16 Best Eye Creams to Address Dark Circles, Puffiness, & Fine Lines on All Skin Types

Best for Tightening: Peter Thomas Roth Instant Firmx Eye

Why we love it: Undereye bags? Not on our watch. Peter Thomas Roth Instant Firmx Eye isn’t your typical eye cream—in fact, as a treatment, it works best on its own without one. Think of it as a quick-fix treatment that delivers instant (but temporary) tightening, firming, and smoothing effects. 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 as soon as they come into contact with your skin.

Tester feedback: Shopping market editor Angela Trakoshis doesn't drink coffee, so she'll take any product that can make her look awake. “The Peter Thomas Roth Instant FirmX Eye is like a real-life filter for your under-eyes," she says. Trakoshis adds that in just minutes, it smooths, tightens, and erases any trace of puffiness or fine lines—it’s actual magic in a tube. "It’s my go-to for looking instantly awake, even when I'm running on three hours of sleep.”

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. It's no wonder this petite jar has swooped up two Readers' Choice Awards — most recently in 2023. If you want brightening benefits for your entire face, the brand launched Banana Bright+ Instant Glow Moisturizer and Banana Bright+ Vitamin CC Stick.

Tester feedback: "Ole Henriksen's eye cream makes my weary under-eyes look instantly more awake, thanks to light-reflecting pigments," says commerce editor Sarah Han. “It goes on like butter and helps prevent my concealer from creasing throughout the day. It's an A.M. essential.”

Best Smoothing: Lancôme Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum Eye

Why we love it: Lancôme's skin care has never let us down, and the Allure Best of Beauty award-winning Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum Eye is no exception. The key ingredients—a snake venom-inspired (yes, you read that correctly) peptide, niacinamide, and essential fatty acid vitamin F—are housed in different chambers, where they can remain as fresh as possible before reaching your skin. Thanks to its smart packaging, which combines the ingredients only when you pump it out, you’re guaranteed the most potent dose of its firming, brightening, and smoothing powers.

Tester feedback: "What really makes this do-it-all eye serum so impressive for me is that it's made with a synthetic version of a peptide found in snake venom, which is what creates the look and feel of tighter, lifted undereyes," says Sarah Kinonen, associate beauty director. "And as someone in their early 30s, who is starting to physically see the effects of sleepless nights, I've started using this treatment every morning and night to combat tired undereyes."

Best for Depuffing: Ilia Beauty Bright Start Activated Eye Cream

Why we love it: One of the reasons we love Ilia Beauty's Bright Start Activated Eye Cream is its ceramic tip, which provides a cooling sensation as you massage the cream into your delicate undereye area—it's a great way to depuff before putting on makeup, or just starting the day. 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 pearl illuminates the skin but the main player in the airy formula is sea fennel extract, which is a plant-based retinol alternative that acts as the major brightening, firming, and smoothing agent, while a blend of upcycled avocado extract, caffeine, and peptides minimize the look of puffiness and dark circles.

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 multitasker that addresses skin concerns such as puffy eyes, discoloration, and sagging undereye bags. The brand's signature Siren Capsule Technology, which consists of biomimetic plankton extract and peptides, plays a key role in nudging stagnant fluid, tackling puffiness, and endorsing collagen production.

While the cream feels rich, it does absorb quickly, leaving behind a soft-focus glow (which is inevitable when light-reflecting diamond powder is involved). The fast absorption is partially due to the short-chain hyaluronic acid, which means smaller molecules that can penetrate more deeply into the skin—as opposed to the "sitting on top of skin" sensation. Ceramides are also present to strengthen the skin barrier, which is key for long-term skin health.

Tester feedback: “This cooling cream sinks in seconds—and brightens my eyes almost immediately,” says interim shopping director Deanna Pai. “Over the course of several weeks, it's seemed to soften the look of my otherwise deep crow's feet and smile lines.”

More eye creams we love:

Best for Milia: RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream

Why we love it: Retinol near your eyes sounds scary, but with this gentle cream, you've got nothing to fear. RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream, an 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. This eye cream also contains hyaluronic acid, so it works its fine line-reducing magic while adding lots of hydration. As with all retinol-infused products, don't forget to slather on sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) during the daytime.

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

Why we love it: This Best of Beauty award-winning cream, tested by ophthalmologists, does it all. Packed with the patent-pending B-L3™ complex, it delivers ceramides to strengthen your skin’s barrier. Plus, caffeine helps de-puff, niacinamide brightens, and peptides give your skin a firmer, smoother look. 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.

Best for Dry Skin: Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex

Why we love it: Estée Lauder's ANR Eye Supercharged Complex is a lightweight, silky gel-cream featuring a peptide exclusive to the brand that visibly reduces the look of dark circles—whether they're blue, purple, or brown—with regular use. This 2022 Best of Beauty winner also has sodium hyaluronate (a form of hyaluronic acid) that curbs dryness day or night while vitamin E guards the skin against free radicals.

