These are the best eye creams of 2024, tested and reviewed

Sunday Riley's products are almost uniformly best-in-class and this extremely hydrating, almost instantly/magically depuffing serum is no exception. It's packed with caffeine, ginseng and the anti-oxidant lutein and it's nearly scent-free which makes it a great option for sensitive skin. The texture is silky and it both brightens dark circles and absorbs quickly, leaving behind a dewy glow I found pleasant. One downside is the absence of retinol, which means it's not helping to build collagen in the area. Still, it's a high-quality cream that works well in a rotation, along with my second favorite from RoC.  

If you're looking for a retinol treatment for eye bags, crow's feet and the under-eye area overall, this is for you. RoC is the premier name in over-the-counter retinol and its eye cream is highly rated, with nearly 20,000 5-star Amazon reviews. It's excellent for improving the appearance of both fine lines and dark circles and it's dermatologist recommended too. My only complaint is I wish it contained more antioxidant, nourishing ingredients. But for the price, it honestly cannot be beat.

I've tried a LOT of eye creams. And, for my money, CeraVe makes the best drugstore de-puffing/under-eye brightening treatment currently on the market. Not only does it feel good on your skin (absorbs quickly, no gross pilling), it's also fragrance-free, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. And you don't have to take my word for it. Olivia Wilde also loves it. So do thousands of reviewers, who say it's like "Botox in a cream." I'm not sure about that claim, but I do know this is a quality skin-care staple at a price everyone can afford. 

It's hard to find a better quality eye serum than this vitamin C version from Paula's Choice (it's clinically formulated to brighten under-eye discoloration while smoothing and firming the delicate skin in this area). The texture is lightweight, supple and extra emollient and, while it doesn't contain retinol, for the ideal mix of antioxidants and actives, this is another cream I'd add into rotation with RoC.  

With so many commercial products to sort through, sometimes I just want a doctor's take and this eye cream from facial plastic surgeon Dr. Kay Durairaj delivers everything I could ask for in an eye cream. It's one of the very few containing prescription-grade Retin A (Retin A derivatives have been clinically proven to tighten and improve the thickness of crepey skin). It's also scent-free, glides on easily and the texture is rich and luxurious-feeling. Unlike many retinol/Retin A products, it's highly moisturizing and, with so many skin-fortifying ingredients (including vitamins A, C, E plus green tea extract), it's truly a pleasure to put on your skin. If I have one complaint, it's the price, which is steep, but honestly this is among the best creams I've ever tried. 

First Aid Beauty's Eye Duty contains a potent mix of niacinamide, pumpkin seed oil and caffeine to brighten dark circles and depuff under eyes. The cream itself is a bit thick, the color is golden and leaves a bit of a shimmer once applied. The dark circle reduction is no joke (I saw a difference after one week) though the product does not contain retinol and the pigmented formula may be too light for deeper skin tones. 

This Jennifer-Aniston-approved serum stick is the ideal delivery system for softening fine lines, prepping skin for makeup and targeting dry patches. It's made of 80% squalane — a known skin fortifier — and is also fragrance-free, cruelty-free plus dermatologist-tested. When I've tried this ultra-silky balm it's left behind a dewy finish wherever it's been applied and it's beyond amazing for smoothing the undereye area before applying concealer, to avoid makeup settling into fine lines.

Delicate under-eye skin needs extra nourishment, which is why experts often recommend nighttime treatments applied before you go to bed that work while you snooze. This peptide-rich, eye-skin-fortifying cream has racked up more than 1,000 five-star reviews on Amazon for its lightweight, gel-like consistency which absorbs quickly into skin and is never greasy. Our testers noticed a decrease in morning eye puffiness after using the product for just two weeks. 

At nearly $90, I considered it too pricey, but the high-quality serum is otherwise too good not to include. Reviewers say the brand's retinol-enhanced elixir helped "disappear" their fine lines, and one reported, "This is the best eye serum I've ever tried. It’s so light and moist, I never used an eye serum like this before — love it!"

This TikTok famous eye cream worked just fine for me — it was definitely hydrating — but wasn't quite the wonder product some users say their mothers, aunts and grandmothers have used for generations to revolutionary effect. 

This cream from the earth-friendly, boutique-beauty brand Versed combines algae extract, peptides and olive oil to soften crow's feet and under-eye lines. The texture is rich and luxurious, like a product that costs ten times as much.