10 Best Eye Creams for Wrinkles to Smooth, Firm, and Brighten
Meanwhile, its lightweight gel formula depuffs, hydrates, and preps your skin for eye makeup. We also love that this tightening eye cream comes in a slim, pumpable tube rather than a jar that you have to stick your fingers into; it’s more hygienic and easier to travel with.
Tester feedback from Allure executive beauty director Jenny Bailly
“I’ve heard a lot of depuffing promises in my day—this clear gel actually makes good on them. I tap it all the way around my eyes (yes, even the lids) to get everything looking a little more taut before I go in with concealer. It also contains peptides and antioxidants that make my eye area smoother when I use it consistently for a couple of months.” —Jenny Bailly, Allure executive beauty director
- Key ingredients: tetrapeptide-5, hyaluronic acid, proprietary antioxidant blends;
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Crow’s Feet: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye Complex
Why it’s worth it: SkinCeuticals products are known for their science-meets-skin-care formulas, and the revamped A.G.E. Advanced Eye Complex lives up to the reputation. “It improves the appearance of crow’s feet through its potent combination of proxylane, blueberry extract, and a complex of flavonoids and synergistic peptides,” explains Lauren Penzi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY. Instead of simply delivering collagen to the skin, this 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner actually encourages cells to produce it from scratch, helping to firm skin and minimize fine lines over time.
If you’re wondering, the titular A.G.E. stands for advanced glycation end-products, which naturally develop and build up in our bodies as we age and cause our skin to sag, as Kunal Malik, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, previously explained. This eye cream is your first line of firming defense. It also has light-reflecting ingredients that brighten the skin around the eyes, but it’s the consistent application that yields the best long-term results. “With regular use, patients have definitely noticed a decrease in the appearance of fine lines around the eyes,” says Dr. Penzi.
Tester feedback from Allure contributing commerce editor Deanna Pai
“I have what plastic surgeons have called an ‘expressive face,’ so my crow’s feet are out of control when I smile. This makes a noticeable difference in their length and depth, but doesn’t exacerbate my milia or lead to pilling. I really appreciate that it feels balmy and nourishing but not heavy, so I can apply the rest of my skin care and makeup right after—helpful when I’m trying to get ready with my kid hounding me.” —Deanna Pai, Allure contributing commerce editor
- Key ingredients: proxylane, peptides, glycyrrhetinic acid
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best Retinol-Free: Lancôme Rénergie Eye H.C.F. Triple Serum
Why it’s worth it: Lancôme’s Rénergie Eye H.C.F. Triple Serum is powered by a snake venom-like peptide, which targets fine lines by reducing muscle cell contraction (whoa). The 2024 Best of Beauty Award-winning formula also features vitamin F, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid to brighten, firm, and smooth; for the uninitiated, vitamin F is made up of fatty acids that support your skin’s moisture barrier. The serum absorbs super quickly and skips the greasy finish in many of its peers.
Tester feedback from Allure associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen
“What really makes this do-it-all eye serum so impressive for me is that it’s made with a synthetic version of a peptide found in snake venom, which is what creates the look and feel of tighter, lifted under eyes. And as someone in their early 30s who is starting to physically see the effects of sleepless nights (puffiness, dark circles), I’ve started using this treatment every morning and night (after applying my actives and before my moisturizer) to combat tired undereyes.” —Sarah Kinonen, Allure associate beauty director
- Key ingredients: proxylane, peptides, glycyrrhetinic acid
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best Crepiness: Peter Thomas Roth Peptide Skinjection Fill + Fix Under-Eye Cream
Why it’s worth it: Of course, there’s nothing over-the-counter that can exactly mimic Botox, but when it comes to filler-like benefits—like restoring the appearance of lost volume—Peter Thomas Roth Peptide Skinjection Fill + Fix Under-Eye Cream makes us surprisingly optimistic. The formula features 4% Peptilift, a peptide blend that helps lift and fill the look of fine lines, plus 3% Juveneye CLR, a plant complex that brightens dark circles over time. And if all that proprietary tech goes over your head, don’t worry—it also contains something we all know and love: Hyaluronic acid-filled spheres to add instant plumpness by drawing water into the skin. Caffeine and illuminating minerals visibly deflate puffiness for a wide-awake finish. “This is one of the few advanced peptide creams I’ve come across that truly delivers an immediate tightening feel, and packs enough humectants to keep the skin supple and visibly refreshed,” says Debra Luftman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Calabasas, California.
