The Top 5 Eye Serums Of 2025
Here's what you need to know when picking an eye serum that actually works.
Updated 01/28/2025Unfortunately, you can’t avoid aging, but you can help fend off visible signs of it — specifically, when they start to pop up around your eyes.
Things like dark circles, puffiness, crow’s feet, and fine lines can all be minimized when using the right eye serum.
After all, the skin around your eyes is the most delicate of your entire face, so picking the right product is vital.
The Benefits of a Quality Eye Serum
Quality eye serums not only moisturize, but often also include hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and squalane, which penetrate your skin on a deeper level and help deliver the best results.
A good eye serum can also help smooth out fine lines, reduce puffiness, restore a youthful glow, and help rebuild firmness.
With Consistent Use, You May Experience:
Fewer appearance of fine lines and wrinklesLess visible puffiness
A firm, refreshed look
Reduced appearance of dark circles
A renewed youthful glow
But there are hundreds of eye serums on the market, and many of them are full of ineffective ingredients. In some cases, eye serums 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 an eye serum.
The Top 5 Eye Serum Ingredients To Look For:
SqualaneA hydrating ingredient that keeps the skin balanced, smooth, and free of blemishes.
CaffeineCaffeine gives tired eyes an awakening jolt because of its ability to diminish the appearance of dark circles and puffiness.
Hyaluronic AcidOften listed as Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid is a potent ingredient that deeply moisturizes, plumps, and refreshes the skin.
NiacinamideThis ultra-powerful form of Vitamin B3 helps ease redness, calm puffiness, and regulate the appearance of your skin's natural oils.
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 Serum:
- 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 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 Eye Serum
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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 serum, 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 dozens of eye serums 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.
#2: Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex™ Eye Serum
Drunk Elephant's Shaba Complex™ Eye Serum comes in at 2nd on the list. Formulated with niacinamide, copper peptides, edelweiss stem cells, and black tea ferment as its star ingredients, this serum supports a smoother, younger look around the eyes.
It's also worth pointing out this product contains sodium hydroxide, which isn’t outright bad, however, too much of it can leave skin feeling overly sensitive.
This serum is vegan, cruelty-free, and free of mineral oil, silicones, and fragrance.
However, the Shaba Complex™ Eye Serum has received mixed reviews, with some customers saying they didn't see the results they were hoping for. And a few other reviewers noted that this product dried out their skin. There is also no money-back guarantee.*
#3: Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum
We chose Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum by Murad as our #3 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.
#4: Aēsop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Eye Serum
This serum is designed to brighten, smooth the look of fine lines, and help reduce puffiness. It boasts antioxidants such as Vitamin C, as well as lavender, chamomile, carrot, and parsley seed.
However, the feel of an eye serum can be just as important as the ingredients. And not everyone is a fan of this formula's thick, dry texture.
That's why we ranked it #4.
They do offer a guarantee, but not on purchases made November through December. And the refund process is a bit complicated.
Order Now > >#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.
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.