As a Perpetually Tired Person, I Can Confirm These Eye Creams Actually Work on Dark Circles
We've tested all the best eye creams for dark circles so you don't have to.


Of all the questions that I'm asked as a beauty editor, what the best eye cream for dark circles is has got to be up there as one of the most widespread enquiries. Luckily, I am a beauty editor who knows a lot about what makes for the best eye creams, so I'm more than equipped to answer such questions.
However, when it comes to getting rid of dark circles, things aren't always easy. Dark circles are all-inclusive when it comes to who they target, from my teenage sister whose laid-back approach to studying often results in all-nighters spent at the library to my friend who has forgotten what sleep is since becoming a mum of four. The truth is, there are many factors that can contribute to dark circles. And in many cases, dark circles are often down to genetics—so if your parents are prone to them, you may be more likely to have them too.
Luckily, there are things that you can do to combat them if they are bothering you (and it is personal preference, at the end of the day). Staying hydrated, eating well and taking care of yourself with plenty of sleep can make a world of difference to the appearance of dark circles, but one of the simplest places to start is with a great topical dark-circles treatment. And within this realm comes one of the most effective products: an eye cream specifically formulated for targeting dark circles.
I'll admit, an eye cream won't eradicate dark circles (outside of under-eye concealer, that miraculous product just doesn't exist), however, the right eye cream can play an important part of the puzzle in treating dark under eye circles—if you know which ones to go for. Below, you'll find all the information you need on how to choose an eye cream for dark circles, including top picks from a dermatologist.
Can Eye Creams Help With Dark Circles?
First things first, can eye creams actually make a difference when it comes to dark circles? According to Dr Sophie Momen, consultant dermatologist at One Welbeck, dark circles can be very challenging to treat, but eye creams can help to reduce their appearance. "Eye creams may be of benefit as they can moisturise and brighten the under-eye area and help reduce puffiness, which [in turn] will reduce the appearance of dark circles."
Momen also recommends wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen and applying it around the delicate eye area to reduce photoaging and skin thinning, as both of these things can contribute to the appearance of dark circles.
Ingredients to Look For
Kate Kerr, skin expert and director of the Kate Kerr London Clinic, told me that there are two main ingredients to look out for when selecting the best eye cream for dark circles: "L-ascorbic acid, a potent form of vitamin C, and a retinol-based eye cream, which will help to strengthen the area."
Momen agrees, and she also recommends looking out for ingredients such as caffeine, ginseng and antioxidant vitamin E. Plus, don't forget lots of moisturising agents such as hyaluronic acid, shea butter and peptides to help with dryness.
Now that you know what to look for, keep on scrolling for the best eye creams to invest in to minimise dark circles and brighten up tired-looking eyes.
The Best Eye Creams for Dark Circles
- Best overall: Origins Ginzing Eye Cream
- Best for under makeup: Temple Spa Eye Truffle
- Best retinol formula: Beauty Pie Super Retinol Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream
- Best for nourishment: Lumene Eye Cream
- Best retinal formula Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye
- Best awakening formula: Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream
- Best multi-tasker: Eve Lom Time Retreat Smoothing Eye Complex
- Best for puffiness: La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Eyes
- Best luxury formula: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Eye Complex
- Best affordable option: The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream
- Best for tired eyes: Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum
- Best for illumination: No7 Lift Luminate Eye Cream
- Best for fine lines: Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Eye Serum
- Best caffeine formula: The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG
- Best for a cooling finish: Ilia Bright Start Activated Eye Cream
- Best for instant results: Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme
- Best fragrance-free eye cream: Kinship Brightwave Vitamin C Energizing and Brightening Eye Cream
- Best for revitalisation: The Body Shop Edelweiss Eye Concentrate
- Best vitamin C formula: Paula's Choice C5 Boost Eye Cream
- Best for rejuvenation: Trinny London Take Back Time Eye Cream
- Best for brightening: Garnier Brightening 4% Vitamin C Eye Cream
1. Origins Ginzing Eye Cream
Proving that you don't always need harsh ingredients to target dark circles, this eye cream from Origins actually strengthens capillaries and provides anti-inflammatory benefits to reduce the proven causes of dark circles.
