First, the bad news: The skin around your eyes is the thinnest part of your body, making it particularly susceptible to signs of aging.
(That’s why you might notice annoying wrinkles around your eyes before you notice them elsewhere on your face.) Now for the good news:
Because this layer of skin is so thin, the anti-aging effects of a product (in this case, an eye cream) are also most visible here.
Bottom line: It’s definitely worth it to find and use a good eye cream (or eye product, like an eye serum or eye patch). There are countless ways to treat everything from dark circles to sagging skin.
However, if crow’s feet are your main concern, you should look for a formula that specifically targets fine lines and wrinkles. We spent hours researching to find the best eye creams for different skin issues and types, from dry skin to sensitive skin.
We evaluated the products based on active ingredients, formula effectiveness, and results. After consulting with board-certified dermatologists and subsequently testing some of the top products, we selected the following top products.
Here are the best anti-wrinkle eye creams, serums, and eye masks that actually work.
Best Product: La Mer Eye Serum
While this may not be the right choice for budget-conscious beauty shoppers, the effectiveness of this eye cream (a top recommendation from former Byrdie editor Faith Xue) justifies its price tag.
It does this by tripling the amount of the brand’s own Miracle Broth, a hand-harvested blend of youth-boosting nutrients and minerals that minimizes the appearance of wrinkles in just 21 days. It also contains powerful antioxidants to prevent future damage. Comes with a massager.
Best Budget Product: RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream
When it comes to affordable eye creams that work, dermatologists unanimously recommend this formula. It contains retinol, which not only fights wrinkles, but also fights dark circles and puffiness—a steal for the money. It’s also lightweight, non-comedogenic, and hypoallergenic.
Best Retinol Product: Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Ferulic + Retinol Triple Repair Eye Serum
The Byrdie team is really excited about this formula, which uses the best wrinkle-fighting ingredient ever: retinol. The vitamin A derivative is known to effectively stimulate collagen production, which can smooth wrinkles.
Here it’s combined with ferulic acid (an excellent antioxidant that protects against environmental damage) and brightening licorice root extract. What’s especially noteworthy is that the gel formula is so lightweight that you can apply it around the eye area and even onto your eyelids.
Best with Vitamin C: BeautyStat C Eye Perfector Dark Circle-Reducing Vitamin C Eye Cream
This line of products was developed by a cosmetic chemist, so you can rest assured that the products contain only the highest-quality, most effective ingredients and combinations. Vitamin C is the star.
The ingredient is highly recognized in the skincare world, but it’s especially good for use around the eye area. It stimulates collagen production, reduces fine lines, evens out skin tone, and provides antioxidant protection.
This formula contains a 5% concentration of pure, patented, and ultra-stable vitamin C to calm inflammation and redness.
Best for Evening Use: Olay Regenerist Retinol 24-Hour Night Cream
Another great retinol option. Combined with niacinamide, this formula is both effective and gentle enough for nighttime use without the irritation common with retinoids.
(FYI: You should save your retinol products for the evening, as sunlight can render the ingredient ineffective.) This product is fragrance- and dye-free, further reducing the risk of skin irritation.
Best Drugstore Pick: No7 Restore & Renew Multi-Action Eye Cream
There are great eye creams at every price point. But if you’re looking for an affordable alternative you can find at the drugstore, this is the one for you.
It features the brand’s unique blend of amino acids, calcium, and ceramides to not only fight wrinkles, but also fight puffiness. The applicator is especially nice because it makes dosing easier.
Best Brightening Product: OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright+ Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream
If you want to fight wrinkles and discoloration at the same time, this cream is the right choice. As the name suggests, it has a light orange hue inspired by the yellow “banana powder” used by makeup artists to cover dark circles under the eyes.
It is rich in vitamin C, which promotes radiance and collagen production. In an independent clinical study involving 37 women, 94% of users noticed an average improvement of 40% in fine lines and wrinkles in just four weeks.
Best Choice: La Prairie Caviar Luxe Eye Cream
If you want to treat yourself, give this product a try—it’s the top recommendation from Hallie Gould, senior editorial director at Byrdie. Caviar extract not only fights fine lines and wrinkles, but also tightens and firms the skin while providing ample hydration.
This cream is extremely smooth and absorbs quickly, making it perfect for morning and night use. We appreciate the included silver spatula so you don’t have to stick your dirty fingers into the jar.
