Experts Say These Are the Best Anti-Wrinkle Eye Creams

We know that the eyes tell all, but lines and wrinkles don’t have to give away your age or show that you were up partying all night. Because the skin around our eyes is thinner and more fragile than the rest of our face, it deserves special care. “The eye area is not only thin and delicate; it has fewer oil glands to hydrate it and is subjected to constant facial expressions and repetitive movements,” says Azza Halim, MD, multi-specialist physician based in Newport Beach, California. “In addition, as we age, we produce less collagen, which is responsible for the elasticity in our skin.” These factors, plus other skin aggressors like sun damage, pollution, lack of sleep, poor diet, and sleeping on your face, can cause lines and wrinkles to develop. “However, incorporating an eye cream in your daily routine can help minimize the appearance of lines and wrinkles, while tackling other concerns such as dryness, dark circles, puffiness, and pigmentation irregularities,” says Chanel Jenae, Beverly Hills–based aesthetician and owner of ARCONA Skincare.

While eye creams don’t entirely fix lines and wrinkles—only in-office treatments like Botox injections can—they do help; and it’s about the quality of the formula. “The ability of an eye cream to improve the appearance of skin around they eyes is dependent on the product’s ability to hydrate and moisturize,” says Barbara Paldus, PhD, founder of Codex Beauty Labs. Eye creams are formulated specifically for the skin around the eye area, so they tend to be thicker and richer. “They contain more oil than a traditional moisturizer and a higher concentration of active ingredients to target the concerns around the eyes,” says Jenae. “Look for ingredients such as vitamin C, peptides, and retinol to help boost collagen production. And ceramides and hyaluronic acid are moisturizing ingredients that can help prevent water loss and improve skin’s elasticity.”

When using an eye cream or serum, also be as particular about how you apply it as you are about its ingredients for the product to be effective. Massage it in daily for maximum absorption and to increase blood circulation. Apply your cream or serum using your ring finger for the right pressure, in upward directions with gliding movements. And follow with lightly tapping the upper cheekbone to boost microcirculation. A bonus to this technique is that it’s an effortless way to get in some self-care.

Check out our roundup of creams and serums that help smooth lines and wrinkles, and smile all you want while you’re skipping the skin-blurring camera filters for selfies.

Our Top Picks

• Best for Hydration: Boscia Peptide Trio Eye Cream
• Best Overall: Shani Darden Skin Care Intensive Eye Renewal Cream
• Best Drugstore Buy: L’oréal Paris Revitalift Hyaluronic Acid + Caffeine Eye Serum
• Worth the Splurge: Chanel Sublimage L’Essence Fondamentale Yeux Eye Serum
• Clean Beauty: Pangea Peptide-Rich Eye Cream
• Best Eye Night Cream: Kypris Ad Astra Rich Nighttime Eye Cream