Eye creams are extremely hydrating and play a crucial role in maintaining fresh, youthful-looking eyes. Because the skin around your eyes is the thinnest on the body—it's also the most susceptible to the visible signs of aging—such as fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, dark circles, and even saggy skin. That's why it’s so important to start using an eye cream, even before deep wrinkles or fine lines appear. 

Fortunately, the skin around your eyes bounces back much faster than any other area on the body, so you’ll see noticeable results very quickly when using a quality eye cream.

A Quality Eye Cream Can:

  • Visibly improve fine lines & wrinkles
  • Reduce the appearance of under-eye bags & puffiness
  • Minimize the appearance of crow’s feet & brighten dark circles 
  • Restore a refreshed, youthful glow
  • Support a hydrated, smooth look

However, not all eye creams are created equally. And with so many eye creams on the market claiming different things, we wanted to put together this guide to help you sort through the clutter and find an eye cream that delivers on its promises.

Top 5 Ingredients To Look For In Eye Cream

Squalane

A skin moisturizer that visibly balances oil production, while locking in enough hydration to keep the skin looking clear, calm, and healthy. 

Niacinamide

A potent form of Vitamin B3 that helps soothe and balance your skin's oil production.

Caffeine

Caffeine helps wake up tired eyes by reducing the appearance of dark circles and de-puffing the under-eye area. 

Hyaluronic Acid

Often listed as Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid is a powerful ingredient that deeply moisturizes and smooths the look of wrinkles around your eyes.

Brightening Antioxidants

Potent antioxidants, like Activated Vitamin C and Ferulic Acid, help diminish the appearance of dark circles, sun spots, fine lines, wrinkles, and UV-damage.

Ingredients To Avoid 

Mineral Oil

A petroleum derivative that may cause breakouts by preventing the skin from absorbing vital nutrients. While this oil does have moisturizing properties, it causes more harm than good over time.

Synthetic Dyes or Fragrances

These synthetic ingredients may cause skin irritation, clog pores, cause blemishes, and even deplete your skin of its essential nutrients and oils.

Finding an eye cream considering the ingredients listed above is just the first step. There are some other important factors to consider before actually purchasing an eye cream. 

What Else To Consider When Buying Eye Cream

Transparent List Of Ingredients

Many eye creams list only a handful of their key ingredients. Beware of this practice, because that’s when the manufacturer can slip in some potentially harmful, synthetic ingredients.

Money-Back Guarantee

Skincare is a multi-billion dollar a year industry, which makes it easy for manufacturers with poor products to slip through the cracks. So make sure to buy an eye cream from a brand that’s willing to standby its product with a 100% money-back guarantee.

The 5 Best Eye Creams On The Market

After extensive research, testing, and metrics provided by our Smart Review Ranking System, we’ve put together this definitive list of the best eye creams available right now. When putting together our rankings, we consider the quality of ingredients, safety, return policies, projected effectiveness, and customer satisfaction.