The 11 Best Eye Creams for Smoother Under-Eyes

SkinMedica TNS Eye Repair is the best all-around eye cream on this list, because its growth factor complex works on crepey texture, fine lines, and dryness in one product instead of three. It is the pick for someone who wants a single jar to handle general aging around the eyes. The texture is rich without sitting on top of the skin.

Growth factor formulas are slow, so plan around that. Most people see texture soften around week eight and firmness around month three, which is why quitting at six weeks is the most common mistake with this category.

SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye is built for crepey, loose skin, because it targets glycation, the process where sugar molecules stiffen the collagen you already have. That makes it the right choice when the skin under your eyes looks thin and papery rather than pigmented.

Also, the formula doubles as a primer, so concealer sits on top instead of settling into creases. Apply it and wait a full minute before makeup, since rushing that step is what causes the creasing you are trying to avoid.

Obagi ELASTIderm Eye Cream focuses on elasticity, because its bi-mineral and malonic acid blend is formulated to help skin bounce back rather than just sit hydrated. Use it when the issue is a lid or under-eye that has lost its snap.

From there, consistency matters more than amount. Twice a day, morning and night, beats a thick layer once a day, and a jar lasts several months at the correct rice-grain dose.

La Roche-Posay Redermic R Eye is the best retinol option for a smaller budget, because it pairs pure retinol with enough buffering to keep the eye area from flaking. Retinoids remain the most studied topical for wrinkles, and this is an easy way to get one near the eyes.

Start slowly, since the skin around your eyes is thinner than the skin on your cheeks. Two nights a week for the first month, then every other night, then daily if your skin stays calm. If you want the same active for the rest of your face, our retinol creams and serums cover every strength.

Murad Vita-C Eyes is the pick for dark circles caused by pigment, because vitamin C slows the enzyme your skin uses to make excess melanin. Pigment-based circles look brown rather than blue and stay the same shade when you press on them gently.

Just know that pigment fades slowly and comes back fast with sun. Pair it with daily SPF or you will spend three months undoing what one beach weekend put back, and read up on what causes dark circles before you buy anything.

ISDIN K-Ox Eyes targets circles caused by blood pooling, because vitamin K and peptides address the leaky capillaries that give the under-eye a blue or purple cast. This is the type that gets worse when you are tired or dehydrated.

• Blue or purple tint that lightens when you gently stretch the skin means blood vessels

• Brown or tan that stays put when you stretch means pigment

• A shadow that disappears when you tilt your chin up means hollowing, not color

• Circles that worsen with allergy season usually trace back to rubbing and congestion

• Hollowing responds to filler, not cream, so know which one you have before you spend

Whichever type you are dealing with, the stretch test takes five seconds in good light. Getting it wrong is the reason so many people decide eye creams do not work.

Murad Targeted Eye Depuffer handles morning puffiness, because the chilled metal tip plus caffeine moves fluid that settled overnight. It is a short-term fix rather than a treatment, and it is honest about that.

On top of that, sleeping with your head slightly elevated does half the work for free. If puffiness is a daily problem rather than an occasional one, our under-eye puffiness picks go deeper than a single rollerball.

Revision D.E.J. Eye Cream suits dryness and fine lines together, because it is built around strengthening the dermal-epidermal junction, the layer where the two parts of your skin meet. That focus makes it a good bridge between a hydrator and a treatment.

It also spreads further than it looks, which saves money over a year. Warm a rice-grain amount between your ring fingers first so you are not dragging thick cream across thin skin.

CeraVe Eye Repair Cream is the best option for sensitive skin and a tight budget, because it leans on ceramides and hyaluronic acid rather than actives that can sting. Nothing in it is going to irritate a reactive eye area.

Still, set your expectations to match. This one hydrates and smooths the look of fine lines; it is not going to move stubborn pigment, and it makes a good buffer layer under a retinol on the nights you use one.

Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 combines treatment, tint, and SPF 35, because it is designed to correct the look of circles immediately while protecting against the sun exposure that deepens them. It is the most practical option if you only have room for one morning step.

The tint comes in a few shades, so match it to your under-eye rather than your foundation. Under-eye skin usually runs a shade lighter, and a mismatch reads as a bright patch in photos.

EltaMD UV AOX Eye is the best daily prevention pick, because mineral SPF 30 plus antioxidants stops the UV damage that causes most under-eye discoloration in the first place. Mayo Clinic names sun exposure as a direct cause of dark circles, and prevention is cheaper than correction every time.

Even so, most people skip sunscreen on the eyelids because ordinary formulas sting. This one is made to sit there without running, which is the whole reason a separate eye sunscreen exists.

Use a rice-grain amount per eye, because more product does not absorb and simply migrates into your eyes overnight. Pat it along the orbital bone with your ring finger, staying about a half centimeter away from the lash line. The formula will spread toward your eye on its own as it warms up.

• Apply after serums and before moisturizer, on clean dry skin

• Pat, never rub, since tugging thin skin makes laxity worse over time

• Keep retinol and vitamin C at opposite ends of the day if either one stings

• Take a weekly photo in the same light instead of judging in the mirror daily

• Give it 8 to 12 weeks before you decide whether it is working

One more thing: sleep, allergies, and sun do more to your under-eyes in a week than most creams do in a month. Fix those first and the cream has a much easier job.

Matching the cream to the cause beats spending more on a fancier jar. Growth factors and retinol handle lines and thinning skin, vitamin C and vitamin K handle the two different kinds of dark circles, caffeine handles puffiness, and daily SPF keeps you from undoing the rest. Run the stretch test, pick one product, and stay on it for three months.

If you would rather compare formulas side by side, browse our full range of eye creams and filter by concern. Our team can also tell you which of these plays nicely with the retinol or vitamin C you are already using.

This content on this page is for general information only and is not medical advice. Always speak to a dermatologist before starting a new skincare routine.