Pros
- Lightweight formula
- Contains powerful actives
Cons
- Only available in two shades
2. Temple Spa Eye Truffle
You only need to glance at the glowing 5-star reviews to know that this eye cream really works to deliver visible results. Reviewers say this eye cream brightens dark circles while also targeting fine lines and wrinkles too. It contains a powerful cocktail of stem cells to rejuvenate the eye area, priming the eye area for makeup with a lightweight texture that sinks into the skin instantly. It also contains diamond powder, which scatters light around the eye area to disguise dark circles too.
Pros
- Feels luxurious
- Has lots of 5-star reviews
Cons
- It's expensive
3. Beauty Pie Super Retinol Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream
Price shown is member price.
Beauty Pie has gained a loyal following for its great (and affordable) skincare formulations, and its Super Retinol eye cream is excellent for brightening and overhauling the skin around the eyes. Retinol is the key ingredient, which helps to brighten dark circles and leave your eye area looking refreshed.
Pros
- Slow-release retinol for minimal irritation
- Hydrates thanks to hyaluronic acid
Cons
- Still shouldn't be used on very sensitive skin
4. Lumene Eye Cream
Best for nourishment
This moisturising eye cream from Lumene has a lightweight formula that is packed with pro-collagen peptides, soothing Nordic heather, Arctic Spring Water and antioxidant Nordic lingonberry native cells to help reduce the appearance of dark circles and fine lines.
Pros
- Richly hydrating
- Lightweight
Cons
- Peptides and antioxidants don't deliver instant results
5. Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye
Momen recommends the Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye Cream as a great choice for those of you looking for a retinal product that will help tackle fine lines, puffiness and dark circles. It also comes in varying strengths of retinal so you can build on your results over time.
Pros
- Available in three different strengths
- Contains a potent retinal
Cons
- On the expensive side
- Sensitive skin types should proceed with caution
6. Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream
This eye cream from Drunk Elephant is a cult favourite that basically every beauty editor I know swears by. It contains a pretty impressive five forms of vitamin C for a real boost of brightness.
Pros
- Contains five forms of vitamin C for brightening
Cons
- Expensive
- Packaging is a little bulky
7. Eve Lom Time Retreat Smoothing Eye Complex
Best multi-tasker
The name says it all with this eye cream—a soothing formula that's specifically formulated to reduce fine lines and puffiness, boost radiance and hydrate skin thanks to ingredients such as liposome encapsulated retinol, prebiotic oat kernel and stabilised vitamin C.
Pros
- A solid all-in-one eye cream
- Beautifully cooling applicator
Cons
- The applicator might not be for everyone
8. La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Eyes
Another one of Momen's recommendations is the La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar eye cream. This formula contains caffeine, niacinamide and shea butter to smooth and improve the look of the eye contour.
Pros
- Cooling applicator
- Hydrating formula
Cons
- Doesn't contain any mega powerhouse actives
9. SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Interrupter Eye Complex
If dark circles and fine lines are your main concerns, Momen recommends the A.G.E. Interrupter Eye Complex from SkinCeuticals. The rich cream is infused with peptides to hydrate and smooth the skin.
Pros
- Jam-packed with efficacious peptides
- Experts love it
Cons
- It's very expensive
10. The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream
This is one of the most affordable in this list, and it's also one of the most effective. It contains caffeine, which basically gives your under-eye area a thorough wake-up call to brighten and de-puff tired eyes.
Pros
- Super affordable
- Caffeine works to brighten
Cons
- No powerhouse actives, but at £10 who's complaining?
11. Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum
Best for tired eyes
Packed with ginseng and retinal, this lightweight eye serum (which is great underneath eye makeup, BTW) helps to alleviate dark circles as well and make your eyes look more awake. Plus, it also helps to plump fine lines and wrinkles around the eye area.
Pros
- Helps to brighten the eye area
- Lightweight serum sinks in quickly
Cons
- Lightweight texture might not feel like enough for some
12. No7 Lift Luminate Eye Cream
A great affordable recommendation from Momen is the No7 Lift Luminate Triple Action Eye Cream. Not only does it moisturise the eye area, but it also illuminates your under-eyes which is why I love to use it in the mornings.
