I’ve spent the last year on a mission to find an eye cream that gets rid of dark undereyes. I’ve tried each of the products below for at least 3 weeks and most of them I’ve used the whole product. All in all, I’ve been a little disappointed. Either that or my dark circles are just too stubborn! I’ve read a million reviews and used Sephora’s various filters a hundred times to find products that claim to get rid of them.
I’m also working on finding good products to conceal my dark circles but you guys know I’m all about skincare first. I would rather have to use less makeup but have the option to use more when I want! I’m a huge believer in a great skincare routine (I shared mine here last week). While I love makeup (and am grateful for what it does for my face on those days I’m really tired), no one feels good about themselves when they take it all off and don’t like what they see. For me, skincare is the key to helping you look your best “naturally”. Makeup is an accessory to that.
I’m going to keep updating this post as I try new eye creams. As I finish a new product, I’ll share what I thought of it and add it to the list. I ranked all of them from best to worst – I feel like this is more helpful than randomly browsing the Sephora website. This way, you can see a side by side comparison because the same person used them all! Most of them are pretty good when it comes to safe beauty but not all of them are! While I love watching our for toxic ingredients, my priority is products that actually work.
If you have a favorite or one you swear by, please leave it in the comments below!
BEST EYE CREAMS
1. REN Brightening Dark Circle Eye ($51 for 15mL).
This is my favorite eye cream and has worked the best for reducing my dark circles. It’s medium thickness in terms of consistency but it’s still plenty hydrating so it works really well both morning and night. I also love the pump function because it means you are not dipping your finger into a pot of cream and getting it behind your nails. It’s great for year round which makes it the most versatile too. A little product goes a long way (you only need a half pump per application).
2. Hourglass Equilibrium Intensive Hydrating Eye Balm ($95 for 16.3mL).
This is the most hydrating eye cream I have ever tried!! It is AMAZING! It is a must have for winter if your skin is dry. It’s thick (in a good way) and will keep you hydrated overnight. During winter, I love to use this one at night with the REN Brightening Dark Circle Eye cream in the morning.
3. Beautycounter Countertime Eye Cream ($69 for 15mL).
Hands down, this is the best eye cream I’ve tried. It’s completely safe AND it is insanely hydrating. It’s also done the best job a reducing dark circles. I will be 100% transparent and say it didn’t completely remove mine but it did the best of anything I’ve tried (and on this list). I would recommend this 10 times out of 10!
4. Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Eye Concentrate ($68 for 15mL)
While it didn’t do much for my dark circles (it’s more targeted toward anti-aging), it left my eyes feeling the most hydrated. The scent is also amazing. I love the black tea element and have heard about the amazing things tea can do for your skin. This is probably one of the only ones I would personally buy again. It also lasted the longest so even though it’s on the more expensive end I found I needed to use less. It also didn’t irritate my eyes or make my skin red (I have really sensitive skin).
5. Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm ($68 for 13mL).
This is my second Algenist product after I tried their serum! This Algenist eye cream is a good consistency, it lasts a long time, and it’s pretty hydrating. I noticed a very slight improvement in my dark circles (but not completely removed) and the formula is a little thinner than the Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Eye Cream. Since they’re both the same price point, I’d probably pick Fresh over this one just given how hydrating the Fresh one is. If you’re looking for a budget friendly option, this Algenist eye cream performs most closely to the Beautycounter Countermatch below!
6. Olehenriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme ($38 for 15mL).
This Banana Bright Eye Creme was one of the most highly recommended eye creams when I took a poll on Instagram! It has amazing reviews! After using it for a month, I have to say that it is really hydrating and the price point is great compared to first two on this list! I really wanted it to help my dark circles but unfortunately, it didn’t do anything!
7. IT Cosmetics Anti-Aging Confidence in an Eye Cream ($35 for 15mL).
I was really surprised by how great the formula for this IT Cosmetics Eye Cream was. It’s a steal compared to so many other eye creams at $35 as part of the QVC deal. It was really hydrating but still didn’t improve my dark circles at all as with most of the eye creams on this list. However, the hydration factor was really good which is why it ranks this high!
8. Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask ($42 for 15mL).
This is one of my more recent tests! It’s reasonably hydrating but nothing like #1 and #2 on this list. My other complaint is the shape of the container because it’s hard to scrape out all the product without the plastic pick.
9. Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream ($54 for 15mL).
I ordered this with the Glow Recipe eye cream above. This one is slightly thinner than the one above but I liked that it had squalane in it.
