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The 11 Best Eye Creams for Dark Circles
Chase the darkness away with radiant, glowing skin
By | 1 year ago
Since heading back into the office after an (un)restful period of WFH and furlough, many of us are feeling the strain of post-pandemic life on our skin. Whether you’ve been navigating a move, spending all-nighters finishing off a project or simply getting back to grips with an out-and-about social life, chances are you’re starting to see those trademark dark circles begin to take root under your eyes. Fight the effects of fatigue with our roundup of the best eye creams.
When it comes to skin, we’re prone to feeling self-conscious about natural blemishes and textures. The small details that hint at our daily schedules can also become a source of anxiety – one which we usually want to cover up with layers and layers of foundation. One such issue we all seem to face is dark circles under our eyes. While factors like genetics, diet, stress, pollen levels, fatigue and skin irritation can impact our skin, the cause for dark circles is notoriously difficult to pinpoint. We can take measures like getting more sleep, cutting down salty foods (a key contributor to puffiness) and avoiding rubbing the skin under our eyes, but sometimes it takes a good cream to help get rid of the darkest of shadows.
But picking the right eye cream can also be a struggle. The skin under our eyes is especially sensitive, making it prone to irritation which could in fact make dark circles worse if too strong a cream is used. We also need to take skin tone into account, as those with darker skin can be more prone to discolouration and hyperpigmentation as a result of high melanin levels – in which case, you’ll want to go for products that use botanical brightening ingredients, iron chelators and light-diffusing particles.
Get started on your skincare regime with our edit of the best eye creams for dark circles below…
The Country & Town House Responsible Buyers’ Guide
The Best Eye Creams for Dark Circles
Neal’s Yard Remedies
Frankincense Intense™ Age-Defying Eye Cream, £49, nealsyardremedies.com
Best For: Reducing puffiness
This age-defying eye cream from Neal’s Yard Remedies was created to smooth and plump out fine lines through a three-peptide complex, gardenia stem cell, sodium hyaluronate, green tea caffeine extract and argan oil formula. The results will visibly reduce the appearance of puffiness around the eyes while enhancing skin plumpness.
La Roche-Posay
Hyalu B5 Eye Serum, £32, laroche-posay.co.uk
Best For: Reinforced skin barrier function
This new serum from La Roche-Posay uses a blend of hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, caffeine and vitamin B5 to deliver an instant, daily hydration boost to tired-looking skin. Targeting the effect of stressors on the eye area, the concentrated serum helps to firm the skin and reduce the appearance of dark circles and fine lines.
Natura Bisse
Diamond Cocoon Sheer Eye, £153, naturabisse.com
Best For: Skin repair
Eye cream and concealer in one? Don’t mind if we do. Spanish skincare brand Natura Bisse has launched a new eye cream that helps to enhance colour and fortify the skin under the eyes, using a deeply hydrating formula that fights the signs of fatigue. Ingredients include water lily extract (rich is antioxidant properties), hydrating hyaluronic acid and natural pigments that adapt to different skin tones to help achieve even coverage and reduce the appearance of dark circles.
Rhug Wild Beauty
Nourishing Eye Cream With Elderflower, £85, johnbellcroyden.co.uk
Best For: Deep hydration and anti-ageing benefits
Rhug’s nourishing eye cream is packed with anti-ageing ingredients like vitamin A-rich organic Rosehip, calendula and camellia oils, as well as cucumber extract, Rhug honey and wild foraged Elderflower – which are known for their soothing and antioxidant properties. Ideal for clearing dark circles and giving your skin some glow.
Avène
Soothing Eye Contour Cream, £11.75, johnbellcroyden.co.uk
Best For: Soothing and protecting
The skin under your eyes is the thinest and most delicate on your face, meaning it needs all the protection it can get in order to keep it looking and feeling healthy. Avène’s eye contour cream, a light emulsion that soothes skin irritation, tightness and redness, is built on an anti-puffiness formula made from spring water and alpha-bisabolol. It’s also highly moisturising and and gentle enough for those with sensitive skin.
111Skin
Space Defence Bright Eye Lift Gel Nac Y², £120, johnbellcroyden.co.uk
Best For: Reducing fine lines and brightening skin
Cult beauty brand 111Skin has released a soothing eye gel that targets fine lines, wrinkles and puffy eyes – while reducing the appearance of dark circles and giving skin a hydrating boost.
Clinique
Even Better™ Eyes Dark Circle Corrector (10ml), £32.50, boots.com
Best For: Targeted action, works well for dark skin types
This ophthalmologist-tested product from Clinique promises to plump up and hydrate the skin around the eyes, giving the user an instant refreshed feeling. The metal applicator also helps to soothe and massage the area during use.
KINSHIP
Brightwave Energizing + Brightening Eye Cream, £46, londonlovesbeauty.com
Best For: Plant-based skincare
This clean and cruelty-free skincare brand is a well-known favourites amongst Gen Z, who drove up demand for an eye cream that would match the needs of young adults taking exams and entering the work place. KINSHIP’s eye cream uses a combination of plant-based ingredients to fight the signs of fatigue – think red algae to improves hydration and brighten dark circles, vitamin C ester to diminish fine lines and chaga mushrooms that act as an antioxidant to depuff skin.
Estée Lauder
Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex Synchronized Recovery (15ml), £48, esteelauder.co.uk
Best For: Hydration, works well for dark skin types
Packing in a double-whammy of hydrating and brightening ingredients (the heroes of this product are its peptides and hyaluronic acids), Estée Lauder’s eye cream works to repair skin with a 24-hour hydrating formula that reduces dark circles, puffiness, lines and dryness.
Paula’s Choice
Resist Anti-Aging Eye Gel (15ml), £32, paulaschoice.co.uk
Best For: Sensitive eyes
An alternative to heavy, cream-based products, gels can feel lighter on application and avoid making your eyes water. This one from Paula’s Choice uses ingredients like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and licorice to help reduce fine lines and even out skin tone, while the metal applicator soothes and cools puffy skin. The only downside is that the gel isn’t recommended for dry skin types.
IT Cosmetics
Bye Bye Under Eye Cream (15ml), £39, johnlewis.com
Best For: Colour correcting, works well for dark skin types
This cream has a blue tint which helps with colour correction and refreshing, using a combination of collagen, essential oils, blue algae and hyaluronic acid to reduce lines and brighten skin.
Featured image: cottonbro, Pexels
