You Need To Get On Board With Eye Cream This Year — Here's Why
If you’re only just coming round to the idea of ditching that two-in-one face and body wash, you’re going to need to catch up quick. Now, not only do you need a proper face cleanser and moisturiser, but a dedicated eye cream too.
Perhaps you've already got a decent face cream (or are at least pinching one from the other side of the sink). If so, you're probably wondering why you need to lay down extra cash for a tiny additional jar, just to dab around your eyes. It’s a fair question, so allow us to explain.
The reality is that the skin on top of your orbital bone requires special treatment. ‘The skin around the eye is especially thin — this makes it more susceptible to becoming looser and thinner, and developing fine lines and wrinkles’, explains dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross, who mentions improved skin texture, enhanced clarity and boosted collagen production as the potential benefits of a good eye cream.
What Are the Best Eye Creams for Men?
With the sheer amount of eye creams out there, it can be hard sifting the good from the, well, not so good – which is why we're here to help. We've put together a list of the best for a range of concerns and budgets so you're covered whether you're looking for an upmarket cream to de-puff after a late night or a tried-and-tested drug store favourite to tackle some dark circles.
Read more tried and tested grooming round-ups and reviews
What's the Difference Between an Eye Cream and an Eye Serum?
The main difference is the formula's consistency. Serums are lighter and more easily absorbed so they're great if you're looking to get a strong hit of actives as quickly as possible. A cream, on the other hand, tends to take longer to sink in so it's best to use at night or when you've got a little more time to spend on your skincare routine – they're generally best suited to more deep-set lines or stubborn concerns.
Which Eye Creams Actually Work?
The best eye creams out there contain ingredients that target the issues specific to this fragile, easily damaged area of skin. To alleviate dark circles, head straight for anything touting vitamin C, and for those creeping crow’s feet, up the ante with retinol (the only active ingredient proven to plump fine lines). Soothe easily irritated skin with a simple plant-oil formula and banish puffiness with caffeine.
Vitamin C Fix Eye Cream 10%
This eye cream utilises brightening vitamin C, plus additional peptides, caffeine and niacinamide to help fight against dark circles, eye bags and puffiness. We found it visibly masked the appearance of tiredness, reducing the appearance of dark circles and leaving under-eye areas feeling noticeably more hydrated.
Moisturising Eye Cream
As with all of Horace's products, this eye cream is effective yet accessibly priced. It's infused with caffeine, aloe vera and hyaluronic acid so it leaves your under-eyes feeling less puffy and more hydrated. The best part? The cooling metal applicator which aids with lymphatic drainage, too.
Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye
As we get older, we need to pay more attention to our complexion, and one ingredient renowned for offering a helping hand in this area is retinol.
This night cream from Medik8 contains a more potent version of the standard stuff in order to deliver a more youthful-looking eye area with a less puffy appearance, while working to visibly brighten dark circles.
Start off with this low strength version (3) and apply in the evening after you've cleansed. Once you skin has time to get acquainted, you can begin to work your way up to the more potent 6 and 10 formulations.
Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG
Whether you've had a late night working or you're feeling a little worse for wear after a night at the pub, your eyes are the first sign of tiredness the next day. Luckily, The Ordinary has you covered with its Caffeine Solution. The water-based serum depuffs, targets dark circles and leaves you looking fresher than ever regardless of what time you went to bed.
Black Diamond Contour Gel 15ml
111Skin offers some of the best skincare on the market. Not only does this eye gel deliver hydration and firmness, but it actually encourages cell turnover in the area which helps with plumping deep-set lines, too. Beyond that, it deals with discolouration and dark circles, too.
Power Age
If you've not been getting enough shuteye lately, this cream should help you to look more awake. We also found it gave a cooling sensation around the eyes, and left our faces looking brighter, clearer, fresher and more youthful.
The thick texture means this formula works well as an overnight option, where it will get to work nourishing that ultra-sensitive, under-eye area.
Anti-Age Eye Cream
De-puff with this fragrance-free cream from reliable skincare brand, Clinique. With ingredients that help to banish signs of fatigue, like shea butter and caffeine, the formula is designed to make skin look and feel firmer and smoother.
We agreed and found it worked well on dark circles, while also noting how well it hydrated.
Men Multi-Purpose Eye Cream
This eye cream absorbed and got to work quickly, while providing an uplifting scent. It also toned and firmed the skin, with its effects felt well throughout the day.
Plantscription Anti-Ageing Power Eye Cream
The Plantscription range is a hit among skincare experts for its well-priced formulas that offer high-end results.
We found it to be a lightweight cream that sank in easily, without irritation, and helped to reduce fine lines (likely due to the dill seed extract).
Skin slo felt firmer, smoother and hydrated after use thanks to anogeissus (a botanical healer in African medicine), which helps boost elasticity.
Powerful-Strength Vitamin C Eye Serum
Vitamin C is a miracle ingredient for brightening tired faces, which is exactly what this cream does. We were fond of its rejuvenating effect, which left skin looking brighter, smoother, plump and hydrated, and providing a noticeable improvement in dark circles.
Overnight Wrinkle Treatment
This formula contains a potent but promising blend of ingredients that includes bakuchiol (considered the best ‘natural’ retinol alternative) and ferulic acid, another firming and anti-inflammatory favourite.
We found our under-eyes were smoother and less dry after use, and noticed an improvement to formerly dull, loose skin.
Renewing Eye Cream
This eye cream is full of soybeans and wild yam — both famously skin-firming and full of antioxidants — to hydrate the under-eye area and ditch any dullness.
We found it diminished dark circles and made fine lines less visible, while calming and soothing skin.
Super Anti-Ageing Eye Cream
Having established herself as an unofficial ambassador for anti-inflammatory lifestyles, Dr. Sturm’s skincare line utilises a host of active ingredients to topically tease out signs of troubled skin.
In the case of this cream, biomimetic lipids (fats) support the skin barrier, while Persian silk tree extract suppresses signs of tiredness and helps lift the upper eyelid. Testers noted it ‘sank in well’ and, most importantly, that dark circles had diminished.
If you’re looking for a product to smooth and brighten skin, without any irritating fragrance or fancy application method, then this might be for you. If you can see past the eye-watering price tag, of course.
Caffeine Eye Cream
This lightweight, serum-style formula has to be the best budget eye cream on the shelves. Peptides tell your skin to produce more collagen, while caffeine helps to diminish the bags that have settled under your worn-out eyes.
Cold Plasma Plus Eye
This advanced eye treatment contains several heavyweight ingredients. Copper works to firm slacking skin, while vitamin C – a powerful antioxidant – diminishes the appearance of dark spots while boosting elastin production. Basically, it’ll do everything you want it to do, fast. Perfect for dark circles or bags under your eyes.
CityLife I-Zone Balm
This dense, hydrating eye balm is formulated with super-powerful antioxidant astaxanthin, which essentially shields your easy-target eye area from the ravaging effects of pollution. It doubles up as a lip balm, too.
How We Test Eye Creams
Our team of grooming writers and testers tried a handful of eye creams designed to tackle puffiness and dark circles and reduce fine lines, wrinkles and crepey skin. We also assessed how effectively each eye cream reduced the appearance of fine lines, crow’s feet, deep wrinkles, and boosted moisture levels and firmness.
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