10. Beautycounter Countermatch Eye Rescue Cream ($39 for 15mL).
This is one of my favorite beauty brands and I love that it’s 100% safe. While this eye cream wasn’t quite as moisturizing as the Fresh one, I love knowing that there aren’t any toxic chemicals in it. It’s also really reasonably priced which is pretty rare for an eye cream. I did notice a slight improvement in my dark circles but it wasn’t significant. Generally speaking, this was just a really easy eye cream to travel with given the shape of the packaging, it moisturized really well, and you only needed a little bit of product so it lasts a long time.
11. Acure Radically Rejuvenating Eye Cream ($16.99 for 30mL).
I love this Acure eye cream for the price point. It’s insanely affordable as you can see from quickly scanning this list. If you’re looking for a budget friendly option to get you by for now, this is what you should go with. It’s reasonably hydrating but doesn’t get rid of dark circles. If you’re been following on Instagram, I’ve recommended a few of their products for those on a budget. Just pass on their conditioner!
12. Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye Cream ($37 for 15mL).
I got a sample of this Midnight Recovery Eye Cream with my Sephora rewards along with a few other Kiehl’s products. It was pretty hydrating and performed right between the above and below eye creams. It’s also reasonably priced! I didn’t seen an improvement in my dark circles though – in fact, I think they got a little worse but it could be unrelated!
13. Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream ($64 for 15mL).
I’d been hearing so many testimonials about the amazing things Vitamin C does for your skin that this Drunk Elephant product intrigued me. The packaging of Drunk Elephant and the twist cap of their eye creams is a fun detail. While the C-Tango was definitely better than their regular eye serum (see below), it still did not get rid of my dark circles. It’s performance was most similar to the Beautycounter Countermatch Eye Cream (see above) except that it’s $25 more for the same amount of product. It’s good, sufficiently hydrating but wasn’t as hydrating as Fresh.
14. Colleen Rothschild Complete Eye Cream ($65 for 15mL)
I like this brand generally speaking and have talked about it on the blog a couple times. Their products are reasonable when it comes to safety, a bunch contain PEGs (carcinogens) which I’m a little wary of. I used this eye cream and again, it didn’t do anything for my dark circles but it hydrated decently. I liked that it had botanicals in it to strength the skin and reduce fine lines. It’s a good eye cream that is more for anti-aging than dark circles though!
15. The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG ($6.70 for 30mL)
I’ve heard tons about the benefits of caffeine for dark circles and was cautiously skeptically optimistic about this product. After using it for 3 weeks, I have to admit that it doesn’t do anything for my dark circles. It’s more of a liquid-y gel and you apply it with an eyedropper. I like the concept of that but found that I still ended up using my regular eye cream afterward for a little extra moisture. It’s incredibly affordable which is what brings toward the top but as with most eye creams, I just didn’t see the results I hoped for. You also really need to massage it into your skin – you should start to feel a slight tingle or burn if you’ve done it properly! It’s a bit counterintuitive but I liked the feeling and it did make my skin feel a little tighter.
16. Clinque All About Eyes ($33 for 15mL).
I almost forgot I tried the next three eye creams until I went back through my Sephora orders so that should tell you a lot! This was an average eye cream, average hydration with little results. I ended up giving it to Matt after my 3 week test was up!
17. Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream ($32 for 15mL).
Just like the Clinique eye cream above, both of these are average eye creams. The best part about them is the price point but if you’re on a budget, just grab the Acure one above.
18. Indie Lee I-Waken Serum ($48 for 15mL).
While I love the brand, this eye serum was a little too thin for me. I like really hydrating creams because they make your eye skin look plumper and therefore, younger so this serum falls a little lower on the list. It didn’t get rid of dark circles or do much of anything but it is a clean brand!
19. Alpyn Beauty Line-Filling Eye Balm with Bakuchiol ($62 for 14mL).
I was so excited for this one but it was unfortunately not nearly hydrating enough for my skin. I only tested this for a week before moving on as I could visibly see my eye skin aging. While I love that it contains bakuchiol (a plant based alternative to retinol), it just wasn’t effective in any way.
20. Origins Mega Mushroom Skin Relief ($48 for 15mL)
I feel like this brand reminds me of high school. This product was supposed to also be targeted toward dark circles but I only felt like it helped a little. It was thicker than the Drunk Elephant one though which I liked although it was still a lightweight product. Definitely more of a serum targeted toward anti-aging than a moisturizer. It’s also formulated without parabens and pthalates.
