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The thinnest layer of skin on your body is found under those big, beautiful eyes of yours, which is why eyes are the first giveaway that you aren’t looking after yourself. We’ve put together a list of the 18 best eye creams on the market at the moment to help you banish dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles, and puffiness for good.
Top 6 Eye Creams for Dark Circles
Discolouration under your eyes is about as welcome as a hangover, so we’ve selected the best eye cream for dark circles to help you hide a multitude of sins. Here’s to making those dark eyes look on the bright side!
Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado
The green ingredient of the moment makes an appearance in this eye cream. It is rich and thick, but sinks effortlessly into the skin, and a little goes a long way. It’s great for tired eyes, but also has many benefits for dry skin, enabling it to breathe life into those dark peepers. Easily the best high street eye cream.
Dermalogica Total Eye Care SPF
This eye cream is light and absorbs instantly. The very subtle tint works wonders on brightening those dark circles. The SPF content is also a bonus as eyes are the first feature to show the signs of age caused by the sun’s rays.
Oskia Eye Wonder Nutri-Active Eye Serum
Oskia have created an extremely lightweight serum. Packed with youth-boosting nutrients it reduces visible signs of aging and fatigue, banishing those dark, unwanted circles. The rosewater ingredient has additional soothing benefits, so this is best applied in the evening allowing you to fully unwind.
Elemis Pro Radiance Illuminating Balm
Positioning itself as a ‘hybrid moisturiser’, this balm captures all the rejuvenating qualities that you’d expect with a moisturiser as well as the tightening, brightening and smoothing that one would expect from an eye firming cream. It’s best applied in the morning after a sleepless night, instantly brightening those tired eyes.
Shiseido Anti-Dark Circle Eye Cream
This eye cream includes innovative ingredients that target the two major causes of dark circles: pigmented melanin formulation (brown circles) and poor micro-circulation (blue circles) without leaving the skin feeling greasy. Massage this on in gentle circular motions and it will help you look more youthful and alert. Win win!
This little pot is a real luxury, at £150. But you only need to use very small amounts to see results and it can last up to a year if used sparingly. The small silver tipped applicator feels cool as it touches the skin under the eyes and facilitates micro-circulation. The priciest in our eye cream list, but an investment in eliminating those dark, stubborn circles.
Makeup to Hide Dark Circles
While a good concealer can cover dark circles, a highlighter will make your eyes look bright and bushy tailed! We would recommend the YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch. The product is light, but it’s certainly tough enough to brighten up dark circles. Swipe under your eyes and you’ll get eight hours of sleep with the click of a pen.
Top 6 Eye Creams for Puffiness
Eye contact is a fundamental part of communication, but if you’re avoiding gazing into other people’s eyes because of puffy and irritated peepers, take a peek at the best creams for puffy eyes.
Mario Badescu Ceramide Eye Gel
This cooling eye gel works wonders in reducing puffiness. Keep in the fridge to really soothe and moisturise the skin on application. At only £18, for 14ml, this is the best cheap eye cream in the pack.
Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream
This fragrance-free product is packed with natural ingredients – plus they’re proud to promote that they don’t test their products on animals. It provides a soothing experience for puffy eyes and the kiwifruit helps rescue damaged tissue and irritated skin. Apply small amounts for effective hydration.
Clinique’s little pot works wonders and sits top of our list as the best eye cream for puffiness. The cream/gel formula also has some primer qualities, so can hold eye make up in place nicely. Not only is it suitable as a bags under eyes cream, but also it can be used on the lids and underneath the eyebrow to soothe any dry or flaky skin.
Bobbi Brown Hydrating Intensive Night Cream
This night cream is very light and won’t leave you with greasy skin in the morning; the smell is also soothing just before bedtime. It repairs and replenishes skin as you sleep, helping you say goodbye to puffy morning eyes.
Clinique Repair Wear Laser Focus Night Line Smoothing Cream for Dry Skin
Another one from Clinique makes the list. This cream is especially designed for dry skin and applying a little at night-time will help with the cycle of natural repair. Expect plump, vibrant skin thanks to the natural collagen and the energising ‘8-hour effect’.
