Sceptical about eye creams? Trust us—these are the 11 best for smoothing wrinkles plumping fine lines, and hydrating under-eyes

Tried and tested by team MC

woman using one of the best eye creams for wrinkles - getty images 1426828652
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The eyes are usually one of the first areas of the face to show signs of skin ageing, and if you're looking for the best eye cream to help with fine lines and under-eye wrinkles then you've come to the right place. Nowadays there's a huge range of creams on the market to treat everything from puffiness to dark circles, but when it comes to tackling fine lines, it can be hard to know where to start—you want something effective but that won't irritate this delicate part of the face. Which is why you need to enlist the help of one of the best eye creams for wrinkles.

Luckily we've spoken to the experts to find out exactly how an eye cream can help, and we've also put some of the most popular formulas to the test to see if they really work.

Can an eye cream help reduce fine lines?

First things first, can eye creams actually help? According to Dr Fazeela Abbasi, dermatologist at Euromed Clinic Dubai, they absolutely can. "The skin around the eye area is about four times thinner than the skin on the rest of the body, so it can show the signs of aging more quickly and needs to be given special attention," she says.

That being said, it's worth noting that no eye cream will ever completely get rid of fine lines, but they can definitely treat the area to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

What is the best eye cream for wrinkles?

So now that we know what eye creams can do, which ones should you go for? "Retinol is the rockstar ingredient when it comes to fighting the signs of ageing," says Dr Abbasi. "It stimulates cell turnover and this unveils new, brighter and more even-toned skin. It also helps to slow the natural collagen breakdown and stimulates neocollagenesis (collagen production) and elastin supplies. All of these actions can make the eye contour area look more youthful."

Be careful when using this ingredient around the eyes, however, as because the skin here is so delicate, it could cause irritation. Don't apply it directly onto the eyelids, but instead focus on the under-eye area and the sides of your eyes.

If you don't want to use retinol, Abbasi recommends looking for an eye cream that contains either hyaluronic acid or caffeine. Hyaluronic acid can boost hydration levels, making the eye area appear more plump, and caffeine can help enhance circulation.

The best eye creams to buy now

We've been putting lots of different eye creams to the test, and the below formulas are some of our favourites to help tackle those fine lines around the eye area. We've tested all of the below products, taking into consideration their price, efficacy, packaging and results. If you want to read more about how we test, do read our guide.

1. Allies of Skin Peptides & Omega Eye Cream

Laura holding Allies of Skin Peptides & Omega Eye Cream

(Image credit: Laura Mulley)

Allies of Skin Peptides & Omega Eye Cream

(Image credit: Space NK)

Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream

Best eye cream for strengthening the skin

Specifications

Key ingredients: Peptides, omegas, bakuchiol, squalane, ceramides

Reasons to buy

+
Smoothing and hydrating
+
Not heavy or greasy
+
Sleek packaging

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive

This Allies of Skin eye cream took three whole years to develop, and works to reduce the appearance of fine lines. Not only did we find that it had a smoothing effect on the skin, but it was also very hydrating and helped dark circles to appear brighter. A great all-rounder.

Freelance beauty editor Laura Mulley agrees, saying, "I was first recommended this by another beauty writer and I've never looked back. For my dry, sensitive eyes, it's pretty much the perfect eye cream: it's hydrating but not heavy—a feeling that lasts all day—and although results aren't instantaneous, I really feel that it's strengthening the skin in this area."

2. CeraVe Eye Repair Cream

Laura holding CeraVe Eye Repair Cream

(Image credit: Laura Mulley)

CeraVe Eye Repair Cream

(Image credit: CeraVe)

CeraVe Eye Repair Cream

Best eye cream for sensitive skin

Specifications

Key ingredients: Ceramides, hyaluronic acid, marine and botanical complex

Reasons to buy

+
Gentle on sensitive skin
+
Smoothing and hydrating
+
Good value

Reasons to avoid

-
Doesn't have a dramatic effect on fine lines

Dryness, dehydration and irritation can all cause fine lines around the eyes to become more pronounced, and this soothing CeraVe formula helps to address all three of these concerns. You won't find any super-strong active ingredients like retinol or vitamin C in this cream; instead it combines CeraVe's famous ceramides complex and hyaluronic acid into a creamy, fragrance-free base.

"The skin around my eyes is prone to becoming sensitive if I've used a product that's too strong—and if that happens, this is the eye cream I reach for," says Laura. "If you're looking for a good, no frills eye cream at a great price, this is it."

3. U Beauty The Return Eye Concentrate

Laura holding U Beauty The Return Eye Concentrate

(Image credit: Laura Mulley)

U Beauty The Return Eye Concentrate

(Image credit: Cult Beauty)

U Beauty The Return Eye Concentrate

Best luxury eye cream

Specifications

Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, collagen, peptides

Reasons to buy

+
Luxurious texture that instantly smooths and brighten the skin
+
Works on puffiness and dark circles as well as fine lines
+
Packaging looks unisex and has a air-free pump

Reasons to avoid

-
Very expensive
-
Advised to only use at night so you'll need a separate day eye cream

Perhaps the 'ultimate' eye cream, this high-end formula contains hyaluronic acid, peptides, collagen and antioxidants to tackle a number of key signs of ageing around the eyes: fine lines, puffiness, dark circles and uneven skin tone.