21. Fresh Black Tea Eye Firming Serum ($72 for 15mL).
I had such high hopes for this given how much I love the eye cream. I thought that maybe I needed to add an eye serum to my routine just like I do for my face. However, I didn’t notice any difference and it wasn’t hydrating enough to use it alone so it wasn’t worth it to add another step to my routine for no reason! And the price point was crazy for a product that didn’t do much!
22. Glo Photo-Active Eye Serum ($86 for 15mL)
This is another okay eye cream. I love that it’s a safer brand and the product is pretty thick so it hydrates well. Matt is actually using this one right now and will probably switch to a different one once he’s done. It didn’t get rid of my circles but the hydration factor was there (not quite as good as the ones above though).
23. Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex Eye Serum ($60 for 15mL)
I’d heard great things about this brand for being safer and less toxic so I picked up this eye cream in the last Sephora sale. Honestly, it’s okay. I think it slightly improved my circles but then it seemed to go backwards as they were right back in full force. The product itself is more on the watery side so mentally, I don’t feel like it hydrates as well as other products. I handed this off to Matt to finish the bottle!
24. Ren Keep Young and Beautiful Anti-Aging ($42 for 15mL)
This brand is generally pretty safe which is why I bought this. It hydrated pretty well but again, didn’t do much for my dark circles. It was just a good and affordable eye cream that is more targeted toward fine lines and wrinkles. Easy to travel with too and fit into cosmetics bags because of the shape of the package!
25. Caudalie Vine[Active] Energizing and Smoothing Eye Cream ($39 for 15mL)
This eye cream was average too. It’s not terribly thick and creamy so I felt like it wasn’t as moisturizing as the ones at the top of the list. It also didn’t really fight dark circles. The tube is easy to travel with though because it’s not a heavy glass pot. It’s also one of the most affordable eye creams out there. However, it performed just okay.
26. Peter Thomas Roth Mega Rick Intensive Anti-Aging Cellular Eye Cream ($65 for 22.5mL)
With a name like this, I expected miracles! This product started irritating me more and more the longer I used it. I love the PTR gel pads (although some contain toxins) for a refreshing eye treatment so I really was looking forward to it. However, it eventually irritated my skin so much that I had to stop using it. I also noticed it cause some milia (white bumps in your skin that aren’t harmful and are usually caused by dead skin cells trapped in your pores). It was an average thickness and didn’t do anything for my dark circles. If I wasn’t seemingly allergic to it, this product would be higher on my list.
27. Volition Beauty Helix AM/PM Eye Gel ($52 for 15mL)
I was so excited for this one. Sephora promised that it was safer and would get rid of my dark circles plus the packaging was pretty. I was so excited for it that when it sold out, I signed up to be notified when it was back in stock. I also thought that meant it would be the miracle product we’d all been waiting for since I’d never heard of the brand. I loved that it was more of a gel texture – the product itself is clear. I felt like the gel cooled my eyes and felt refreshing. However, I noticed zero improvement in my dark circles. I also noticed that it made my skin burn and appear a little red. It wasn’t every night but it was most nights. At first I just assumed this was the product working miracles. However, after a month of no results and it being only moderately hydrating, I have banished it to the back of my medicine cabinet.
28. Biossance Squalane + Peptide Eye Gel ($54 for 15mL)
Another eye cream that Sephora promised amazing things from but fell short. I had really high hopes because the name sounded like something out of my Chemistry book! I liked that it was safer again but it didn’t do a thing for my circles and it didn’t hydrate much at all. Again, it was more of a gel and I think came out a slight green/blue color if I remember correctly. I bought this one in the 2016 Sephora VIB Sale after filtering on products that were the top rated for dark circles. I ended up tossing this after a few weeks – it wasn’t even worth finishing.
Do you have a couple of favorite or best eye creams? Help me out and leave the name of it below so I can try it and add it to this list!
Since you have a sensitive eye area, what type of reaction do you get? Every eye cream I’ve used makes my eye area more puffy! I do have chronic dry eye though. I’ve watched many videos how to apply eye cream so I know I’m not doing it wrong and I apply very little. Really want to try the Fresh one you recommended but when I read the reviews, they are mixed with sensitivity reactions. The never ending search for an eye cream continues!
