Many eye creams are formulated to improve more than one issue. We interviewed experts and scoured ingredients lists and reviews to identify which products were the likeliest to help testers who complained of wrinkles, dryness, puffiness, and/or dark circles. Below are the notes on the finalists in each group.
Wrinkles
Though Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum is beloved by staffers and was recommended for its ability to play well with concealer, our testers didn’t see any wrinkle reduction within the 30-day test period — and one had a reaction that made her stop early. The panelists found other highly rated wrinkle fighters pleasant to use, but (with isolated exceptions) they did not see wrinkle improvement within a month. These products include Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye (which nonetheless seemed to depuff one tester a bit), Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Eye Cream (praised for lightweight smoothness), Olay Renewing Eyes Retinol 24 MAX Eye Cream (which may have temporarily plumped lines for one tester), and Roc Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream and Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream (both lauded for their comfortable creaminess).
Dryness
Our testing period spanned some of the driest days of winter and the most allergy-provoking days of early spring, when our testers’ skin was — for purposes of this article — perfectly parched and raw from runny eyes. (Really, we wish everyone well.) So even some highly rated hydrators didn’t pack quite the punch that panelists had wanted. These creams included E.L.F. Cosmetics Holy Hydration! Eye Cream (which also pilled on one tester), Laneige Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Eye Cream (which caused some stinging for another tester), and Trader Joe’s Supreme Hydrating Eye Cream (a staff pick that simply wasn’t hefty enough for this panel).
Dark circles and/or puffiness
Considering that one CeraVe eye cream became a top pick, we were surprised that another one — CeraVe Eye Repair Cream — didn’t meaningfully diminish dark circles and/or puffiness for our panelists. Though one tester did comment that she loved the feel of this eye cream: “very silky, creamy and smooth.” Clinique All About Eyes Eye Cream and Ilia Bright Start Retinol Alternative were similarly enjoyable and soothing but aesthetically fruitless during our 30-day trial — other than some lovely transient brightening from Ilia. Meanwhile, Isdin Isdinceutics K-Ox Eyes, La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Eye Cream for Dark Circles, and SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye — three heavyweights in this arena — produced isolated and extremely subtle results, with the exception of the minor reactions that two testers experienced with the A.G.E. Advanced Eye.
We also ruled out a number of additional creams from Alpyn Beauty, Byoma, Biossance, Caudalie, Clarins, Clinique, Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, Dr. Loretta, Dermalogica, Dieux, Eight Saints, Estée Lauder, Fenty Beauty, Fresh, Hero Cosmetics, The Inkey List, Jones Road, Kiehl’s, La Mer, Lancôme, L’Oréal Paris, Mario Badescu, Medicube, Murad, No. 7, Ole Henriksen, Paula’s Choice, Peter Thomas Roth, Revision Skincare, Sahajan, Sunday Riley, Tatcha, and Versed. We chose not to send them to panel testing for a variety of reasons, which included insufficient reviews, limited availability, concerns about value, and formulas that didn’t feel great out of the box.
This article was edited by Jennifer G. Sullivan and Leta Shy.
