Why is it that nicknames for dark circles are always cute? The terms “panda” and “racoon eyes” seem cute, but when you look in the mirror, they’re anything but. And, while using layers of concealer can assist, it simply masks the problem. “On a clinical level, it’s so important to treat the under-eye area with eye creams, day and night,” explains Jessica Heaven, a makeup artist in New York City. “Using an eye cream consistently that has vitamin C, phyto-retinols, or peptides will visibly improve overall elasticity and instantly prep the skin for any makeup so it goes on smoothly!”
A heavy-hitting eye cream in your skin care routine is vital for truly addressing your dark under-eye concern, yet so many of them fall short. To find the ones that genuinely work, we tested a variety of the most popular creams on consistency, absorption, sensation, and effectiveness. Continue reading to learn about the best eye creams for dark circles that will eliminate your “racoon eyes” problem.
Why We Love It: This brightening cream is a true winner—it has an easy-to-wear, fast-absorbing composition that only requires a pea-sized amount to cover the entire under-eye area. The cooling ceramic applicator made it easy to spread the fluid texture and did not leave any sticky residue as it dried. We saw an immediate increase in texture and hydration levels in our skin (due to hyaluronic acid), but the true results appeared a few weeks later. Despite bouts of insomnia and a couple miserable red-eye flights (along with the accompanying jetlag), our dark circles improved significantly, and our puffy eyes appeared smaller and flatter as well.
It’s worth noting that, while it helped, it took several weeks to see a visible reduction in our dark circles. Patience is a virtue here, but trust the process, and you could be as surprised as we were.
Taylor, tester: “I like how much it helped with my dark circles. I didn’t realise how much it helped with the puffiness until I looked back at the before photographs.
Why We Love It: Our sensitive skin doesn’t always play well with retinol, but we were reassured by the cream’s ingredient list, which read like a who’s who of gentle, soothing skincare. The recipe, which included moisturising glycerine and protein-rich lactose to counterbalance the potentially irritating retinol, elicited no furious reactions. Stella, an InStyle tester, reported that her skin felt revitalised, soft, and supple after each treatment.
To be safe, our tester only used this eye cream at night, yet even with a once-daily application, her eyes seemed less puffy after one week, and by week two, her dark circles had greatly vanished.
Mary, tester: “After a week of using this medication, I noticed that the puffiness around my eyes had diminished. After two weeks, I noticed some improvement in the dark circles beneath my eyes. This lotion also tightened the skin around my eyes.”
Why We Love It: Have you ever been informed that you appear to be sobbing, despite the fact that you had a bad night’s sleep? If so, Eight Saints’ retinol-infused eye cream will be your new BFF. The collagen-stimulating compound reduces fine lines and wrinkles while also increasing cell turnover to reduce dark circles and puffiness. A nourishing mixture of hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, and green tea reduces inflammation and plumps up the sensitive skin beneath the eyes. Erika Reals, InStyle Senior Editor, liked the “smooth, thicker texture” she felt after her first usage, as well as the calming elements that help counteract the potentially irritating effects of retinol.
Worth noting: If your skin is particularly sensitive, the firm recommends that you patch test this cream before using it and limit your use to two times per week.
Erika Reals, senior editor with combination skin, says, “The under-eye area I applied to definitely felt a little tighter post-application, which I think is a good sign of it working on firming the skin.”