“I’ll say it one more time for the people in the back: Give us more eye creams with metal applicators. It feels instantly cooling on contact, and even though it’s subtly tinted, it disappears in seconds. I’m still waiting to see how it’ll impact my undereye darkness long-term, but the moisture and plumpness it delivers are pretty much instant.” —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure contributing commerce writer
- Key ingredients: 4% Peptilift, 3% Juvenile CLR, hyaluronic acid, caffeine, illuminating minerals
- Fragrance-free: yes
More eye creams for wrinkles we love:
Best Under Makeup: Shani Darden Intensive Eye Renewal Cream
Shani Darden
Intensive Eye Renewal Cream
Why it’s worth it: So you finally found an eye cream that works for you… until it slips and slides under your makeup. Shani Darden Intensive Eye Renewal Cream helps avoid that fate with a silky, quick-absorbing texture that sinks in instantly, leaving zero greasiness or pilling, so it layers effortlessly under concealer or foundation. And because the cream doesn’t transfer, it gets to work renewing the eye area all day long: “This formula relies on peptides, silk tree extract, niacinamide, and ceramides to help support elasticity, reduce the appearance of fine lines, and maintain barrier integrity,” says Pooja Rambhia, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City. With continued use, you may even find yourself reaching for less concealer because the skin underneath looks smoother, firmer, and brighter on its own.
- Key ingredients: peptides, silk tree extract, squalane, niacinamide, ceramides
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best with SPF: Supergoop! Bright-Eyed Mineral Eye Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 40 Sunscreen
Supergoop!
Bright-Eyed Mineral Eye Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 40 Sunscreen
Why it’s worth it: Any derm will tell you: All the skin-care products in the world won’t do much if you’re not wearing sunscreen. Supergoop! Bright-Eyed Mineral Eye Cream SPF uses 14.4% zinc oxide for broad-spectrum protection, wrapped in a creamy glycerin base that keeps the delicate undereye area supple. “This mineral eye cream combines sun protection, an illuminating tint, and anti-fatigue ingredients like caffeine in one step,” says Dr. Luftman, who likes that it leaves the eye area refreshed and luminous without feeling greasy. The subtle pink tone is thanks to brightening mica and iron oxides, while green tea, pomegranate, and probiotics like Lactobacillus ferment help reduce puffiness and support long-term firmness.
- Key ingredients: 14.4% zinc oxide, ginger flower, pomegranate, Lactobacillus ferment, caffeine
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best Tinted: EltaMD UV AOX Eye Broad-Spectrum SPF 30
EltaMD
UV AOX Eye Broad-Spectrum SPF 30
Why it’s worth it: Tinted mineral sunscreens are especially effective for mature skin because their iron oxides protect against visible light, which plays a major role in exacerbating wrinkles, dark circles, and discoloration. “This eye cream with 15% zinc oxide is the gold standard in eye-safe sun protection,” says Dr. Luftman. But don’t mistake EltaMD UV AOX Eye Broad-Spectrum SPF 30 for simply a sunscreen with added tint—this formula goes much further. Peptides help support elasticity and soften fine lines, Vitamin E and bisabolol offer antioxidant defense, and Persian silk tree extract helps reduce puffiness and dark circles. “It goes above and beyond to protect and firm skin around the eyes all in one step,” says Dr. Luftman.
- Key ingredients: 15% zinc oxide, peptides, vitamin E, bisabolol, Persian silk tree extract
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Sensitive Skin: Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream
Clinique
Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream
Why it’s worth it: If your eye cream tends to take a backseat in your skin-care routine, Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Eye Cream makes the times you do remember count extra. “This multitasking formula tackles fine lines, crepiness, dryness, and a weakened skin barrier all at once,” says Whitney Hovenic, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Reno, Nevada. The brand’s CL1870 Peptide Complex helps boost collagen production to soften wrinkles, while sigesbeckia orientalis extract supports skin density and resilience. And if your barrier is compromised, hydrating ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid restore suppleness, while emollients such as mango seed butter, shea butter, and ceramides lock in moisture to keep the eye area cushioned and strong. Just remember—consistency matters, so swipe it on every night for the best results.
- Key ingredients: CL1870 Peptide Complex, sigesbeckia orientalis extract, hyaluronic acid
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best Drugstore: RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream
RoC
Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream
Why it’s worth it: RoC’s Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream is a fragrance-free best-seller that’s won multiple Allure Best of Beauty Awards. “[Here,] retinol helps boost collagen production, improve skin texture, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes,” says Dr. Penzi, who counts it among her favorites. “It also contains hydrating ingredients like glycerin and panthenol that dole out hydration and plumpness to the eye area.