The best eye wrinkle treatments can be hard to find—in part because they have a near-impossible task. “Eye wrinkles can be particularly challenging to treat,” says Carmen Castilla, MD, board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY. “The skin around the eyes is the thinnest on the face and is naturally more prone to wrinkling and accelerated aging.” Not only that, but the eyes are also one of the most expressive areas of the face, and so they’re constantly in motion—which can further deepen fine lines over time.
Vogue’s Favorite Under-Eye Wrinkle Treatments
So treating these eye wrinkles is not a case for your standard (and otherwise excellent) hydrating eye cream. Rather, experts recommend seeking out certain ingredients, such as retinoids, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides, to help improve the look of puffy eyes and sagging skin by hydrating and boosting cell turnover. They won’t deliver the same transformation as an in-office treatment or cosmetic procedure, but used early and consistently (alongside daily SPF application), can still make a world of difference. With that, here’s what experts recommend.
In This Story
Best Overall: SkinCeuticals A.G.E Eye Complex
- Why We Love It: SkinCeuticals’s A.G.E. Eye Complex doesn’t have the typical lineup of ingredients, instead relying on patented ingredients to lift and firm the eye area. And that’s what sets it apart from the crowd of eye creams on the shelf. Jeanette Graf, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY, likes that “this eye complex has a strong blend of 7.15% concentrated Proxylane, which helps to visibly correct signs of aging and improve under-eye skin’s elasticity,” she says. Meanwhile, the 3% Matrixyl 3000, a peptide complex, “helps to firm the skin and improve the appearance of wrinkles on the delicate area,” she says.
- Key Ingredients: 7.15% Proxylane, 4.25% wild fruit flavonoid blend, 3% Matrixyl 3000, 0.2% glycyrrhetinic acid, 0.5% caffeine
- Best For: Crow’s feet, fine lines, dark circles
- Size: 0.5 oz.
Best for Sensitive Skin: La Roche-Posay Redermic R Retinol Eye Cream
- Why We Love It: La Roche-Posay is tailored to those with sensitive skin and eyes, and to that end, Dr. Castilla loves this eye cream as it was one of the first that didn’t cause her eyes to feel itchy. Plus, “it has retinol, which is helpful for building collagen,” she says. Its gel texture means that it has the quick absorption and lightweight feel of an eye serum—making it ideal for layering with other products. The retinol is released gradually while you wear it, too, which can help minimize any potential for irritation.
- Key Ingredients: Retinol, caffeine, glycerin, dimethicone, thermal spring water
- Best For: Crow’s feet, fine lines, dark circles
- Size: 15 mL
Best Drugstore: RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream
- Why We Love It: Along with its gentler price tag, Dr. Castilla is impressed by this retinol eye cream’s rich texture—and the fact that it “hydrates the eye area well,” she says. In fact, it’s designed to target fine lines as well as dark circles and puffiness, deploying a combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, and glycerin to do just that. And the retinol itself is time-released, meaning it works gradually throughout the night so as to not dry out or irritate skin.
- Key Ingredients: Retinol, panthenol, ascorbic acid, glycerin
- Best For: Crow’s feet, fine lines, dark circles, dryness
- Size: 15 m
Best for Lifting: Perricone MD High Potency Growth Factor Firming & Lifting Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: This eye-tightening cream makes quick work of wrinkles, though it takes time to see lasting results. This uses growth factors, ingredients that effectively help skin cells act younger and function more efficiently, to make that happen. And in this lightweight serum, they “increase the hydration and firmness of the skin,” says New York-based dermatologist Elyse Love, MD “And niacinamide helps improve the appearance of dark circles.”
- Key Ingredients: Triple retinol blend, CoQ10, beta-carotene
- Best For: Crow’s feet, fine lines, sagging or hooded eyes
- Size: 15 mL
Best for Plumping: Chanel N°1 de Chanel Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: At the heart of Chanel’s N°1 de Chanel Revitalizing Eye Serum is red camellia extract, which helps restore and smooth the entire eye area. “It’s rich in fatty acids and natural saponins which help support the skin barrier and improve moisture retention,” board-certified dermatologist Azadeh Shirazi, MD, previously shared with Vogue. “Dehydration in the under eye area can easily exaggerate crepiness and dark circles, so this ingredient can help maintain hydration, keeping the skin supple.” It does so gently, too, making it a worthy alternative to retinoids for those who can’t tolerate or use them.