Clarins Super Restorative Total Eye Concentrate
This cream works wonders in plumping, replenishing and enhancing the eye area, containing Guarana extract specifically formulated to reduce puffiness and Acacia flower wax for an instant smoothing effect. Use morning and night for best results.
Puffy Eyes: Potential Causes and Cures
Puffy eyes are a result of a build-up of fluid, which causes swelling of the tissues and blood vessels around your eyes. Common causes are allergies, diet, sleep deprivation, alcohol, and ageing (sigh). Using eye creams with applicators are good for smoothing away excess fluid, whilst cream or gel based products should be kept in the fridge so that the refreshing cold temperature can reduce swelling. For the best results, apply products before bedtime.
Wearing eye cream underneath your make up can be a great base for concealer and prevent the build-up of fine lines around your eyes. Remember, though, the golden rule of skincare: take your makeup off every night before bed, however tired you may be. You’ll thank us in the morning.
Top 6 Eye Creams for Fine Lines/Wrinkles
Nothing says you’re aging (gracefully or disgracefully) like fine lines and wrinkles. But rest assured, it is still possible to reduce the appearance of ageing with the right treatment for under eye wrinkles. We’ve picked the best eyecream for fine lines to help you preserve your peepers for years to come.
This cute little pot contains a vitamin-rich cream that reduces the look of lines and ageing. The plumping effect from this cream makes eyes look brighter too.
Jurlique Purely Age-Defying Firming Eye Cream
Being able to hydrate and tighten the skin whilst remaining gentle to the delicate area under the eyes is no small task, but Jurlique certainly deliver. The combination of baobab and green coffee extracts boost the elasticity of the skin and reduce those fine lines and wrinkles. If you’re looking for the best cream for crowsfeet, look no further!
Dermalogica is known for being kind and gentle to the skin and this eyelid firming cream is no exception. Targeting all problem areas – from fine lines to puffiness to dark circles – this comes out as the best affordable eyecream for its all round peeper protection power.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue
Charlotte Tilbury are topping all best-selling lists with their products and they’ve done it again with this magical rescue remedy. Refreshing and cooling on application, this is easily the best night cream for sensitive eyes.
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Synchronized Complex II
The mini caviar spoon ensures gentle and even coverage, and you only need apply a small amount for it to be effective. The product is also suitable for those of you with sensitive skin.
Elemis Pro Collagen Eye Renewal
This eye firming cream is pushing the boat out at £63 for 15ml, but with just a small pump dispensing enough for both eyes, it should last you several months.
Reducing Fine Lines/Wrinkles: Dietary Advice
Food can play a big part in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Food rich in vitamin C will help slow down the ageing process: try adding peppers, strawberries and broccoli into your daily diet. Antioxidants are also proven to remove the toxins associated with sallow skin, so try to eat plenty of antioxidant-rich fruit such as blueberries and kiwis.
There are, of course, more drastic measures that you can take to remove fine lines and under-eye wrinkles, with Botox being a firm favourite among the rich and famous. It is relatively pain-free and involves softening lines by paralysing muscles temporarily.
Do Eye Creams Work?
- The area under your eyes is thinner, more sensitive, and has fewer oil and water glands than the rest of your skin, which is why a specially formulated eye cream is recommended day and night.
- Eye creams can be used to treat dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles, and puffiness – or all three!
- Use your ring finger to apply products to this delicate area, and be careful not to pull at the skin. And always avoid contact with eyes as you can’t look fabulous if you can’t see where you’re strutting!
- It’s never too early to start using eye cream. Fine lines and crow’s feet make us look older than we are, so the sooner you introduce eye cream into your cleansing ritual, the better.
Say goodbye to bags with our tried and tested eye creams, which will protect your peepers from the elements, keep wrinkles at bay, and ensure your eyes remain bright and beautiful. No one will ever suspect you’ve been up all night dancing until dawn…
Read more great articles on women’s beauty here at alexie.co.