The Best Eye Creams For Your Skincare Concerns
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Skincare is a hot topic these days, from viral TikTok videos to the not-so-subtle advice from your mother, best friend, and dermatologist. While most consider sunscreen and moisturizer enough to cover the basics, there are other areas that deserve special attention. Such as: Your eyes. The windows to your soul happen to be protected by some of the most delicate skin youโve got.
According to Dr. Dendy Engleman, MD, FACMS, FAAD, a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and Mohs surgeon, the skin around the eyes is extremely thin and needs a bit of extra TLC, especially as you constantly blink, smile, and strain them throughout the day. โAdding an eye cream to your routine replenishes moisture and has many other benefits,โ Dr. Engleman says. โNo matter what your skin type is, incorporating an eye cream into your skincare routine helps to brighten and smoothen the skin around the eyes.โ
GRACE & STELLA
If Eyes Could Smile Brigthening Eye Cream
In a cute, petite pink pot, this budget-friendly eye cream is an excellent option for someone looking for an all-around eye cream that doesnโt break the bank. It features brightening and hydrating ingredients, like niacinamide, caffeine, and green tea extract, giving your eyes an extra boost before bed or in the early A.M.
While it seems on the smaller side, a dab of this eye cream goes a long way to moisturize the under-eye area. Itโs also a great value if you donโt want to spend a fortune on skincare. That being said, it might not deliver as noticeable results as more expensive formulas. The silky cream texture dries quickly, but if you overdo it, it might create a crease under your eye before applying makeup.
Whether Taco Tuesday shenanigans persuaded you to have another margarita or youโre a new parent and thus on Team No Sleep, sometimes we all wake up with some unsightly puffiness. In addition to applying a cold compress to your eyes, selecting an eye cream that targets this common complaint can help.
This bright orange pump bottle uses a smart combination of peptides and glycolic acid to reduce lines and puffiness while adding two types of vitamin E for a moisture boost. The cream formula is easy to apply, dries fast, and doesnโt leave any residue.
North Carolina-based aesthetician Blair Hayes often felt โridiculousโ advising her clients to buy several eye creams to meet their skincare goals. So, as all entrepreneurs do, she set out on a two-year journey to create a high-quality formula that checked all of the most important boxes.
Celebrities like Emily Maynard now adore her 5-in-1 eye cream, which helps reduce the appearance of fine lines while brightening, hydrating, and protecting. Itโs a superstar for anti-aging because it features DDBD, dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate, dubbed the โtopical Botoxโ peptide. The unique formulation of this eye cream, which comes with a metal applicator, not only cuts down on bacteria from fingers, but it was explicitly designed for lymphatic drainage. It reduces eye wrinkles by helping the muscles to relax and naturally soften.
You probably know vitamin C is powerful for boosting your immune system. But this multi-purpose, hardworking vitamin can also brighten dull or tired skin around your eyes. This eye cream features an impressive 10 percent pure vitamin C, paired with peptides and hyaluronic acid. Because itโs from the cult-followed Kiehlโs brand, itโs not only tested by dermatologists but ophthalmologists, too, making it safe for contact lens users.
In addition to making your eyes pop, the creamy serum reduces the appearance of dark circles, crowโs feet, puffiness, and wrinkles. The small pump bottle is packed with a lightweight potent formula and gently warms as you apply so it absorbs ASAP.
Bigger Than Beautyยฎ Skincare
Defying Gravityโข Eye Lifting Cream
Karissa Bodnar, the founder and CEO of Thrive Causemetics, recently launched a sibling brand, Bigger Than Beauty Skincare, which includes this lifting and brightening cream that creates a plumper-looking under-eye area, making it easier to apply concealer and other products in the morning via a handy squeeze bottle. It uses a proprietary blend of plant emollients that create a silky, absorbent eye cream that helps reduce creases and wrinkles in the delicate skin below your lashes.
The gel-to-cream formula is dermatologist-tested, 100 percent vegan, and sulfate- and paraben-free. Though it might seem like a simple benefit, we appreciate the easy-to-squeeze tube that helps you to get just the tiny amount you need, reducing waste.
Consider Irene Forteโs cult-followed Olive Eye Cream for a splurge-worthy eye cream investment. From the first time you apply the luxe, heavy-but-not-greasy cream, your skin will brighten and hydrate as it absorbs the formula.
During a clinical study conducted by the brand, this eye cream significantly improved moisture in 28 days. This is thanks to its penta-phyto complex that uses vitamin B, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and upcycled olive seed oil to boost radiance and H20.
If sustainability is important to your values โ or you want to give Mother Earth a fighting chance โ youโll also appreciate Irene Forteโs commitment to reducing waste. The glass packaging is refillable, so once youโve used your last drop, you can order a (less expensive) top-up that doesnโt require another bottle.
In your wildest dreams, youโd hop over the Atlantic and book a full spa day at one of the top salons in Europe. In reality, the most important improvements to your skin come from st-home practice and ritual, making the products you choose vital. With this natural eye cream, you benefit from the expertise of a European double-board certified oculofacial plastic surgeon, Dr. Robert Schwarcz. He created his skincare line, Orvos Skin Science, to offer high-performance products that restore the skin. This eye cream is free of parabens, sulfates, toxic preservatives, hydrogenation, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate and palm oil. Plus, it is non-GMO and certified USDA organic.