- Key Ingredients: Red camellia extract, camellia yeast extract, azalea yeast extract, squalane, peptides, hyaluronic acid
- Best For: Dark circles, puffiness, crow’s feet, dryness
- Size: 15 mL
Best Under-Eye Mask: Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask
- Why We Love It: Under-eye patches are the pinnacle of multitasking, delivering a potent dose of actives to the eye area while you go about your day. These particular masks are infused with retinol and the brand’s WrinkleResist24 technology, which pairs hyaluronic acid with hydroxyproline (a building block of collagen). “This combination can stimulate collagen production, reduce fine lines, hydrate, and improve skin elasticity, making it best for evening use to optimize the skin’s circadian rhythm and repair mechanisms,” says Ava Shamban, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles, CA.
- Key Ingredients: Retinol, hyaluronic acid, squalane, hydroxyproline
- Best For: Crow’s feet, fine lines, puffiness
- Size: 12 masks (6 pairs)
Best for Dry Skin: Some By Mi Retinol Intense Eye Cream
- Why We Love It: The best Korean eye creams stand apart for their ability to balance efficacy (and results) with a gentle, easygoing nature. And Some by Mi’s iteration is no different. Even in this “Intense” formulation, it contains relatively low concentration of 0.1% to encourage collagen production, thus smoothing out fine lines, but pairs it with niacinamide—an anti-inflammatory ingredient that seems to buffer the drying effects of retinol. To further coddle the delicate skin around the eye area, the formula also includes Centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid, and panthenol for on-the-spot plumping.
- Key Ingredients: Retinol, niacinamide, Centella asiatica, tranexamic acid, hyaluronic acid, panthenol
- Best For: Wrinkles, dark circles, firming
- Size: 30 mL
Best Balm: Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Retinoid Balm
- Why We Love It: Clinique’s retinol-infused balm wasn’t made specifically for the eye area, but its nourishing feel and potent ingredients put it among our favorite retinol eye creams anyway—delivering brighter, tighter eyes in just a few swipes. “This product contains 1% advanced retinoid and is formulated with hyaluronic acid to help visibly reduce wrinkles,” Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist Mina Amin, MD, previously told Vogue. “The convenient balm makes it an easy and quick application.” The balm base is also helpful, putting replenishing ingredients like shea butter, mango seed butter, and castor oil to good use.
- Key Ingredients: Hydroxypinacolone retinoate, squalane, shea butter, mango seed butter, sodium hyaluronate
- Best For: Dryness, fine lines, crow’s feet
- Size: 3 g
Best for Brightening: Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Magic Eye Cream with Retinol
- Why We Love It: For those targeting dark under-eye circles in addition to fine lines, consider this nourishing cream, which pairs vitamin C with retinol. Graf likes that the duo “helps firm the under-eyes and reduces fine lines and wrinkles,” she says. It also includes a bevy of moisturizers, like shea butter, squalane, and sunflower seed oil, to keep skin comfortable. Note that the texture is rich, however, so apply sparingly.
- Key Ingredients: Retinyl palmitate, ascorbic acid, squalane, shea butter
- Best For: Dark circles, crow’s feet, fine lines, dryness
- Size: 15 mL
Best LED Eye Mask: Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite LED EyeCare Max Pro
- Why We Love It: Red light therapy masks are a hands-off way to address the aging process: It uses red wavelengths of light to accelerate collagen production and ease inflammation. This mask uses four light wavelengths—amber (605nm), red (630nm), deep red (660nm), and infrared (880nm)—to target wrinkles around the eye area in just three minutes. It’s “great for collagen stimulation around the orbital region, which can be tricky to treat with traditional modalities,” says board-certified nurse practitioner Vanessa Coppola. “The red light may help improve fine lines and crepey skin texture over time—[it’s] a great complement to neurotoxins like Botox when patients want to further enhance eye rejuvenation.”
- Key Ingredients: Silicone
- Best For: Fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, redness
- Size: N/A
Best Splurge: Sisley Supremÿa at Night The Supreme Anti-Aging Refillable Eye Cream
- Why We Love It: There’s no doubt that this eye cream is an investment, but it’s effective—and, since it’s so thick, a little goes a very long way. It’s powered by the brand’s “Fundamental Regeneration Complex,” a blend of ingredients that targets (and maximizes) skin’s natural restorative functions overnight. Also inside are caffeine, oat seed extract, shea butter, and adenosine to soften lines and smooth crepey texture. The pot is refillable, although again, the jar alone should last months.
