This creamy, cooling formula gives the prescription stuff a run for its money. The formula's actives comprise a talented team ready to tackle crow's feet and boost radiance, leaving fragrance, dyes, and parabens in the dust, per New York City board-certified dermatologist Lauren Penzi, MD. And beyond simply delivering collagen to your undereyes, it stimulates from-scratch production of the enzymes that firm and soften fine lines over time. "With regular use, patients have definitely noticed a decrease in the appearance of fine lines around the eyes," says Dr. Penzi. The only downside here is the price-to-size ratio, which can end up being prohibitive, but if you can swing it, it's well worth the benjamins. We promise.

Best Tightening: Dr. Loretta Tightening Eye Gel

Why we love it: A bit of life advice? You'll most 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.). It nabbed a 2019 Allure Best of Beauty Award for the best depuffing eye cream on the market and boasts hardworking algae extract to boost collagen production. Peptides step in to tighten under-eye skin, and the brand's proprietary Chromabright complex brightens and fades uneven pigment, making this an excellent pick for dark circles. Another proprietary ingredient, Antioxidant Lipochroman, protects against pollution-caused free radical damage that adds up to wear and tear over time.

Best Depuffing: Peter Thomas Roth Instant Firmx Eye

Why we love it: Undereye bags? Not on Peter Thomas Roth's watch. The Instant Firmx Eye isn't your typical cream—in fact, as a gel treatment, it works best on its own (rather than layered with a creamy formula). Think of it as a quick-fix treatment that delivers near-instant tightening, firming, and smoothing effects (albeit temporary, which is consistent with all non-needle remedies on the market).

Its secret is a potent blend of three skin-tightening silicates, seaweed extract, and peptides, which work together to give your eyes a lifted, refreshed look upon contact with your skin. The silicates rely on good, old-fashioned evaporation to function: "As the product dries, the silicate pulls the area around the skin, making it appear firmer," Javon Ford, a cosmetic chemist based in Los Angeles, shared. Instant gratification much?

Best for Dark Circles: Ole Henriksen Banana Bright+ Eye Crème

Why It's Worth It: The hint of yellow tint in Ole Henriksen's Banana Bright+ Eye Crème instantly brightens and color-corrects dark circles, thanks to a triple vitamin C complex consisting of 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, and ascorbic acid. Hardy orange extract is an antioxidant-rich plant that pairs well with vitamin C and helps to brighten dark spots and curb dullness.

A quick brush-up on vitamin C: the antioxidant "aids skin's natural regeneration process," Patricia Wexler, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously told Allure. No wonder this petite jar has scooped up two Readers' Choice Awards, most recently in 2023. A little goes a long way, and absorbs quickly into skin to deliver fast-working actives. If you want brightening benefits for your entire face, try the brand's Banana Bright+ Instant Glow Moisturizer and Banana Bright+ Vitamin CC Stick.

Best Brightening: Ilia Beauty Bright Start Activated Eye Cream

Why we love it: One of the (many) reasons we love Ilia Beauty's Bright Start Activated Eye Cream is for its ceramic tip, which provides a smooth, cooling sensation as you apply the cream onto your delicate under-eye area. This makes for a great way to depuff before putting on makeup, or, in those crucial moments after zombie-walking out of bed straight into a Zoom meeting. 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.

Light-reflecting pearls illuminate the skin, but the leading player in this airy formula is sea fennel extract, a plant-based alternative to retinol that acts as its primary agent for brightening, firming, and smoothing. Meanwhile, a blend of upcycled avocado extract, caffeine, and peptides minimizes the appearance of puffiness and dark circles. Just further proof that Ilia knows exactly what it's doing (check out our other favorites from the brand while you're at it.)

Tester feedback: "There are very few eye creams with results enticing enough for me to remember to use them—and Ilia Bright Start Retinol Alternative Eye Cream is one of them," says features director Dianna Mazzone Singh. “The creamy formula brightens dark circles over time, while the cooling applicator helps depuff immediately.”

Best Firming: U Beauty The Return Eye Concentrate

Why we love it: U Beauty's The Return Eye Concentrate is a multitasking product that addresses a wide range of skin concerns, including puffy eyes, discoloration, and sagging undereye bags. The brand's proprietary Siren Capsule Technology—consisting of biomimetic plankton extract and peptides—plays a key role in nudging stagnant fluid, contributing to that puffiness, and encouraging collagen production.

While the cream is undeniably rich, it absorbs quickly, leaving a soft-focus glow (which is delightfully inevitable when light-reflecting diamond powder is in the mix). The fast absorption is partly due to the short-chain hyaluronic acid, which means smaller molecules that can penetrate more deeply into the skin instead of the "sitting on top of the skin" sensation. Ceramides are also present to strengthen the skin barrier, a key factor in maintaining long-term skin health.

Best for Sensitive Eyes: Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid Eye Treatment

Why we love it: The Best of Beauty award-winning (in our sensitive-skin category, no less), ophthalmologist-tested Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid Eye Treatment does it all. The formula delivers ceramides to strengthen your skin’s barrier while caffeine helps de-puff, niacinamide brightens, and peptides give your skin a firmer, smoother look. Skinfix’s patent-pending B-L3 complex then steps in to supply the squalane, lipids, and polyglutamic acid—further hydrating and protecting your skin. With such a well-rounded list of sensitive skin/eye ingredients, it’s your go-to for addressing puffiness, fine lines, and dark circles from every angle. It’s lightweight, fragrance-free, and the kind of formula you’ll actually look forward to applying.