This eye cream in green packaging features a gold cooling massage applicator, cutting back on bacteria from fingers and making it easy and fast to apply. The hardworking ingredients include green tea extract, coffee seed extract, vitamins, and Bakuchiol, a plant-based retinol alternative. The gel-to-cream formula absorbs fast without leaving a residue behind.
While you canโt bottle the fountain of youth, you can set your sights (and goals) on retinol products. Usually more expensive, it can be worth the investment if you want the benefit of this ingredient. Retinol increases proliferation, which helps to exfoliate and unclog your pores, thus promoting collagen production. Since we lose collagen with age, receiving more makes us look younger and fresher.
This trusted brand offers a recovery eye cream that uses retinol, DNA repair enzymes, and other ingredients to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. The pump bottle dispenses a creamy, absorbent formula that doesnโt leave grease behind. One unique addition to this formula is butterfly bush extract, which helps protect your skin from HEV blue light and environmental factors.
When the founders of Clearstem created their product line, they were trying to solve a timeless conundrum that many women face: how to invest in anti-agingโฆand also fight acne. Often, anti-aging products are creamier and, thus, might not be suitable for very sensitive, zit-prone skin. And acne products work to kill breakouts, often resulting in dry skin, which highlights wrinkles and lines.
To offer the benefits of both camps, Clearstem created a unique formula that hydrates and cuts down on acne. Their star eye cream, BRIGHTEYES, uses caffeine, a potent peptide, and stem cell blend to improve dark circles, cool puffiness, and brightness. Because they care so much about their ingredients and mission, Clearstem made this gel formula safe for all skin types, including the most sensitive. They recommend applying on the eyelid and the undereye for full benefits.
Hands-down (or is it eyes closed?) one of the biggest concerns about the eye area is dark circles. In reality, these rings are sometimes genetic, but they can increase in intensity during periods of stress or little sleep. If you tossed and turned all night and need a pep talk to get out of bed, consider using a powerful eye cream that targets dark circles.
We like this fast-absorbing, lightweight formula that utilizes peptides to decrease dark circles, puffiness, and fine lines. It features marine algae and squalane, which create a smooth finish, concealing any signs of restlessness. The texture is more like a serum than a cream and becomes translucent quickly. Since the first ingredient is water, you can bet it offers killer hydration, too.
We analyzed the ingredients, texture, and packaging of all of our products. By fact-checking, personally testing, and scouring hundreds of reviews, we selected our top picks from various retailers. Our comprehensive list covers many common concerns and skincare goals.
As with any type of skincare product, itโs not always a one-size-fits-all formula. Dr. Engleman recommends considering your skinโs needs and what you are looking to treat โ from fine lines and wrinkles as you age to puffiness, redness, or dark circles from stress, lack of sleep, or genetics. Though many ingredients can improve many concerns, there are a few Dr. Engleman shared as her favorites:
While you shop our guide, consider your goals when using an eye cream. As always, speak with your trusted dermatologist for recommendations since they know your unique skincare needs.
According to Dr. Engleman, the most important thing to remember when applying eye cream is to be gentle. As she explains, you donโt want to spread it around your eyes harshly, but rather dab a pea-sized amount to the eyelid and under-eye area and gently dab the product into the skin.
โYou also want to avoid cross-contamination, so wash your hands before applying eye cream or touching your product,โ she says. โIt is also important to avoid getting eye cream in your eyes, so ensure you donโt apply it too close to the lash lines.โ
It may seem like common sense when applying eye cream, but Dr. Engleman says it is worth checking instructions since some ingredients may pose challenges. For example, an eye cream with caffeine only needs to be applied on the under-eyes to reduce puffiness rather than the eyelid and under-eye.
Yes, Dr. Engelman says. As the skin around the eyes is extremely thinโ 40% thinner than the rest of the skin on your face โ she says this facial region can quickly become inflamed and dehydrated. โApplying a hydrating eye cream with the right concentration of actives and ingredients is important,โ she says. โEye creams can prevent and decrease a variety of skin concerns like puffiness, dark circles and fine lines.โ
Dr. Engleman personally prefers eye creams over eye serums. Generally speaking, you will find the main difference in the productโs texture, as eye serums are more liquid-based and eye creams are a much thicker cream-based product.
โI find that eye creams reap the most benefits as the consistency and formulation really help to hydrate the eye area as an eye serum does no more than what a typical moisturizer would do for the eye area,โ she says. โEye serums can be useful as an add-on to an eye cream routine for added target treatment and hydration, but I wouldnโt use one alone.โ
According to Dr. Engleman, you will want to apply eye cream before moisturizer, as this helps to lock in added hydration surrounding the eye area and can keep irritants from your face cream away from the eyes.
Dr. Engleman explains milia forms from a concentrated build-up of keratin, resulting in small, skin-tag-like raised bumps on the face. โMany people are predisposed to developing milia through genetics or sun damage, but certain eye creams can exacerbate milia,โ she warns. โIf you already experience milia, or want to prevent it, try to steer clear of occlusive eye creams that contain ingredients like mineral oil, beeswax, squalene, or any other ingredient that hinders the skinโs natural exfoliation process.โ
In a pinch, you can use Vaseline as an alternative to eye cream as it is an emollient, which provides the skin with hydration, but Dr. Engleman would not recommend solely using Vaseline as an eye cream โ and certainly not for daily use.
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