Key takeaways
- Eye creams can range from $9 to more than $100, and no single product can address all concerns.
- To find the best eye cream for you, focus on finding one with ingredients proven to target your specific concerns.
- Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream is our pick for the best eye cream overall.
Are eye creams actually helpful? It’s a question on many people’s minds as quality skin care is in the limelight.
A fair number of people believe eye creams are helpful for them, and others don’t believe they work. That’s why we asked an expert for some details and lessons on whether eye creams are actually worth it, what to look for in one, and how to know if you need one.
But with tons of products to choose from, how can you decide which eye cream would be best for you? Let alone which condition you’d want or need to target.
Got a specific goal in mind? Take a look at our top picks and read our expert’s insight on the all-seeing eye (creams).
Patch test new products
New products are fun to try, but they could have irritants you’re not aware of or ingredients your skin is not used to. Try out your new product by applying a dab to a patch of skin, like your inner elbow, so you can gauge the reaction.
Every body is different
Everyone's skin is unique and different. What works for one person may not work with another. Talk with a dermatologist if you're not finding anything that suits your needs.
• hyaluronic acid
• dark circles
• beta-carotene
• sodium PCA
• dryness
• brightens
• hyaluronic acid
• niacinamide
• puffy eyes
• hyaluronic acid
• paracress extract
• squalane
• wrinkles
• dryness
• eye bags
• epigallocatechin gallatyl glucoside
• dark circles
• palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7
• retinyl palmitate
• boron nitride
• wrinkles
• dryness
• unwanted texture
• cucumber fruit extract
• calendula officinalis extract
• salicylic acid
• coffee seed extract
• dark circles
• dryness
• dark circles
• puffy eyes
SPF is key!
Retinol is a helpful ingredient that helps skin in various ways. However, it leaves your skin more sensitive. Wear at least 30 SPF when you use any products containing retinol.
The products on this list were hand-selected by dermatologists, makeup artists, skin care experts, and our medical review team. Each product contains powerful ingredients that have a proven track record for delivering the results people want from their eye cream.
All the products below have been vetted to ensure that they meet Healthline’s medical and business standards. Read more about our process.
Eye creams are specialized to moisturize and tighten the skin under your eyes, which tends to be thinner and pretty sensitive. These creams can be helpful when that skin starts to show signs of stress, such as dark circles, puffiness, redness, and more.
Eye creams can also help prepare the skin for makeup and help even skin tone if that’s something you’re looking for.
The benefits from your eye cream will vary slightly depending on the type you choose and how the ingredients interact with your skin.
Here are some of the potential benefits of eye creams:
- slow the signs of aging with ingredients like peptides and retinol
- reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with ingredients like retinol, peptides, and hyaluronic acid
- minimize puffiness with ingredients like caffeine, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid
- lighten the appearance of dark circles with ingredients like vitamin C and peptides
- prep skin for makeup with hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and peptides
- protect skin from environmental damage with antioxidants like vitamins C and E
- refresh tired eyes with ingredients like caffeine and hyaluronic acid
When you’re looking for an eye cream, first figure out what you want the product to do. Do you want to decrease under-eye circles? Are you looking for a product that depuffs?
Then, think about your skin type. Is your skin sensitive, oily, or dry? If you have sensitive skin, look for something that’s fragrance-free or hypoallergenic. If you have dry skin, look for products with moisturizing properties. And if you have oily skin, look for a lightweight product.
Next, keep in mind which ingredients do what. For example:
- Antioxidants: Antioxidant ingredients like green tea extract and blackberry leaf extract can help reduce the effects of oxidative stress on your skin. They can help prevent wrinkles from developing.
- Peptides: Peptide ingredients encourage collagen production under your skin, which firms and brightens your skin’s appearance.
- Hyaluronic acid: Hyaluronic acid gently exfoliates your skin while helping moisture penetrate the skin layer.
- Vitamin C: Vitamin C boosts your skin’s brightness and can help correct pigments and toning inconsistencies in your skin.
- Caffeine: Caffeine can help stimulate the under-eye area to keep the blood flowing and help mellow any inflammation.
- Niacinamide: This ingredient
is used in many skin care products to target unwanted discrepancies in skin tone and uneven skin texture.
Keep in mind that eye creams vary widely in price. You can buy a product that works for less than $10, or you can splurge and spend over $200 for a medical-grade product. Price points vary according to brand-name recognition and the quality of the ingredients used.
Be realistic about your expectations. Know that no product can do it all, no matter how much it costs.
Most eye creams are meant to be applied twice per day. For quick-absorbing formulas, it’s common to apply the cream once when you wake up and once before bed.
Some formulas have more specific instructions. Many products work best in a beauty routine that includes other products, such as moisturizer, cleanser, and toner.
“I typically recommend applying your eye cream before your facial moisturizer and after gently cleansing the skin. Eye creams usually have more potent ingredients than a typical facial moisturizer so you want to get the ‘most bang for your buck’ by applying your potent eye cream first,” said Paul.
If you wear contact lenses or are prone to dry eye, be aware that certain eye cream ingredients, including retinoids like retinol, can make your eyes feel drier.
Make sure to store eye cream in a cool, dry place. And remember that skin care products, like eye creams, don’t last forever. After 6 months, products should be replaced.
Finding the right skin care products can be tricky. So, it’s best to talk with a dermatologist if you have any questions about what products to include in your skin care routine.
If you experience any reactions, like redness or other color changes, rash, or irritation, after using a new skin care product, stop using it and consider talking with a dermatologist. They can help you figure out what caused the reaction and recommend a better product for your skin.
Eye cream can be helpful to minimize the look of fine lines, dark circles, and reduce puffiness. If you’re just looking for a little hydration, you may be able to use your moisturizer instead, but it may not work the best. Really, the importance of eye cream depends on what you’re hoping it will do.
Typically, eye cream is applied every 12 hours. It’s usually applied once in the morning and after washing the face in the evening.
Eye cream can be used in the morning, evening, or both. The skin around the eye area is more fragile and more likely to develop fine lines. Depending on the type of eye cream you use, it could help reduce puffiness, hydrate the skin, and slow the development of fine lines.
Some skin care lovers swear by having a specific product to apply to their under-eye area. But many people claim plain old moisturizer works just fine.
When you’re purchasing an eye cream, try to keep your expectations realistic. Remember that no one product can solve all of your skin care needs.
Read ingredient lists, and be open to trying a couple of different products before you find the one that works right for you.