Dark circles are a common skin concern of many, caused by the likes of tiredness, dehydration and loss of collagen. However, thankfully, concentrated topical products, such as the best eye creams, can help minimise their visibility.
Picking the best eye cream isn't as easy as just grabbing one of the shelf, in fact it requires a fair bit of research in order to find a formula that suits your needs. These lightweight-yet-potent formulas can tackle an array of concerns in this delicate area of skin, such as lack of hydration, dullness or fine lines and wrinkles.
It's also worth identifying any lifestyle factors that may be contributing to your dark circles, such as lack of sleep, diet, or not drinking enough water. Alongside lifestyle changes, using a quality eye cream can act as a helpful piece of the puzzle for banishing under-eye concerns. So, without further ado, here are our beauty experts top tried-and-tested eye creams for dark circles...
The best eye cream for dark circles, reviewed by our beauty team
RRP: £69 for 15ml | Key ingredients: Ascorbic acid, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, glutathione, niacinamide, red algae, giant kelp extract
It’s this eye cream’s brightening and skin-firming vitamin C complex that sets it apart for us: pure L-ascorbic acid, a vitamin C derivative called tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (or THD if you want less of a tongue-twister) and glutathione. This potent blend is why it's our overall best pick.
In combination with de-puffing red algae, giant kelp extract and subtle light-reflecting micro minerals, we found the formula to be an effective team of fatigue fighters. We also liked that it has a lovely, creamy consistency that absorbs well into skin.
Reasons to buy: Doctor-founded brand, potent formula
Reasons to avoid: You're working with a smaller budget
RRP: £31 for 15ml | Key ingredients: Niacinamide, caffeine, gingko biloba extract, ferulic acid, PhE-Resorcinol
When it comes to brands that provide impressive results at a mid-range price point, you’d be hard-pressed to find one that does it better than La Roche-Posay – one of our personal favourite brands. This eye cream is a great example of that.
With a formula containing decongesting caffeine, as well as ingredients that help even out skin tone, it’s a good fit for softening down both blue- and brown-toned dark circles. Additionally, we liked that its formula also contains light-reflecting pigments, while its tube comes with a cooling applicator to help gently massage away puffiness – adding to the overall user experience.
Reasons to buy: Dermatologist-recommended brand
Reasons to avoid: You want a more bargain-friendly buy
RRP: £12 for 15ml | Key ingredients: Caffeine, Matrixyl 3000
If your dark circles are more blue-toned and often accompanied by a case of puffiness, this pleasantly affordable pick could be for you. We love the INKEY List for its budget-friendly buys, and this eye cream is no question. Caffeine constricts the blood vessels underneath the skin, making the colour around the eye less visible, and also eases congestion, too (making it ideal for use first thing in the morning). It’s more than a one-trick pony though; this cream also contains the peptide Matrixyl 3000, which encourages collagen production with the aim of helping to reduce fine lines.
Reasons to buy: You're working with a limited budget and want something for tired eyes
Reasons to avoid: You want a more intense active formula with ingredients like retinol or potent vitamin C
RRP: £14.50 for 14ml | Key ingredients: Niacinamide, ceramides, hyaluronic acid
A suits-all option enriched with ceramides to support the skin’s natural barrier, this replenishing eye cream’s cocktail of calming ingredients gives it far-reaching appeal, as well as winning over our beauty team. It caters to everyone, from the least sensitive of skins to the most, and has been given the seal of approval from the National Eczema Association.
Ceramides, which support and maintain skin’s natural barrier, lie at the core of this formula, while hydrating hyaluronic acid plumps, glycerin moisturises and all-rounder niacinamide brightens and soothes. We love its creamy consistency and how gentle it feels on the under-eye area.
Reasons to buy: Simple, creamy formula with barrier-supporting ingredients
Reasons to avoid: You want something with a thinner, silkier consistency
RRP: £57 for 15ml | Key ingredients: Peptides, ceramides, vitamin C, cucumber extract
We love Drunk Elephant and this powerful potion didn't disappoint us. Containing eight peptides, five forms of vitamin C, ceramides and cucumber extract, we liked that this restorative eye cream helps firm, even out skin tone and soothe in one fell swoop.
