Finding the best eye cream for your concerns is hard. Are eye creams just glorified moisturisers? Do we even really need one?
The truth is that the skin around our eye area is thin and drier than the rest of our face, so a dedicated formula that actually works can be a game changer in the context of dark circles, fine lines and puffiness. But where to start? There’s countless options on the market, but only some meet our high standards. You’ll find that exact edit below. Read on for the best eye creams, according to RUSSH.
Rationale The Eye Cream
Best for: Puffiness, dark circles, fine lines.
This formula is all about strengthening hydration, plus peptides for firm the look of fine lines. It has a subtle sheen to it, so it immediately reflects light to improve dark circles.
CHANEL Le Lift Eye Cream
Best for: Wrinkles, puffiness, sagging.
Fortified with botanical alfalfa, this cream from CHANEL works to lift and smooth out puffy, crinkled eyes. It’s perfect for anyone experiencing drooping or loose skin that interferes with makeup.
Emma Lewisham Skin Reset Eye Cream
Best for: Dark circles, uneven skin tone, fatigue.
This eye cream borrows key ingredients from the cult Emma Lewisham Skin Reset Serum, a silver bullet for pigmentation. It subtly brightens and corrects skin tone for eyes that look fresh, even and awake.
Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream
Best for: Lines, puffiness, sagging skin.
The word on the street is that Kaia Gerber loves this eye cream. It contains a cocktail of active ingredients, including vitamin C, ceramides, oils and peptides to tighten and brighten under-eye bags. It’s quite active, so good for anyone who wants dramatic results.
Sunday Riley Auto Correct Eye Cream
Best for: Dark circles, fatigue.
This formula is like a shot of coffee for your eye contour. It’s packed with caffeine and energising ginseng, so immediately stimulates blood flow for tighter, brighter skin. The smooth finish fills out fine lines to prep for concealer, too. If you have genetic darkness under your eyes, it’s the one to try.
Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
Best for: Dryness, fine lines, beginners.
Everyone who tries the Kiehl’s Avocado Eye Treatment falls in love with it. It’s super plush and nourishing, not only soothing delicate skin but erasing signs of dryness like flaking or crepey texture.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Eye Cream
Best for: Lines, dehydration, puffiness.
This is the eye cream to try if you want a one-and-done formula to target all signs of premature ageing (that’s also safe for sensitive eyes). It’s formulated with Dr. Sturm’s signature anti-inflammatory purslane plus yeast and sugar beet to reduce puffiness and dehydration. It has a light melting texture that feels immediately comforting, too.
La Mer The Eye Concentrate
Best for: Dark circles, signs of fatigue.
The creme de la creme of eye creams, La Mer’s iteration goes on like silk, and works long-term to illuminate the appearance of dark circles. Like its famous face cream counterpart, it’s boosted with Miracle Broth, a fermented kelp extract known to strengthen the skin and repair signs of damage.
Augustinus Bader The Rich Eye Cream
Best for: Dehydration, puffiness, wrinkles.
This is new from Augustinus Bader and the texture is next level — it’s dewy and thick, just like The Rich Cream. But aside from the immediate nourishment, it has the famous trigger factor complex inside to encourage skin healing, in turn reducing the look of fine lines and discolouration.
Sisley Supremya The Supreme Anti-Ageing Eye Cream
Best for: Loss of elasticity, puffiness, wrinkles.
This superlative is luxury defined. The formula itself feels like cashmere, while proven plant extracts work almost like a mesh, lifting and toning the skin around the eye contour. At night with the accompanying massage tool, it’s a worthy ritual for more mature skin types.
Tatcha Silk Peony Melting Eye Cream
Best for: Dryness, dehydration, fine lines.
This eye cream is unbelievable, texture-wise. While it is formulated to brighten and smooth the eye contour long term, the immediate blurring and softening effects are what really stand out. It contains real silk, as well as peony, protein and algae to fill lines and illuminate tired skin.
Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
Best for: Dark circles.
If you have chronic dark circles, this will brighten them right up. It’s boosted with antioxidants including vitamin C, plus ginseng and caffeine to immediately wake up tired skin. It has a peachy tint that softens the appearance of dark circles as well.
Lancôme Rénergie Triple Serum Eye
Best for: Lines, wrinkles, sagging skin.
While technically a serum, the dewy finish of this formula is so hydrating it feels a little like an eye cream. It claims to firm and lift the look of drooping skin, thanks to hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, vitamin F and niacinamide.
Dior Capture Totale Super Potent Eye Cream
Best for: Tiredness, fine lines, dark circles.
Creamy but light, this eye cream is full of plant stem cells to reduce the signs of age, such as shadowing, fine lines, puffiness and discolouration.
Cosmedix Opti Crystal
Best for: Dryness, fine lines, signs of fatigue.
This tacky cream looks a little like an oil spill — it’s formulated with perfluorocarbons to instantly erase signs of fatigue (they’re instantly brightening, and work to bring oxygen into the skin). It’s super hydrating with plant oils, peptides and squalane to firm and smooth.
Glossier Full Orbit Entire Eye Brightening Cream
Best for: Fatigue, puffiness, beginners.
This light gel-cream floods the eye area with hydration thanks to hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid and glycerin. It’s also formulated with niacinamide and microalgae to target puffiness. It’s super light in texture, so the perfect prep for under-eye concealer.
Images: @emmalewisham, @glossier
