These Are the 16 Best Anti-Aging Eye Creams on the Market

Best Overall: Kate Somerville +Retinol Firming Eye Cream

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This all-star formula relies on retinol, the undisputed anti-aging champion, well-known for its proven wrinkle-fighting and skin-firming effects. Upping the ante even further, it pairs retinol with bakuchiol. The plant-based ingredient is similar to retinol, but it won’t irritate. Rounding out the mix is hyaluronic acid and a combination of natural oils for hydration. Bonus points for the metal applicator tip that helps you massage in the formula and offers additional de-puffing benefits.

Active Ingredients: Retinol, bakuchiol, bidens pilosa extract, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Firms, smooths, hydrates | Size: 0.5 fluid ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Budget: Olay Total Effects Eye Transforming Cream

3.8

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True to its name, this drugstore standout delivers seven different benefits, addressing eye problems ranging from dryness and discoloration to fine lines and wrinkles—it gives you some serious bang for your buck. Oil-free, it has a lightweight and fast-absorbing feel and is packed with niacinamide (known for its moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and radiance-boosting effects) along with soothing and antioxidant-rich vitamin E.

Active Ingredients: Niacinamide, vitamin E, allantoin | Benefits: Hydrates, reduces puffiness, fades discoloration | Size: 0.5 fluid ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Drugstore: No7 Youthful Eye Serum

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Mariwalla lauds this affordable option for containing both vitamin C and vitamin A (two well-proven anti-aging ingredients), plus hyaluronic acid and soft focus spheres, all of which work together to help make the skin under and around your eyes look better after about a month of use, she says. She adds that it’s an especially good choice for women in their 30s who might be starting to see some noticeable issues around the eyes.

Active Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin C | Benefits: Smooths, hydrates, reduces puffiness | Size: 0.5 fluid ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Drugstore, Runner-Up: Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Eye Cream

3.9

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Dr. Stacy Chimento, a board-certified dermatologist in Miami, lauds this formula—another affordable find you can nab at the drugstore—for combining retinol and hyaluronic acid. “The former speeds cell turnover and helps with fine lines while the latter plumps the skin,” she says. There’s also a special glucose complex in the mix that’s meant to boost the effects of retinol so that you see results even faster.

Active Ingredients: Retinol, hyaluronic acid | Benefits: Hydrates, smooths, boosts radiance | Size: 0.5 ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No

Best for Puffiness: Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy SPF 35

3

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Bags, be gone. Mariwalla says the metal rollerball applicator on this cream helps massage in the formula and simultaneously promotes lymphatic drainage to quickly de-puff. It’s ideal to reach for on bleary-eyed mornings, particularly given that it also contains a subtle tint to further conceal dark circles and your daily dose of oh-so-important SPF.

Active Ingredients: 7.9% titanium dioxide, 6.7% zinc oxide | Benefits: Reduces puffiness, conceals | Size: 0.2 fluid ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Under Makeup: Olay Eye Lifting Serum

4.7

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Another great serum, this is so non-greasy and fast-absorbing that you could even apply it immediately before you put on makeup and won't have to worry about smearing or creasing. Instead, it delivers just the right amount of hydration, along with youth-boosting peptides and protective antioxidants to shield skin from damaging free radicals caused by exposure to things like the sun and pollution.

Active Ingredients: Glycerin, niacinamide, palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 | Benefits: Firms, smooths, hydrates | Size: 0.5 fluid ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No

Best for Wrinkles: Revision Skincare D.E.J Eye Cream

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Thanks to a unique combination of carefully-chosen peptides, this formula yields what Mariwalla calls, “pretty impressive clinical results” when it comes to smoothing and firming skin after just 12 weeks of use. It’s also deeply hydrating and full of antioxidants and can even be used on upper eyelids.

Active Ingredients: Alpha-glucan oligosaccharide, dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline, palmitoyl tripeptide-38 | Benefits: Firms, smooths, hydrates | Size: 0.5 fluid ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Firming: Shani Darden Skin Care Intensive Eye Renewal Cream

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Powered by nine potent actives, this intensive cream helps to visibly lift and firm the eye area. Collagen- and elastin-boosting peptides and silk tree extract are the stars of the show here, targeting sagging skin while smoothing out the appearance of lines and wrinkles. What’s more, it’s been clinically shown to help reduce the appearance of pesky dark circles—all while delivering a serious dose of hydration, leaving the delicate skin surrounding the eyes supremely nourished.