• What You'll Notice: Brighter and smoother undereyes, less discoloration
• Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, peptides
• Best For: Dark circles, mature skin, dry skin
• Product Highlights: Paraben-free, 15 ml ($4.80 per ml)

Best for Wrinkles: Augustinus Bader The Eye Cream

Why we love it: Peptides, which may boost collagen production, are essential for treating and preventing skin sagging. So when your undereye bags are drooping more than usual, might we recommend you whip out the luxurious Augustinus Bader Eye Cream? This ultra-rich cream is filled with firming peptides along with vitamin C to even out skin tone, and calming vitamin B3 (niacinamide) to pamper your undereyes with an awakening treatment. "If you have sensitive, dry skin, this is the perfect eye cream for you," Dr. Kim says. "It has an oil-soluble form of vitamin C (ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate) to brighten the skin, Centella asicatica to calm the skin, and niacinamide to boost collagen production," he says of the rich and creamy formula.

• What You'll Notice: Firmer skin, brighter under eyes
• Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, niacinamide, peptides, cica
• Best For: Sensitive skin and eyes, mature skin
• Product Highlights: Fragrance-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free, vegan, 15 ml ($15 per ml)

Best Brightening: Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester CCC + Ferulic Brightening Under-Eye Cream

Why we love it: Vitamin C and ferulic acid are a powerhouse antioxidant combination when it comes to brightening your skin. The Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester CCC + Ferulic Brightening Under-Eye Cream's radiance-boosting abilities are so impressive that it nabbed an Allure Best of Beauty Award in 2022. This eye cream has become a mainstay in Hussein's skin-care routine. Along with the non-tacky, fast-absorbing texture of the formula, she says that her sensitive undereyes didn't sting at all—which can be partially attributed to a synthetic (but all the more soothing) version of colloidal oatmeal.

Best Tightening: Dr. Loretta Tightening Eye Gel

Why we love it: You'll 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.) because it nabbed a 2019 Allure Best of Beauty Award for the best depuffing eye cream on the market. Algae extract boosts collagen production while peptides are responsible for tightening undereye skin. For a brightening boost, the brand’s proprietary Chromabright complex fades uneven pigment, making this a great pick for dark circles too.

Best for Under-Eye Bags: 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 that this 2021 Best of Beauty Award winner is the real deal. This potent serum 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 any eye cream, don't expect results right away. Consistent use matters in the long run.) The pointed tip on the ceramic applicator is particularly useful for targeting all the nooks and crannies around your eyes. It's the perfect cooling yet gentle wake-up call.

Best Fragrance-Free: La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Yeux/Eyes Corrector

Why we love it: La Roche-Posay's Pigmentclar Anti-Dark Circle Brightening Eye Cream is basically a dark circle eraser in a tube. This creamy, fragrance-free formulation contains a skin-enhancing cocktail of brightening niacinamide, anti-inflammatory caffeine, and antioxidant-rich thermal spring water for moisture replenishment. Also on the brightening front is phe-resorcinol, which inhibits melanin production, similar to kojic acid. This one gets bonus points for its metal applicator, which conducts heat, thus feeling cool and refreshing on puffy, tired eyes. You don't even need to keep it in the fridge!

Best Cooling Formula: Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb

Why we love it: Like a tall glass of water for your undereye area, Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb kicks hydration into overdrive to ensure no dry skin is left behind. The line-smoothing cream promises long-lasting moisture and a visibly radiant finish, thanks to powerhouse ingredients like soothing tiger grass, glycerin, squalane, and ceramides. This rich, hydrating formulation does wonders on flaky, irritated, and chapped skin without feeling heavy or thick — ideal for the colder months.

Best Budget: The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream

Why we love it: Don't be deceived by the price tag. The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream packs just as powerful a punch as the pricier options on this list. The caffeine in the cream helps flush away water retention that can cause puffiness, and peptides smooth over roughly textured skin on this delicate area of the face. If you tend to feel extra puffy in the A.M., try keeping this caffeinated eye cream in the fridge overnight for a cooling treat.

Eye Cream 101

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 at Brown Dermatology, previously explained. It makes sense that you'd want a concentrated cream to address this delicate area that's susceptible to the formation of 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, explains—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 fake a full night's rest.

A common rule of thumb is using your ring fingers 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, feel calming. "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.

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 David Kim, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Idriss Dermatology in New York City, 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.

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 the production of collagen, making the skin less thin," Dr. Nazarian explained. (Just 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.)

• 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

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.

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.

After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.

Want more skin-care recs? Keep reading:

• 17 Best Face Moisturizers Allure Editors Have Ever Tried
• 17 Best Retinol Creams, Serums, and Oils That Target Fine Lines & Wrinkles
• 19 Best Sunscreens to Protect Your Complexion Year-Round

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