The Top 5 Eye Treatments Of 2024
Updated 11/18/2024Here's what you need to know when picking an eye serum or cream that actually works.
Eye serums and creams are well known for their hydrating abilities and are the key to maintaining bright, refreshed-looking eyes.
Because the skin around your eyes is ten times more delicate than your entire face, unfortunately, this is also where the visible signs of aging first start to show up—specifically, crow's feet, dark circles, puffy eyes, sagging skin, and fine lines.
Luckily, the skin around your eyes also recovers much quicker than any other area on the body, so you’ll notice visible results much faster when using a quality under-eye treatment.
The Benefits of a Quality Eye Treatment
Quality eye serums and creams often include hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and squalane, which penetrate your skin on a deeper level than traditional moisturizers and can enhance results.
A good product can also help smooth out fine lines, reduce puffiness, restore a youthful glow, and help rebuild firmness.
With Consistent Use, You May Experience:
Minimized appearance of fine lines and wrinklesLess visible dark circles & under-eye bags
A smooth, hydrated appearance
Reduced appearance of dark circles
An illuminated, younger-looking complexion
But there are hundreds of under-eye treatments on the market, and many of them are full of ineffective ingredients. In some cases, they could even contain harsh additives that can cause dryness, irritation, and even acne.
That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide, so you can make an informed decision before purchasing a quality eye treatment product.
The Top 5 Eye Serum or Cream Ingredients To Look For:
Hyaluronic AcidOften listed as Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid is a potent ingredient that deeply moisturizes, plumps, and refreshes the skin.
SqualaneA hydrating ingredient that keeps the skin balanced, smooth, and free of blemishes.
NiacinamideThis ultra-powerful form of Vitamin B3 helps ease redness, calm puffiness, and regulate the appearance of your skin's natural oils.
CaffeineCaffeine gives tired eyes an awakening jolt because of its ability to diminish the appearance of dark circles and puffiness.
Brightening AntioxidantsVisibly eliminate the appearance of dark circles, sun spots, fine lines, wrinkles, and UV-damage with potent antioxidants like Activated Vitamin C and Ferulic Acid.
3 Ingredients To Avoid When Choosing An Eye Treatment:
- Parabens like methylparaben and propylparaben, are questionable cosmetic preservatives. They have often been involved in studies of cancer-causing compounds.
- Synthetic Dyes and Fragrances are synthetic ingredients that can irritate your skin, clog pores, and cause acne. They can also strip your skin of important nutrients and oils.
- Petroleum is a toxic carcinogen that can block the skin from absorbing moisture and other important vitamins and minerals.
But considering what ingredients an eye serum or cream uses it just the first step, because many skincare brands will use other methods to try to sell you a product that might not be effective...
What Else To Look For When Buying an Under-Eye Product
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Money-Back Guarantee
It's always a good idea to buy from a brand that's willing to stand by the quality of its product with a full money-back guarantee.
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Customer Reviews
After researching all the ingredients in an eye treatment, we also strongly advise reading what other customers, just like you, have to say about the product. Make sure to check different websites, so you can get a good understanding of what people have to say about the product.
The Results Are In...
We took all of these factors into account, and after reviewing 89 eye serums and creams, we found the best on the market.
Top Picks are updated monthly based on testing and analyses:
Top Pick
Consumers Survey Recommended
- Niacinamide
- Squalane
- Sodium Hyaluronate
- Caffeine
- Activated Vitamin C
- Ferulic Acid
- Made in the USA
- Free from parabens, petroleum, harsh sulfates, fragrances, and mineral oil
- Lightweight, yet powerful formula
- 60-day money-
back guarantee
#1: Tru Alchemy Eye Elixir
Tru Alchemy’s Eye Elixir is made using naturally derived ingredients including, niacinamide, squalane, sodium hyaluronate, caffeine and Activated Vitamin C — a version that's 50x more powerful than traditional Vitamin C.
Eye Elixir also helps to reduce the appearance of puffy eyes and dark circles with its cooling applicator.
