dry skin (say goodbye to dry patches and flakes!).

In addition to moisturizing your skin, this cream will work to reduce the look of dark circles, puffiness and restore and repair the delicate skin around your eyes. It’s also fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, and non-comedogenic, making it a great option for those with sensitive skin.

Applying Eye Cream

Eye cream shouldn’t be used too close to your eyes. Follow the feel of your eye socket when you use it on your face. Be sure you don’t go past the socket.

You can easily work eye cream into your normal skincare routine. It’s one of the last few products you want to apply to your face. Products should be used as follows:

1. Cleanser
2. Exfoliant
3. Toner
4. Serum
5. Eye Cream
6. Moisturizer
7. Sunscreen

Another way to remember the order is to go by consistency. You start with watery products like cleansers, chemical exfoliants, and face toners. Next are serums, then lotions. Last are creams, then facial oils to lock in the previous layers.

No matter how short or drawn out your skincare routine is, the last step should always be sunscreen. Applying sunscreen for the face on top of everything ensures you have the best protection against the sun.

Follow this routine day and night, and it shouldn’t be long before you see and feel the results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is eye gel or eye cream better?

Eye creams are good for those who like the texture and have dry skin around the eyes. Gels are excellent if you plan on pairing it with other products. Some people like to apply a light coating of an eye gel during the day and a thick coating of eye cream at night. Others use an eye cream morning and evening.

There’s a time and place for both products. It may take some experimenting to find what’s right for you.

Should I put eye cream on eyelids?

No, you shouldn’t apply eye cream to your top eyelid. Nor should you dab underneath your bottom eyelashes.

When it comes to eye cream, use your ring finger as an applicator. Dab the cream along your eye socket. This leaves a stretch of skin between the eyes clear of product.

What can I use instead of eye cream?

Want to temporarily make do with stuff you have at home? Here are different ways you can treat your eyes:

• Carefully dab coconut oil or olive oil around your eyes.
• Massage in aloe vera gel.
• Ingest more Vitamin E and K.
• Try pouring coffee into an ice tray and freezing it. Then, apply these coffee cubes to your eyes. The cubes can ease swelling and give your skin a glow.

Can Vaseline be used as an eye cream?

While the official Vaseline website gives directions on how to apply petroleum jelly around the eyes, we don’t recommend it. Many products with petroleum jelly warn you not to get it into the eyes. Why take an unnecessary risk when there are numerous eye creams to choose from?

There’s also the fact that petroleum jelly doesn’t truly moisturize your face. It locks in existing moisture without adding any.

What age should I start using eye cream?

There’s really no set age for when you should start using skincare products. Still, many experts agree that the sooner, the better. Skincare products are often just as or even more effective when used as a preventive measure instead of a pure remedy.

Some people might wonder why they should use an eye cream specifically. Why not simply rely on products for the whole face? It’s because eye creams are designed to tend to the skin around the eyes. This skin has a different composition than the rest of the face’s skin.

Conclusion

There you have it! A list of 19 eye creams targeted for every skin concern. We hope this list is helpful as you shop for products to incorporate into your skincare routine.