Hi Melissa! Usually, I experience burning around my eye and redness! Sometimes, a little puffiness too. The Fresh one didn’t cause any of that on me but if you’re really concerned, I’d recommend this one – I’m currently using it, it’s a non-toxic product (unlike Fresh), and but it’s still hydrating. Not quite as much as Fresh but it is definitely better if you’re concerned about skin sensitivities! Plus, Beautycounter is my favorite brand! https://www.beautycounter.com/jennifercolgrove?goto=skin-care%2Feye-lip-care%2Fcountermatch-eye-rescue-cream-1.html
I do like the Fresh eye cream! I’ve been using it for years and I feel like it does help with fine lines and overall moisturizing. However, nothing seems to kick my dark circles. So, if you find the miracle product that erases dark circles, please help a girl out!
Re-reading to try new eye cream!
Thanks Jenna for writing this article! Eye creams tend to be quite pricey so being to experiment with them is not always feasible. So I am happy you were able to test them out and report what worked and didn’t work!
I’m still young (24) but suffer as well from dark circles so I’m always on the hunt for eye creams to moisturize, help diminish dark circles and also to start with the anti-aging early!
My dark circles have always been there, they’re either genetics or I think could also be tied to an undetected food intolerance. Apparently dark circle manifest more when your liver is overworked which can be the case with undetected food intolerances.
Two eye creams I’ve tried and liked were an itCosmetics eye cream mini I got as a gift with purchase from ulta (unsure if it was the bye bye under eye cream because it had the confidence in a cream packaging look). Overall i felt it was a rich texture that felt light at application, only slightly sticky before drying – so good at moisturizing and although it did not erase my dark circles (what can), I did feel that the cream paired with good hydration and solid night sleep made my circles less pronounced.
A second eye cream I’ve liked is the Tula eye cream I got on a starter sample kit. I also feel like it’s moisturizing, less rich than the it Cosmetics one tho and same results as above when keeping up with water intake and sleep.
Next, I’m hoping to try OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright Eye Crème. I tried it on in the Sephora store once and noticed a brighter under eye almost immediately – even a Sephora sales associate noticed. Unsure on how they rank on clean ingredients – would love to see what you think – but it doesn’t contain Parabens, Sulfates or Phthalates, and i don’t believe they have PEGs either, but it does have fragrance, so it’s not the best.
https://www.sephora.com/product/banana-bright-eye-creme-P426339
I’ve also been using Cocokind (a super natural/clean skincare brand which you can find in most whole foods and I recommend you look into) MyMatch all-over moisture stick for under my eyes after reading a post on their website (https://www.cocokind.com/matcha-dark-circle-treatment/) that mentioned the benefits of matcha for dark circles – it increases blood flow and oxygen to the skin and it’s high caffeine content “can also help to constrict blood vessels and improve circulation, temporarily relieving the appearance of dark circles.” I haven’t noticed a huge difference but have seen before and after pictures posted and it has the potential to help with continued use.
https://shop.cocokind.com/collections/cocokind-collective/products/mymatcha-organic-moisture-stick
Finally wanted to share what I feel did the biggest difference for my dark circles and it was taking Hum Nutrition wing man supplement that contains milk thistle aimed at helping detox the liver.
I didn’t take this as consistently as i should have as I was traveling but felt that when I was (and was sleeping 8+ hrs a night) my dark circles appeared significantly lighter in the morning. I am looking to repurchase this soon!
https://www.sephora.com/product/wing-man-supplements-P386757?keyword=hum%20nutrition%20wing%20man
I really hope I am able to help out a bit with my experience as well and if you try out any of the products I mentioned that they are able to help your dark circles! I don’t think there is a cure out there for dark circles as I’m convinced it falls on genetics or the shape of our face (the hollows of our eye sockets) but I do think that between hydration, sleep, diet and skincare we are able to make a big difference!!
– Ana – an avid reader and follower <3
Hi Ana! This is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing all your experiences!!
Love your reviews and honesty. So, is the bottom line, none found yet that help the dark circles??? I am hoping to find one too!
Yep!! None of them have really helped mine! I know it’s so frustrating! I’ll keep testing!
Nice post
I love La Roche Posay eye cream Redermic C. It’s a little pricey but it lasts a long time, plus they sometimes have sale codes. It’s amazing for the early stages of crows feet!
Hi how about Venofye ? Did it really help your dark circles?
Thanks for the reviews! I also have dark under eyes and have not found anything high end (including valmont and Dr. Dennis Gross) or drugstore to help. I’ve pretty much resigned myself to finding something moisturizing and for that it doesn’t seem like the super pricey products are worth it.