Ultimately, it comes down to the level of prevention you desire. “Because they are landing on thinner skin, eye creams have a tendency to be thicker — a higher amount of oil, less water — than facial moisturizers,” Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Connecticut, tells Allure, comparing the use of an eye cream to “putting extra padding on a spin bike.” And that extra cushioning just might pay off, since it’s also known that the eye area is one of the first to show signs of aging such as sagging skin, fine lines, and crow’s feet.
“As we hit our 30s, hyaluronic acid, our skin’s natural water absorber and plumper, begins to decline,” Dr. Gohara explains, which is why applying the ingredient topically and making up for lost hydration is of the essence. In fact, many of the best eye creams for wrinkles are packed with HA and other powerful ingredients like blood vessel-constricting caffeine and collagen-boosting peptides to help fake a full night’s rest.
Ahead, you’ll find 19 of the best eye creams, including a drugstore favorite by RoC and one of the best retinol eye creams from Sunday Riley, each formulated with active ingredients for the thinnest, most sensitive skin on your body. Oh, and if you’re worried about sun protection with these AHA- or retinol-enhanced formulas, try out our picks for the best eye creams with SPF. You won’t believe your eyes (wink, wink) once you try out our go-tos — heck, you might even skip your concealer.
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