We updated this article in August 2022 to ensure all picks vetted and tested by the Good Housekeeping Institutewere available, in stock and correctly priced.
When it comes to eyes, fine line and wrinkles are the biggest concern for 85% of women, followed closely by lack of firmness,
dark circles and undereye bags, according to a
Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab survey of over 1,000 readers. Eye-area skin ages faster than the rest of the face, which can make you look up to 20 years older,
Olay research found. Because the area around the eyes has the
thinnest skin with the lowest elasticity and moisture, it's important to invest in an eye treatment tailored to address these stubborn issues.
The GH Beauty Lab tests thousands of skincare products every year, including eye creams (over 5,900 in our most recent eye treatment test!). These tests consist of weeks-long Lab and consumer tests across several price points to help you find the most effective products on the market. Many of the eye creams below are so great that they also earned the Good Housekeeping Seal, our guarantee that they work as claimed. Here, more on the GH Beauty Lab's best-tested and dermatologist-recommended eye creams that really make a difference for everything from dry skin to dark circles, wrinkles and puffiness, whether you're in your 20s, your 50s or beyond.
Our top picks:
-
Best Overall Eye Cream
Absolue Revitalizing Eye Cream Lancôme
Read More
-
Best Value Eye Cream
SkinActive Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream Garnier
Read More
-
Best Anti-Aging Eye Cream
Multi Correxion 5 in 1 Eye Cream Roc
Read More
-
Best Eye Cream for Wrinkles
Restore & Renew Multi Action Eye Cream No7
Read More
-
Best Brightening Eye Cream
Eyes Brightening Eye Cream Olay
Read More
Best Overall Eye Cream
Lancôme
Absolue Revitalizing Eye Cream
Best Value Eye Cream
Garnier
SkinActive Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream
Best Anti-Aging Eye Cream
Roc
Multi Correxion 5 in 1 Eye Cream
Best Eye Cream for Wrinkles
No7
Restore & Renew Multi Action Eye Cream
Best Brightening Eye Cream
Olay
Eyes Brightening Eye Cream
Best Eye Cream for Dark Circles
Mary Kay
TimeWise Age Minimize 3D Eye Cream
Best Eye Cream for Sensitive Skin
L'Oréal Paris
Age Perfect Eye Renewal
Best Eye Cream for Dry Skin
Chanel
Le Lift Crème Yeux
Best Retinol Eye Cream
Murad
Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum
Best Eye Cream for Bags
La Roche-Posay
Redermic R Eyes Retinol Eye Cream
Best Eye Cream for Delicate Skin
Olay
Retinol 24 MAX Night Eye Cream
Best Smoothing Eye Cream
Mary Kay
TimeWise Repair Volu-Firm Eye Renewal Cream
Best Eye Cream for Puffiness
BL+
Eye Serum
Best Natural Eye Cream
Burt's Bees
Renewal Firming Eye Cream
Best Lifting Eye Cream
No7
Lift & Luminate Triple Action Eye Cream
Best Dermatologist-Recommended Eye Cream
Isdin
K-Ox Eyes Cream
Best Hydrating Eye Cream
SeeMeBeauty
For Your Eyes Only Cream
Best Sunscreen Eye Cream
SkinCeuticals
Physical Eye UV Defense SPF 50
When testing eye creams and treatments, Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab scientists recruit real women across the country to help evaluate formulas across price points, including drugstore products. Each consumer tests a label-masked product as part of their skincare routine for four weeks, then provides feedback on ease of use, performance and overall satisfaction.
Beauty Lab pros track changes in attributes like lines and wrinkles around users' eyes using a Visia Complexion Analyzer after four weeks of eye cream use. Skin firmness is assessed using the Cutometer, a device that measures skin's elasticity. Hydration effects are also measured over six hours using a Corneometer machine, which gauges skin's moisture content. Finally, all the data points are compiled and results tallied to definitively find the best eye creams on the market.
Does eye cream actually work?
Yes! “Eye creams differ from face creams because they’re formulated specifically for the delicate eye area. It’s important to use one to keep skin hydrated and plump,” explains GH Beauty Lab chemist Danusia Wnek. “Plus, some also contain brighteners to mask under-eye darkness and help you look more awake.” That's why it's worth it to invest in a great eye treatment to prevent and treat signs of aging around the eyes, including lines and wrinkles.
How to find the best eye cream for you
It depends on the eye area issue you are aiming to address. To treat multiple eye area issues, look for a combination of ingredients targeted to your needs.
✔️ For wrinkles and sagging, look for formulas peptides and retinol; for dark circles, seek out niacinamide or vitamin C.
✔️ For puffiness, look for caffeine, advises Marnie Nussbaum, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City and clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College.
✔️ For dark circles, "vitamin K can help," says Deanne Mraz Robinson, M.D., a dermatologist in Westport, CT and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine.
✔️ For dryness, Dr. Mraz says to look for "hyaluronic acid [to help] with hydration."
✔️ Apply eye cream every morning and night to clean, dry skin (using clean hands) to replenish moisture and treat the skin with problem-specific skincare ingredients, the GH Beauty Lab recommends.
✔️ Read your product directions thoroughly because not all eye creams are meant for eyelids. Reading the directions will ensure you are using the product correctly, notes Wnek.
✔️ Apply eye cream before your facial moisturizer, suggests GH Beauty Lab senior chemist Sabina Wizemann. Applying eye cream before moisturizer helps you reap all the benefits of the cream because it has direct contact with the skin around the eye. The only exception: swap the order if your product contains retinol and you are sensitive to the ingredient, says Wnek. "That way, it has a little bit of a base/buffer and can be released into the skin a bit slower."
✔️ Be gentle: Pulling and tugging around the eyes when applying skincare products can promote wrinkles and sagging in the long term, explains Mona Gohara, M.D., a dermatologist and associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. Instead, lightly glide or tap the formula over skin.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Good Housekeeping Beauty Director April Franzino has over 15 years of experience
researching, writing and editing skincare-related content, utilizing the expertise of the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab scientists and top industry professionals such as dermatologists and aestheticians. She is an expert in all face and
body skincare product categories, from cleansers to toners,
serums, moisturizers,
sunscreens, exfoliators, masks, professional treatments and more.
April works closely with the GH Beauty Lab to coordinate skincare product testing and translate test results into best-in-class compelling, factually accurate science-backed content for Good Housekeeping.
Good Housekeeping Beauty Assistant Catharine Malzahn works closely with the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab to help deliver fact-based, science-backed beauty coverage. Over the years, she has interviewed experts, written product reviews and tested hundreds of skincare products including cleansers, moisturizers, serums, oils, toners, sunscreens, exfoliators, professional treatments and more.
Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Sabina Wizemann oversaw the testing of eye creams. Since joining Good Housekeeping, Sabina has touched, researched, tested and evaluated thousands of products for almost a decade. In addition to the eye cream tests, she has carried out various studies from sunscreens (including formulas for sensitive and oily skin and mineral types), night creams, makeup cleansers and more. She also lends a hand when it comes to explaining skincare ingredients, like occlusives, and verifies product claims.
April Franzino Beauty Director April (she/her) is the beauty director at Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman's Day, where she oversees all beauty content.
Catharine Malzahn Beauty Assistant Catharine (she/her) is the beauty assistant at Good Housekeeping, Woman’s Day and Prevention, working closely with the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab to write science-backed beauty content.