Active Ingredients: Peptides, silk tree extract, squalane, niacinamide, ceramides | Benefits: Firms and lifts, reduces wrinkles, fades dark circles | Size: 0.5 fluid ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-free: Yes

Best for Dark Circles: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex

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The hard truth of the matter is that there’s no magical eye cream that will completely erase the look of dark circles. The causes of this type of bluish-purple discoloration are multiple and tough to target with any kind of topical product. That being said, certain eye creams can help, this one included. Mariwalla notes that it contains pharmaceutical-grade caffeine, one of the best ingredients for constricting blood vessels under the skin and making dark circles less noticeable. It also effectively targets puffiness and wrinkles.

Active Ingredients: Blueberry extract, proxylane, peptides | Benefits: Firms, smooths, reduces puffiness | Size: 0.5 fluid ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No

Best With Vitamin C: BeautyStat Universal C Eye Perfector

4.5

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Vitamin C is a great ingredient to seek out in all of your skincare products—credit its ability to boost radiance, stimulate collagen production to minimize wrinkles, and offer plenty of antioxidant protection—but is especially great to use around the eyes. And given that this brand is the brainchild of a cosmetic chemist, the vitamin C in this product is no ordinary extract. Instead, it’s a 5% concentration of an extra-pure, extra-stable, extra-potent version to ensure maximum efficacy, paired with anti-inflammatory CBD.

Active Ingredients: Ascorbic acid, cannabis sativa seed oil, shea butter | Benefits: Firms, smooths, hydrates | Size: 0.5 fluid ounces | Byrdie Clean: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Morning: Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème

3.7

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This is a perennial favorite of Byrdie editors, and Mariwalla is also a fan. The subtle yellowish-orange tint and built-in light-reflecting particles instantly add radiance to the undereye area while vitamin C works overtime to help further even out skin tone and smooth wrinkles. It’s also a great pick for morning use because it actually improves the application and wear-time of concealer. And as Mariwalla points out, a little bit goes a long way—one jar will last for quite a while.

Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, collagen, jojoba seed oil | Benefits: Boosts radiance, smooths, hydrates | Size: 0.5 fluid ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Night: RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream

4.5

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“Despite the affordable price, this cream delivers,” says Mariwalla, who attributes the effects to the retinol in the formula. (Given the likelihood of irritation that comes along with any retinol, it’s even more imperative to use a formula specially made for use around the eyes, she adds.) Chimento is also a fan, saying it’s a good choice for those who have excessive wrinkling around the eyes. FYI, since retinol can be inactivated by the sun, reserving it for bedtime use is a must.

Active Ingredients: Retinol | Benefits: Firms, smooths, reduces puffiness | Size: 0.5 fluid ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No

Best for Dryness: SkinCeuticals Eye Balm

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The fact that the skin around your eyes is so thin makes it more susceptible not only to signs of aging but also to dryness. Enter this ultra-thick, ultra-nourishing balm. It restores essential lipids in the skin and helps increase firmness, too, says Chimento. Plus, it’s loaded with plenty of protective antioxidants, including vitamin E, silymarin (from the milk thistle plant), and soy isoflavones.

Active Ingredients: Antioxidants, aloe, glycerin | Benefits: Hydrates, firms, protects | Size: 0.5 ounces | Byrdie Clean: No | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Serum: Epara Skincare Eye Serum

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Lightweight and potent, serums help deliver higher concentrations of active ingredients deep into the skin than their creamier counterparts. This luxurious option is brimming with natural oils and botanicals that target eye bags, dark circles, and hyperpigmentation and absorb excess sebum, all while lifting and increasing firmness to create youthful-looking eyes. 

Active Ingredients: Plankton extract, bamboo silk, ash tree bark extract | Benefits: Firms, lifts, de-puffs, brightens | Size: 0.5 fluid ounces | Byrdie Clean: Yes | Cruelty-free: Yes

Best Natural: Alpyn Beauty PlantGenius Line-Filling Eye Balm

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This is a good pick if you're looking to keep your skincare routine clean. The ingredient list touts a litany of plant-based actives, think things such as licorice root and bearberry extract for radiance-boosting benefits, plus bakuchiol to help smooth lines and wrinkles. There’s also caffeine to tamp down puffiness, always a plus in our book. The result is a cushiony cream that leaves skin looking firmer, smoother, and radiant.

Active Ingredients: Vitamin C, bakuchiol | Benefits: Hydrates, smooths, boosts radiance | Size: 0.5 ounces | Byrdie Clean: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes