Skin type it’s best for: all, including sensitive skin types | Key ingredients: snow mushroom, peptides, caffeine, vitamin C, niacinamide, adenosine | Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Sensitive Skin: CeraVe Eye Repair Cream
Why it’s worth it: Niacinamide is the second ingredient listed after water, making this firming eye cream pick from Dr. Li a great fit for dry and sensitive skin. The antioxidant-rich vitamin B derivative has become beloved in the beauty industry because it does a little bit of everything while being incredibly gentle on all skin types. It reduces redness, discoloration, and inflammation while boosting brightness, hydration, and collagen production.
Skin type it’s best for: dry and sensitive skin types | Key ingredients: ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, seaweed extract | Fragrance-free: yes
Most Hydrating: Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Firming Eye Gel Cream
Why it’s worth it: This dreamy gel-cream puts resveratrol center stage to fight the loss of elasticity and fine lines along your under-eye area. Extracted from grapevine shoot, antioxidant-rich resveratrol helps visibly firm and reduce the appearance of wrinkles by enhancing collagen synthesis, says Dr. Lolis. Studies have also found that it helps accelerate wound healing and skin regeneration. Caudalie’s Resveratrol-Lift Firming Eye Gel Cream also contains intensely hydrating ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, quinoa extract, and sunflower seed oil, to help plump the fragile skin under your eyes, she adds.
Skin type it’s best for: all | Key ingredients: palmitoyl grapevine shoot extract (aka resveratrol), hyaluronic acid, quinoa seed extract, seaweed extract | Fragrance-free: yes
Frequently Asked Questions
Does eye-tightening cream work?
Surprisingly, yes. Certain skin-care ingredients, like silicates, can have an instantly tightening effect on the under-eye area, as Lindsey Zubritsky, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, mentions to Allure. Another way they work their magic is by adding hydration to the eye area. “When the skin is more visibly hydrated, it looks tighter,” Margarita Lolis, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in Hackensack, New Jersey, explains.
Collagen-stimulating ingredients, such as peptides, retinol, and vitamin C, help firm and tighten the delicate skin around your eyes, too, with consistent use. Keep in mind that eye-tightening creams won’t give you the same undereyes you had the day you were born, though. They can, however, effectively help diminish the appearance of fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness under your eyes.
How to apply eye cream
Dermatologists typically recommend gently tapping eye cream onto your eye area with your ring finger. It places the least amount of pressure on the delicate skin and is less likely to tug at it.
Do you use eye cream or serum first?
Serum should be applied before eye cream. A general guideline experts suggest: Layer your skin-care products from thinnest to thickest consistency.
When to apply eye cream
Firming eye cream can be a part of your morning and nighttime skin-care routines. The only caveat: Eye creams formulated with retinol should only be used at night. (In the morning, you can reach for an eye cream with SPF.)
Meet the experts
- Lindsey Zubritsky, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Ocean Springs, Mississippi
- Mona Mislankar, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Cincinnati, Ohio
- Javon Ford, a Los Angeles-based cosmetic chemist
- Kunal Malik, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at New York City’s Spring Street Dermatology
- Lauren Penzi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York
- David Li, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Boston, Massachusets
- Margarita Lolis, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in Hackensack, New Jersey
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.