Best Retinol Alternative: Innbeauty Extreme Eye Cream

Why we love it: When retinol isn't an option (hi, sensitive-skin girlies), reach for a naturally derived alternative that's just as hardworking—namely, Innbeauty's Extreme Cream. This cream is anchored by bio-retinol, a plant-based retinol dupe, and amino acids that go easy on reactive skin while still firming and smoothing beautifully. Snow mushroom extract and glyceryl glucoside (a hydrating blend of glycerin and glucose) step in with all the moisture, delivering a plump, dewy look. Apply it twice daily to make the most of these skin-loving ingredients.

Best Cooling: Chantecaille Blanc Peony Eye Serum Dark Spot Corrector

Why we love it: Hyperpigmentation around the eyes can be a major bummer—and a natural result of sun damage—but Chantecaille's Blanc Peony Eye Serum Dark Spot Corrector is here to lift that weight right off your shoulders (or your undereyes, rather). This luxurious formula features a brightening blend of thiamidol, white peony, and bitter ginger extract to improve discoloration over time. It also incorporates peptides to firm, depuff, and smooth fine lines. We especially love the pumping metal tip applicator, which ensures a perfectly portioned dose of product every time and delivers a satisfying cooling massage as you apply.

Best Hydrating: Isdin K-Ox Eyes

Why we love it: Isdin K-Ox Eyes might have a hefty price tag for such a small tube, but trust us when we say this 2021 Best of Beauty Award winner is the real deal. The potent serum-cream hybrid 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 most eye creams, don't expect results right away. Consistent use matters in the long run.) The pointed tip on the ceramic applicator is handy for targeting all the nooks and crannies around your eyes without transferring icky germs from your fingers. It's the perfect cooling yet gentle wake-up call.

Other eye creams to consider

• If you have sensitive, dry skin as a result of aging, Augustinus Bader’s The Eye Cream is an ultra-rich, ultra-gentle option teeming with vitamins C and B3 to even tone and make you look more awake. The brightening-and-tightening combo we think is worth the price tag.
• For a formula that delivers retinol-like results without actual retinol, grab a bottle of Lancôme's Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum Eye. The ingredients in this Best of Beauty-winner (like niacinamide and vitamin F) are housed in different chambers, so they can remain as fresh as possible before reaching your skin, where they help smooth fine lines and crows’ feet.
• And if an easygoing retinol is a non-negotiable, RoC’s Retinol Correxion Eye Cream is your girl. The 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 without irritating them.

Eye Cream 101

What does eye cream do?

Here's the deal: "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, explains at Brown Dermatology, previously explained. It makes sense that you'd want a concentrated cream to address this delicate area susceptible to forming fine lines and crow's feet.

What's more: "As we hit our 30s, hyaluronic acid, our skin's natural water absorber and plumper, begins to decline," Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Connecticut, shares—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 fudge a full night's sleep.

How to apply eye cream

The rule of thumb is to use your ring finger to gently tap the eye cream into your skin since you're dealing with the thinnest area on your face. Dr. Kim has a process that may reduce puffiness or, at the very least, make it feel calm. "I dot [eye cream] around the eyes, place my index finger on the upper eyelid area and third finger on the lower eyelid area, and rub it in as I'm doing a lymphatic massage," he says. Just make sure you've thoroughly washed your hands first.

Do eye creams really work?

Ultimately, it comes down to the level of prevention you desire. "Because they are landing on thinner skin, eye creams tend to be thicker—a higher amount of oil, less water—than facial moisturizers," Dr. Gohara explains, 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.

However, finding the right eye cream is another ordeal, as Dr. Kim points out. "I see a lot of patients with milia around the eyes from using Vaseline or eye creams that are too heavy," he says.

When should I start using eye cream?

Dr. Kim recommends incorporating eye cream starting in your mid-20s, which is "slightly before we start to lose noticeable amounts of collagen and our skin starts to lose firmness and the ability to hold on to moisture," he explains. Whereas younger people might fare better with light, gel-like textures, he recommends people in their 30s reach for slightly richer, lotion-like eye creams with retinol, peptides, and vitamin C. If you struggle with dark circles, brightening ingredients such as vitamin C, kojic acid, tranexamic acid, arbutin, and licorice root "help decrease skin pigmentation over time, ultimately resulting in the lightening of the dark circles," Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, previously said.

Once you hit your 40s, seek out creamy, rich eye creams infused with retinol, peptides in higher percentages, and antioxidants to get the maximum line-smoothing and plumping benefits. "With repeated use, retinol can stimulate collagen production, making the skin less thin," Dr. Nazarian explained. (Remember: If you use a retinol-enhanced eye cream, don't forget to wear sunscreen—you should be using SPF regardless—or check out our curation of the best eye creams with SPF.)

Meet the experts

• David Kim, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City at Idriss Dermatology
• Tiffany Jow Libby, MD, a Rhode Island-based, board-certified dermatologist at Brown Dermatology
• Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Connecticut
• Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City
• Patricia Wexler, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
• Javon Ford, a cosmetic chemist based in Los Angeles
• Lauren Penzi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City

How we test and review products

When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.

For our list of the best eye creams, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.

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A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.