A great all-rounder that meets the unique needs of more mature delicate under-eye skin, in particular, glowing reviews online also gush about its fast-absorbing hydrating texture and eye-brightening effects.
Reasons to buy: You want a powerful cocktail of skincare ingredients in your eye cream
Reasons to avoid: You're on a small budget; this is pricey, even by eye cream standards
RRP: £31.50 for 15ml | Key ingredients: Retinol, caffeine, sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid)
Retinol (in fact, retinoids in general) has become the favoured ingredient among experts and beauty insiders over the past few years, and its benefits apply as much to the eye area as it does the rest of the face. This gentle-yet-effective nightly eye cream contains 0.1% of the stuff to help eyes look less sunken (by stimulating collagen production) and to even out skin tone (by increasing cell turnover and exfoliation).
We were also impressed by the 0.2% dose of caffeine also acts as a helpful vasoconstrictor and reduces congestion, too. As with all retinol products, we can tell you from experience that a slow-and-steady approach is best, so start by applying it two nights a week and see how it works out.
Reasons to buy: You want a retinol eye cream to target fine lines and wrinkles
Reasons to avoid: You'd prefer something gentle
How we tested the best eye creams for
As expert beauty journalists, our testers chose eye creams that they knew from experience targeted the appearance of dark circles for a range of different skin types and concerns. Each eye cream that made the final list was assessed on the following factors.
- Price and value for money
- Packaging
- Ease of application
- Texture
- How the area felt immediately after application and through the day
- Key ingredients, including actives
How to choose the best eye cream for dark circles for you
Managing expectations is key, as dark circles are often caused by a loss of volume and genes, which can be difficult (and in the case of genes, impossible) to address. No eye cream can get rid of them entirely, however, they may reduce their severity. Look for ingredients that brighten and even skin tone, such as vitamin C and retinol, hydrate and temporarily plump, like hyaluronic acid, and decongest and constrict blood vessels (caffeine), support skin barrier function (niacinamide and ceramides), and boost collagen production (peptides, vitamin C and retinol).
Do you really need a separate eye cream, though? Some argue that you can just take the skincare that you’re using on the rest of your face up to the eye area, provided that the instructions don't tell you not to do this. If it doesn’t cause any stinging or sensitivity, that might work well for you. But due to how delicate the skin around the eye area is – up to four times thinner than the skin around the rest of the body – and its specific concerns, a specially formulated, thin-textured eye cream could be a more preferable option. This is especially true if you’re prone to puffy eyes or milia, which can be exacerbated by heavy and rich-textured products.
Experts also recommend that you combine your chosen product with lifestyle tweaks, like trying to up your hydration and good quality sleep, as well as wearing sunglasses and a broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30, or 50+.
What causes dark under eye circles?
Factors such as lack of sleep, smoking, dehydration, high-salt diets, caffeine, and alcohol can all contribute to this problem, especially when learning how to get rid of eye bags or puffy eyes. Allergies can be a factor too, as they can lead to congestion, sluggish circulation, and veins becoming more dilated and visible underneath thin under-eye skin. This is what often gives some dark circles their distinctive tone.
If the circles under your eyes are more brown in colour, though, they could be the result of pigmentation, a common condition where the skin becomes darker due to excess or uneven melanin distribution. Causes include sun damage, hormones and ageing, as well as genetics.
As if that wasn’t enough in the way of potential contributing factors, as we age, skin naturally loses volume around the eye area due to dwindling fat and collagen stores. This results in eyes appearing more sunken, with veins and dark circles becoming more pronounced. So while some lifestyle factors could be at play, there are biological causes that could be behind your dark circles, too. This is why it's important to manage expectations of what a topical skincare product can achieve – it may make a difference, but is unlikely to completely "fix" them.
Our expert panel
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