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Check out what the best eye creams for dark circles and puffy eyes are and what to look for in a good anti-dark circles eye cream…
Dark under eye circles are a common beauty concern that can significantly influence your appearance and the impression you leave. No one wants to look like they haven’t slept a minute the previous night. And dark circles not only make you look tired all the time, they can also make you look older than your age.
The problem with treating dark circles is that the way to get rid of them is to treat the cause. And causes behind dark under eye circles and puffiness couldn’t vary more.
The good news is that most of the best under eye creams for dark circles contain multiple ingredients that each treat a different cause of dark circles. But it is always a good idea to pay attention to the ingredients and pick a product that focuses on what you specifically need…
What the Best Eye Creams for Dark Circles Contain
If your under eye area looks shadowy due to dehydration, in addition to drinking plenty of water you can use an eye cream that contains hyaluronic acid and other humectants. Ceramides and peptides are also a great option for dry under eye skin.
Antioxidants, and especially vitamin C, are a great option for dull looking skin and to prevent aging signs. Retinol is also a good choice for dark circles caused by thinning, aging skin, hyperpigmentation and first fine lines. Some other great brightening agents include niacinamide, arbutin and kojic acid.
Caffeine is another popular ingredient in under eye creams for dark circles. It constricts the blood vessels under the eyes and that way makes the skin look brighter and more awake. It also helps reduce the puffiness.
Especially the combination of caffeine and vitamin K works wonders and some of the best eye creams for dark circles and puffiness are based on it. A study from 2015 backs up the claim that caffeine and vitamin K indeed can improve the appearance of dark circles, skin elasticity and even fine lines.
So, now that you know what to look for while looking for the best eye creams for dark circles, here are some you should definitely check out…
10 Best Under Eye Creams for Dark Circles and Puffiness
*All prices mentioned are from February 2022.
1. SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex for Dark Circles
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Price: $100.00/0.50 fl. Oz.
A.G.E. Eye Complex is an anti-wrinkle eye cream that targets dark circles, puffiness and crow’s feet. It immediately improves the appearance of the under eye area and makes the skin brighter and youthful.
Ingredients such as a complex of flavonoids and synergistic peptides, blueberry extract and proxylane reduce dark circles and fine lines, hydrate the skin and restore nutrients. This cream also contains optical diffusers whose role is to diffuse light and instantly boost radiance.
2. Bioderma Sensibio Gel Eye Contour
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Price: $19.99/0.51 fl. Oz.
A much more affordable option that focuses on soothing the skin and cooling the area to reduce puffiness. It has an airy, gel-like texture and it is fragrance-free. Perfect for people whose dark circles appear because of skin sensitivities.
This formula is enriched by several dark circle diminishing ingredients, including caffeine, hyaluronic acid and the Toléridine™ patent. The eye cream hydrates, moisturizes and soothes the skin, reducing redness and puffiness.
3. CeraVe Eye Repair Cream
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Price: $10.34/0.50 fl. Oz.
CeraVe is all about maintaining the skin well moisturized, and things are no different when it comes to this eye cream for dark circles. The formula is non-greasy, ophthalmologist-tested and fragrance-free.
As for the ingredients, CeraVe Eye Repair Cream contains niacinamide, 3 ceramides, hyaluronic acid, plus a Marine & Botanical Complex. They all work to repair the barrier, increase moisture levels and brighten the skin around your eyes.
4. Sunday Riley Auto Correct Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream
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Price: $65.00/0.50 fl. Oz.
An energizing eye treatment that makes you look well rested by lifting and depuffing the skin under your eyes. Auto Correct deserves its spot on the list of the best eye creams for dark circles and puffiness because it quickly gives noticeable results and makes the skin fresher and more youthful.
This eye cream helps reduce the appearance of crow’s feet, thanks to the horse chestnut, acmella oleracea and antioxidants it contains. It is also packed with moisturizing, brightening and depuffing ingredients, such as caffeine, Brazilian ginseng root extract, cocoa and shea butter, watermelon rind extract, etc.
5. Biossance Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel
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Price: $54.00/0.50 fl. Oz.
If you are looking for a lightweight formula that is fragrance-free, vegan and cruelty-free and that can visibly improve dark circles and puffiness, here’s a great option. This eye gel cream brightens the skin while reducing irritations, puffiness and crepiness.
Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel thoroughly hydrates the skin and that way temporarily plumps and diminishes the appearances of crow’s feet. Some of the noteworthy ingredients include aloe juice, squalane, niacinamide, panthenol, Swiss apple stem cell extract, cucumber, goji and grape extracts, lycopene…
6. Neocutis Lumière Illuminating Eye Cream
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Price: $97.00/0.50 fl. Oz.
Another restoring formula that targets multiple common under eye skin problems. This cream is dermatologist and ophthalmologist tested, non-comedogenic and it doesn’t contain fragrance and color additives.
There are several components that make this product one of the best eye creams for dark circles. It contains depuffing caffeine, hydrating hyaluronic acid, brightening glycyrrhetinic acid and soothing bisabolol. You can also find growth factors in this formula, which reduce aging signs such as wrinkles and fine lines.
7. Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Eye Cream with Niacinamide
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Price: $40.00/0.51 fl. Oz.
This cream is suitable for all skin types, but people with dry or dehydrated under eye area will especially appreciate it. The formula is all about hydration – it thoroughly moisturizes and soothes the skin and helps improve the skin’s protective barrier.
By locking in the moisture, Ceramidin Eye Cream makes the skin smoother, plumper and brighter. Ceramides play the main role here, but the cream also contains niacinamide, glycerin, squalane, panthenol, lecithin, allantoin, cocoa and apple extracts, etc.
8. Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Cream
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Price: $40.00/0.50 fl. Oz.
A rejuvenating anti-dark circle eye cream and a makeup base in one. This cream is tinted pale yellow, which helps with color correction and instantly brightens the skin.
Banana Bright Eye Cream also works to firm, protect and thoroughly nourish the delicate under eye skin. It contains several overachiever ingredients, including jojoba oil, shea butter, glycerin, collagen, vitamin C…
9. RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream
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Price: $24.99/0.50 fl. Oz.
Retinol is a gold standard for a reason. It is one of the rare ingredients that can truly and noticeably transform your skin, brighten it, fade imperfections, reduce wrinkles, fine lines and hyperpigmentation and visibly rejuvenate the skin around your eyes.
This under eye cream helps reduce puffiness and dark circles while maintaining the skin smooth and youthful. The formula is non-greasy, hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested.
10. Sweet Chef Turmeric + Vitamin C Booster Eye Cream
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Price: $17.99/0.50 fl. Oz.
And for the end of this list of the best eye creams for dark circles and puffiness, here’s another treat for the under eye skin. Both vitamin C and turmeric are known skin brighteners and they both can help you diminish and illuminate dark circles.
Other than these two, this cream also contains niacinamide, which hydrates and brightens the skin. You can also find antioxidant-rich ginger extract, as well as nourishing probiotics in this formula.