Best Clean Beauty: Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Eye Cream
For those who are skeptical of eye products containing potentially questionable chemicals, this cleansing cream is the right choice. It uses a variety of different plant extracts, such as licorice root, to provide hydration, antioxidant protection, and natural anti-wrinkle effects.
Since this balm has a nourishing texture, it is perfect for those with very dry skin or those who want a nourishing product around their eyes.
Best for Sensitive Skin: First Aid Beauty 5-in-1 Eye Cream
The skin around the eyes is thinner and more prone to irritation anyway, especially if you have sensitive skin. That’s where this all-rounder comes into play. It’s fragrance-free and contains soothing ingredients like bisabolol and niacinamide.
It’s still pretty effective thanks to smoothing peptides and a variety of other ingredients that provide moisture and reduce dark circles.
Best Gel: Biossance Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel
If you don’t like the feel of heavy eye creams, try this lightweight gel. It contains two different peptides to make skin look younger, as well as squalane, a great ingredient that delivers lightweight hydration. Caffeine reduces dark circles under the eyes—always a bonus.
Best Serum: Epara Skincare Eye Serum
Generally speaking, serums are better value for money because they have a higher concentration of active ingredients and are lighter than creams.
This serum contains a range of active ingredients, including bamboo silk, niacinamide, and liquorice extract, to fight wrinkles, puffiness, and firm the skin. It can be used not only around the eyes, but also on the eyelids.
Best Smoothing Product: SiO Beauty Super Eye Lift
Eye creams really work, but it takes a while to see results. If you don’t have a lot of time, try these patches. Wear them for a few hours or overnight. They’re made from medical-grade silicone that retains your skin’s natural moisture, boosts hydration, and smoothes wrinkles.
Although the effects are only temporary, they improve with continued use of the patch and last longer.
Best Eye Mask: KNC Beauty All-Natural Retinol Eye Mask
On days when you don’t get enough beauty sleep, this eye mask is just what you need. Apply for 20 minutes while you get ready (or watch a video) and let the natural collagen formula work for you.
Not only does the cute star design give you an Instagram-worthy moment, it also contains retinol to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, leaving eyes hydrated and puffy.
Best for Dry Skin: Dieux Skin Auracle Reviving Eye Gel
Dry dark circles under your eyes are always unpleasant and only exacerbate annoying fine lines, dryness, and wrinkles. When it comes to treating dry, flaky dark circles, eye creams and gels are the best solution, especially this one from Dieux Skin.
Glycerin is one of the most important ingredients, ensuring the eye area looks and feels plump, hydrated, and refreshed. It also has multiple benefits, such as reducing dark circles and puffiness – so you get both benefits at once.
Best Sunscreen: SkinCeuticals Physical Eye UV Defense SPF 50
As with general skin care, SPF is essential for anti-aging. Daily sun protection is essential, especially for the sensitive skin around your eyes. So wear sunglasses whenever you go out, and use this eye cream every morning.
In addition to the important SPF, it also contains nourishing ceramides to smooth the skin and keep it healthy. The lightweight, mousse-like texture absorbs quickly, so you can easily apply makeup over it as needed.
Research & Testing
To come up with this list, our editorial team took a close look at the best products in the category and evaluated their key features (such as ingredients, color palette, or design), as well as customer reviews and ratings from other reliable sources.
Our team also puts their personal experiences testing products into their lives. We used these insights from research and testing to rate certain products on the list from one to five stars (five is the best and one is the worst). In addition, we consulted experts to provide you with the most accurate and meaningful results.
What to look for in an anti-wrinkle eye cream
Ingredients
Eye creams can help with a variety of eye problems—wrinkles, puffiness, pigmentation spots. For each problem, there is an active ingredient (or ingredients) that can help. What you should focus on largely depends on your concerns,” explains Dr. Nazarian.
In general, I prefer eye creams with added anti-inflammatory and soothing ingredients, as the skin around the eyes is one of the most sensitive areas, so these ingredients make the product more tolerable overall. Antioxidants are a big plus in eye creams, in my opinion. They protect against environmental damage and help prevent premature aging. Everyone can benefit from this!
If you have sensitive and/or dry skin, you should also consider eye products with fragrance-free formulas.
Texture
Eye products come in different forms: creams, gels, masks, and more. They may promise the same thing, but even with makeup on, they feel different on the skin from person to person. For example, compared to eye creams, cream-based products are thicker, more nourishing, and stay on the skin longer, similar to a typical moisturizer. These products are often lighter, smoother, and in some cases provide extra moisture to sensitive areas.
