The Best Eye Cream | 2023

It is no secret that your skin is a very important organ in your body: it protects, holds body fluids in, and acts your point of contact with the outside world. As such, it needs to be treated with care and kindness. One part of your skin that needs a little bit of extra attention is the area around your eyes.

The skin around your eyes is fragile. It’s more prone to dryness and shows age and fatigue faster. The fact that you are constantly moving your eyes also hastens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Fluids collect underneath, causing puffiness and dark circles. To help combat these issues and many more, eye creams may be the answer.

Eye creams are specially formulated for the skin around your eyes. These creams tend to be thicker and contain more oil than your everyday facial lotion. They also have special active ingredients that are specifically designed to treat the problems your eyes experience.

Fine lines and wrinkles not only come from everyday eye use and age, but from sun damage as well. As you age, your skin makes less and less collagen, causing the skin under your eyes to change. To help with this, collagen can assist in maintaining the skin’s elasticity. Vitamin C, peptides and retinol are also proven to help increase collagen production. 

If you are worried about dark circles, consider that your unsightly problem doesn’t just come from fatigue or the lack of a good night’s sleep. It’s also influenced by genes, sun damage, age and blood build-up. To help reduce the look of dark circles, try looking for creams that have sodium ascorbate (vitamin C), as this ingredient can thicken the skin and help conceal dark circles over time. Niacinamide (vitamin B3) can also help.

You may wonder, “When should I start using eye cream?” The answer is really at any time — the earlier the better. You do not want to wait to see problems first. However, many people start to use eye creams in their 30s. This is when you might see fine lines and wrinkles around the corner of your eyes,

Realistically, though, you are more likely to get results from prevention than from treating issues after they’ve already appeared, so starting young is helpful. If you already have very dry skin, dark circles or puffy eyes, you will want to start using eye creams even sooner.

What should you look for in an eye cream? You want to make sure your product has specific active ingredients that treat your issues, such as retinol, neuropeptides and vitamin C to boost collagen production. You should also look for hyaluronic acid and ceramides for added hydration.

You may also want to consider texture. Some come in liquids or gels, and you might see those called serums. These are light in nature and absorb into skin quickly. This is what makes them a good alternative for mornings and during the day. Thicker creams are better for nighttime or even days when you are wearing light makeup.

If you are looking for a lightweight gel, look for a formula that has cucumber to refresh the skin and hyaluronic acid, peptides and plant stem cells to help improve the skin’s appearance.

• Look for eye creams that provide you with SPF protection. SPF protection in an eye cream will provide a one-two punch, since it protects your eyes from one cause of fine lines and wrinkles while also treating them.
• Know your skin. Understand its composition and if you tend to have dry or oily skin or a combination of the two. Eye creams come in all shapes, sizes and consistencies, with different ingredients that are better for different types of skin.
• If you have sensitive skin, make sure to pay attention to extra ingredients in the cream. You might have a lower tolerance to fragrances or another added ingredient. If you find that your skin is red or stinging, stop using the cream.
• Dab the cream; do not drag it. Take a small amount and dot it around your eyes. Remember, the skin around your eyes is very fragile.
• Do not think that just women can use under-eye cream. Eye cream is for everyone no matter the gender.
• Do not put eye cream too close to your eyes — you do not want it to get into your actual eye! This will cause discomfort.