Pros
- Provides instant illumination
Cons
- Not a particularly rich or nourishing formula
13. Elizabeth Arden Prevage Anti-Aging Eye Serum
Filled with antioxidants and a powerful complex to help lessen the appearance of dark circles, this eye serum means serious business.
Pros
- Packed with antioxidants
Cons
- A more expensive choice
14. The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG
Don’t let its tiny price-tag fool you—this serum packs a potent brightening hit and has impressed just about every WWW team member. This featherweight formula contains a high concentration of caffeine and EGCG (a potent polyphenol found in green tea) to provide a powerful blend of antioxidants and anti-inflammatories to the delicate eye area. These ingredients are known to reduce puffiness and dark circles, delivering results editors can’t get enough of.
Pros
- High concentration of caffeine
- Affordable
Cons
- Pipette applicator makes things a little fiddly
15. Ilia Bright Start Activated Eye Cream
A potent eye cream powered by a plant-based retinol alternative that works to brighten, hydrate, smooth, depuff, and prep for concealer. I'm a big fan of the applicator which makes light work of sweeping the product under the eyes in a rush.
Pros
- Cooling ceramic applicator
- Instant illumination
Cons
- Some might not like the pearly sheen
16. Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme
As well as brightening under eyes in the long term with its potent vitamin C and collagen blend, this eye cream also contains reflective pigments that immediately reduce dark circles and brighten the eye area in the short term, too.
Pros
- Immediate illumination due to reflective pigments
- Richly hydrating
Cons
- Might be too rich and buttery for some
17. Kinship Brightwave Vitamin C Energizing and Brightening Eye Cream
So many of Kinship's skincare products have been going viral on TikTok, but they've only just landed here in the UK. This de-puffing and brightening eye cream is definitely worth the hype. It cools tired eyes, boosts luminosity and smooths. Plus, it's fragrance-free so there's no risk of irritation.
Pros
- Fragrance-free for sensitive skin
- Sits well under makeup
Cons
- Not the most effectively hydrating formula on this list
18. The Body Shop Edelweiss Eye Concentrate
Another range that has a cult following is this newly reformulated eye concentrate from The Body Shop—which is now a bestseller. It contains edelweiss, a plant that has 43% more antioxidant power than retinol, helping to revitalise tired-looking eyes.
Pros
- Contains a bestselling antioxidant complex
Cons
- Applicator is a little messy to use
19. Paula's Choice C5 Boost Eye Cream
Specifically formulated with dark circles in mind, this brightening eye cream draws upon three high concentration, super-stabilised forms of vitamin C, combined with peptides and hyaluronic acid. Expect instant and long term results.
Pros
- Jam-packed with proven ingredients
- Contains highly stabilised and efficacious vitamin C
Cons
- If you're after intense hydration, it won't necessarily be for you
20. Trinny London Take Back Time Eye Cream
Best for rejuvenation
If you have sensitive eyes and want to steer away from retinols, but still want an effective eye cream, this one from Trinny London makes a great investment. It contains growth factors which help to regenerate the skin, leaving your eyes looking refreshed.
Pros
- Filled with high-tech ingredients, such as growth factors
- Gets to work in only seven days
Cons
- A more expensive option
- Not suitable for sensitive skin
21. Garnier Brightening 4% Vitamin C Eye Cream
Best for brightening
If you want an affordable eye cream, Garnier's makes a great choice that won't break the bank. It contains 4% brightening vitamin C, as well as banana powder which helps to instantly brighten the under eyes. The addition of niacinamide also helps to rejuvenate the skin around the under eyes,
Pros
- A great affordable option
- Banana powder delivers instant luminosity
Cons
- Lacks luxury in terms of texture
This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.
Mica Ricketts is a freelance beauty editor, copywriter and regular contributor toBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing UK. She also writes for titles including Marie Claire Refinery 29 and Cosmopolitan, and previously worked atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing UK as Beauty Editor. With experience in both editorial and content management, she also works with beauty brands and small businesses on brand messaging and content strategy. As a busy mum of two, she is passionate about finding efficacious beauty products that can disguise all signs of tiredness with minimal effort.
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