- Editor Experience: “I’m currently pregnant with a toddler underfoot, so I’m not getting a whole lot of sleep. This makes me look shockingly well-rested, and I have yet to see a dark circle (or see crow’s feet return in the absence of Botox). I dab it all around my eyes, including just above my lids, and find that it’s made a big difference in preventing signs of both aging and sleep loss.” —Deanna Pai, Vogue contributor
- Key Ingredients: Yellow gentian extract, codium extract, caffeine, adenosine, shea butter
- Best For: Dark circles, crow’s feet, fine lines
- Size: 15 mL
Best for Droopiness: Revision Skincare D.E.J. Eye Cream
- Why We Love It: It’s not just crow’s feet—even the structure of eyes can change as you age, making them appear more hooded or tired. That’s why an eye cream for mature skin like this one should address wrinkles, but not stop there. “This product is packed with peptides, antioxidants, and prebiotics to reduce crow’s feet, smooth crepey skin, and strengthen the delicate eye area,” Los Angeles-based board-certified dermatologist Asmi Berry, DO, told Vogue. The peptides go to work to lift and tighten skin, while the cooling applicator helps reduce puffiness.
- Key Ingredients: Alpha-glucan oligosaccharide, dipalmitoyl hydroxyproline, palmitoyl tripeptide-38, amino-acid copper complex, goji fruit extract
- Best For: Hooding, droopiness, crow’s feet
- Size: 15 mL
Best for Puffiness: Skinbetter InterFuse Treatment Cream EYE
- Why We Love It: Graf calls this a “powerful option for wrinkles,” thanks in part to its strategic lineup of peptides; it includes messenger peptides that cue skin cells to support collagen production, as well as a neuropeptide (which is thought to inhibit muscle contractions to minimize the look of expression lines). There are other noteworthy actives at work here, too, like caffeine (to boost circulation) and vitamin C (to brighten). “It’s also very hydrating, so it helps plump the skin and helps the undereye area look smoother,” says Graf.
- Key Ingredients: Palmitoyl tripeptide-38, copper lysinate, s-Mu-conotoxin CnIIIC acetate, niacinamide, caffeine, sodium hyaluronate
- Best For: Crow’s feet, fine lines, puffiness, dark circles
- Size: 15 mL
Everything You Need to Know
What eye cream actually works for wrinkles?
An eye cream with targeted ingredients to spur collagen production—such as retinoids and peptides—can make the biggest difference in wrinkles around the eyes. However, early usage can make a world of difference in results, since lines around the eyes, being caused by facial expressions, only get worse over time. To that end, eye creams “are best for prevention and for patients with very fine lines,” says Dr. Castilla. “Once those lines are deep set, creams will make minimal impact.”
What to look for in an eye cream for wrinkles
Eye creams can be tough to navigate, in part because “everyone is looking for something a little different out of their creams,” says Erum Ilyas, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in King of Prussia, PA. “Some may be seeking support for dark under eye circles, others for puffiness and yet others for wrinkles or heavy eyelids.”
Eye creams for wrinkles can also target these other concerns. Dr. Castilla points to retinoids in particular as a good ingredient to look for, as well as hydrators like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides. These either “focus on either hydration of the surface of the skin to make it appear more supple and make wrinkles appear less apparent, or try to make the skin less pliable so it does not move as easily when the muscles are contracted,” says Dr. Ilyas.
Also important is what’s not in your eye cream. Since the skin around the eye is so fragile, “avoid alpha or beta hydroxy acids around the eyes for risks of skin sensitivity, and be careful with products containing fragrance,” says Dr. Ilyas.
Does anything actually help under-eye wrinkles?
In addition to topical products like an eye cream, fillers or neurotoxin injections can go a long way. Ultimately crow’s feet and under-eye wrinkles “are the result of underlying muscular activity around the eyes that lends to squinting,” says Dr. Ilyas. “A cream won’t stop you from moving those muscles.” However, an injectable neuromodulator like Botox, Dysport, or Xeomin will.
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—from board-certified dermatologists to celebrity estheticians—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to under-eye wrinkle treatments, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredients, texture, finish, and the skin-care concerns they address (from hollowness to and creases to under-eye bags). To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
- Mina Amin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles, CA.
- Asmi Berry, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles, CA.
- Carmen Castilla, MD, board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY.
- Jeanette Graf, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY.
- Erum Ilyas, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in King of Prussia, PA.
- Elyse Love, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY.
- Ava Shamban, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles, CA.
- Azadeh Shirazi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in La Jolla, CA.
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