Plus, Tru Alchemy's Eye Elixir gives you the benefits of both an eye serum and an eye cream. Its two-in-one formula applies like a serum, allowing the ingredients to penetrate deeply. As it sets, the elixir transforms into a hydrating cream that locks in moisture.
Tru Alchemy's formula is free of synthetic dyes and fragrances, petroleum, sulfates, and other harsh chemicals. They also offer a 60-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked, which shows us they stand behind their product.
* * * EXCLUSIVE Special Offer For First-Time Users ONLY * * *
LIMITED OFFER DISCOUNT FROM TRU ALCHEMY
Purchase Eye Elixir Now >>Rating
#2: Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum
We chose Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum by Murad as our #2 because the customer reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
Free from parabens, phthalates, and sulfates, this serum is also relatively clean. Although, it does contain fragrance, which is on our list of ingredients to avoid.
It features time-released retinol, which is known to help with fine lines and crow's feet. But note that this ingredient may also cause irritation around the sensitive eye area.
Due to the high price, this serum may not be the best option for those who are on a budget.
And unfortunately, Murad does not offer a money-back guarantee at this time.
Rating
#3: Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Cream
Squalane + Marine Algae Cream by Biossance is our #3 pick because of its deeply hydrating formula that helps visibly "fill in" fine lines and crow’s feet, minimize the look of dark circles, and creates a youthful glow.
This eye cream contains squalane, jojoba esters, and sodium hyaluronate along other moisturizing ingredients.
However, without niacinamide, caffeine, and brightening antioxidants, we couldn't give it higher marks on our list.
Squalane + Marine Algae Cream is backed by Biossance's 60-day, no questions asked money back guarantee, which shows they stand behind their product.
Rating
#4: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex
Coming in at 4th on our list is the A.G.E. Eye Complex by SkinCeuticals. This eye cream is formulated with a complex of flavonoids and synergistic peptides, blueberry extract, caffeine, and optical diffusers that reduce the look of dark circles and under-eye bags while creating a firm, tightened look.
While this cream effectively smooths and refines, it falls short in two areas. Unfortunately, it lacks key ingredients like niacinamide, squalane, and sodium hyaluronate. And, it also contains a controversial ingredient—triethanolamine—which may potentially produce toxic byproducts.
It’s suitable for both morning and evening use because of its medium weight. However, some customers complained that the cream doesn't absorb well, leaving skin feeling quite dry.
We also felt that SkinCeuticals could have offered more than a 30-day money-back guarantee, considering its expensive price point.
Rating
#5: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Eye Gel-Cream
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Eye Gel-Cream is consistently a fan favorite, so we had to include it in our #5 spot. Customers love that this water gel formula absorbs quickly like a serum, with the moisturizing benefits of a cream. It’s a great affordable option but users report that this eye gel-cream still provides noticeable results.
Examining Neutrogena’s Eye Gel-Cream's ingredients, we found the product to contain sodium hydroxide, which isn’t outright bad, however, too much of it can leave skin feeling overly sensitive. Some reviewers have even complained that the formula is drying and leaves skin with a burning or stinging feeling.
It’s also important to note the number of silicones contained in Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Eye Gel-Cream, with dimethicone listed as the second ingredient in their formulation. With all of these factors in mind, we had to put this in the #5 spot on our list.
P.S. While Tru Alchemy has the best eye serum-to-cream formula we've found, we would still love to hear about any others you've tried. If you have had a great experience of your own, please send me an email to Bianca@ConsumersSurvey.org with the details.
Sincerely,
Bianca Thompson,
Beauty Editor
What We Do
ConsumersSurvey uses a unique three-step approach to reviewing the most popular products in the online marketplace
1. Research First we conduct in-house research with a highly qualified editorial team comprised of individuals who specialize in various fields.
2. SurveyWe survey our readers who have tried the product over time in order to learn from their experiences.
3. OpinionWe monitor public opinion in the world’s most popular marketplaces, from Amazon and eBay, to Bizrate and Pricegrabber.
