Derms Say These Serums Work Wonders for Dark Circles, so I'm Spilling the Tea
I'll never say no to a good eye cream, but now I'm fully considering that an eye serum might be better for daytime to really help prevent those pesky dark circles. I honestly never really considered that there were differences between the two until I asked a dermatologist. (Hey, skincare has a learning curve, right?)
Azadeh Shirazi, MD, explains that "eye creams have high concentrations of oils and emollients with a lower water content, whereas serums are lighter with a higher water content." This means that if you have oily or acne-prone skin, you may actually want to favor a serum. Further, Shirazi says there's something else to keep in mind. "Eye creams are better overnight and for drier skin types whereas eye serums are better for puffiness and best applied in the morning under concealer."
So yeah, if you're constantly battling your dark circles, an eye serum may be the way to go. Look for ingredients like vitamin C and caffeine to brighten and hyaluronic acid to provide lightweight hydration. To save you a deep dive into the internet, I've rounded up the best eye serums for dark circles below. Keep scrolling to find the right one for you.
1. The Ordinary Caffeine 5% + ECGC Depuffing Eye Serum
2. Typology Eye Serum 5% Caffeine + 5% Niacinamide
3. Tru Alchemy Eye Lixir Cooling Eye Treatment
Sometimes, you just want an eye *elixir* and not a plain old serum. This one from Tru Alchemy is your ticket—it hydrates and illuminates like no other. It uses light-diffusing technology to create a soft focus under the eye, while caffeine brightens the area.
4. Murad Vitamin C Dark Circle Correcting Eye Serum
5. Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Acid Triple Correction Eye Serum
Because I know we all like multitaskers, this serum makes the list because it features powerhouse ingredients like retinol, ferulic acid, and bakuchiol. When combined, these ingredients help boost collagen production, brighten the eye area, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
6. Fresh Black Tea Firming Eye Serum
7. L'Oréal Revitalift Hyaluronic Acid + Caffeine Hydrating Eye Serum
8. Clarins Double Serum Eye Concentrate
9. Lancôme Advanced Génifique Yeux Light-Pearl Eye Serum
This is a lightweight serum that's oil-free and can be used on both your lashes and under-eye area. It provides major hydration and has brightening ingredients like caffeine. To be honest, I'm snagging it just because it can also act as a lash serum. I'm sold by that aspect alone.
10. Cosmedix Opti Crystal Liquid Eye Serum
11. Vichy Mineral 89 Eye Serum
12. Cetaphil
Cetaphil is another brand derms always recommend because the brand really keeps its formulas simple yet effective. The brand's Deep Hydration Refreshing Eye Serum is designed to reduce the appearance of dark circles and provide 48-hour hydration with vitamin E, B5, and hyaluronic acid.
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Shawna Hudson is a beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and travel writer with over 10 years of experience. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton, with a degree in journalism and has written for other publications such as Bustle, The Zoe Report, Byrdie, Elite Daily, and more. She is currently a beauty writer atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing and hopes to continue feeding her (completely out-of-control) beauty obsession as long as she can. Stay up to date on her latest finds on Instagram @shawnasimonee.