Laura says,"This feels expensive from the moment it's applied; it has the most divine silky, nourishing texture, it layers well with all my other skincare, and I swear my eyes look a little fresher in the morning. Would I spend over £100 on an eye cream? I don't have that sort of money, but if that's within your budget, this is the crème de la (eye) crème."

4. La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Eye Serum

Laura holding La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Eye Serum

(Image credit: Laura Mulley)

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Eye Serum

(Image credit: Cult Beauty)

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Eye Serum

Best gel eye cream

Specifications

Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide

Reasons to buy

+
Cooling rollerball applicator to reduce puffiness
+
Lightweight gel texture
+
Suitable for sensitive skin

Reasons to avoid

-
Not everyone will like using this applicator, and it is a bit messy

This La Roche-Posay eye serum works to reduce wrinkles by plumping them out with a hyaluronic acid/niacinamide/caffeine combination while the cooling rollerball tip helps to boost circulation and lymphatic drainage, which can improve the look of puffiness and dark circles. La Roche products are all tested on sensitive skin, too.

"I'm not normally a fan of these metal applicators but I do appreciate their depuffing effect—although I still need to pat this product in with fingers afterwards," says Laura. "This is a lovely, fresh-feeling option for anyone with oily eyelids or who finds thick eye creams too rich. My boyfriend loves this one too."

5. Revolution Skin X Sali Hughes Ringlight Creamy Illuminating Eye Balm

Laura holding Revolution Skin X Sali Hughes Ringlight Creamy Illuminating Eye Balm

(Image credit: Laura Mulley)

Revolution Skin X Sali Hughes Ringlight Creamy Illuminating Eye Balm

(Image credit: Lookfantastic)

Revolution Skin X Sali Hughes Ringlight Creamy Illuminating Eye Balm

Best eye cream for an instant effect

Specifications

Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, glycerin

Reasons to buy

+
Really creamy and hydrating
+
Contains illuminating pigments to brighten dark circles
+
Excellent price

Reasons to avoid

-
Doesn't have dramatic long-term effects on fine lines
-
The addition of light-reflective pigments means that you may not want to use it at night

One of the most recent launches from beauty journalist Sali Hughes' skincare range with Revolution this, as its name suggests, is a hydrating eye cream with an added benefit—it also contains very fine light-reflective pigments to brighten the look of dark under-eyes. As you'd expert from the beauty expert, it's packed with effective skincare ingredients: hyaluronic acid, glycerin, shea butter and caffeine.

"This is one of my favourite high street eye creams," says Laura. "It's so smoothing and creamy yet absolutely not greasy, and the super-fine brightening particles help to diffuse fine lines and the signs of tired eyes without venturing into the make-up category."

6. Rodial Retinol Eye Serum

Laura holding Rodial Retinol Eye Serum

(Image credit: Laura Mulley)

Rodial Retinol Eye Serum

(Image credit: Lookfantastic)

Rodial Retinol Eye Serum

Best smoothing eye cream

Specifications

Key ingredients : Retinol, arnica flower, haloxyl™

Reasons to buy

+
Makes skin look instantly smoother and brighter
+
Sinks in quickly
+
A little goes a long way

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive
-
Not everyone can tolerate using retinol around the eye area (build up using this gradually)

It's not cheap, but this is up there as one of the best retinol eye creams, immediately smoothing and illuminating the eye area while also working to plump, lift and firm the eye contour over time.

"I really noticed the cooling gel sensation, which I was pleasantly surprised to find from a retinol-based eye cream," says Laura. "This gives a good mixture of quick results (brighter skin and fine lines smoothed) and, hopefully, longer term effects from the retinol."

7. Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream

Laura holding Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream

(Image credit: Laura Mulley)

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream

(Image credit: Cult Beauty)

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream

Best eye cream for dry skin

Specifications

Key ingredients: Vitamins E and C, lotus flower, blue-green algae

Reasons to buy

+
Really nourishing
+
Moisturised feeling lasts four hours
+
Make-up sits well over the top

Reasons to avoid

-
Not the easiest to scoop the product out of the pot
-
Takes a little while to sink into skin

Fresh is a brand that combines natural ingredients into effective formulas, and this eye cream is a great example of this. The star ingredient is 'super lotus' extract, which hydrates, boosts radiance and strengthens the skin barrier. Its rich texture makes this a great one for dry skin.

"An absolute dry skin saviour," Laura calls this. "Skin is immediately plumped, soft and juicy, a feeling that lasts for hours. My only minor gripe is that I wish it came in a more hygienic and air-tight pump bottle rather than a pot."

8. Soho Skin Eye Cream

Laura Holding Soho Skin Eye Cream

(Image credit: Laura Mulley)

Soho Skin Eye Cream

(Image credit: Space NK)

Soho Skin Eye Cream

Best eye cream packaging

Specifications

Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, peptides, squalane

Reasons to buy

+
Very nourishing
+
Can be applied with or without the metal applicator
+
Stylish packaging
+
Great for men and women

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive
-
Metal tip gets a bit messy

First up, let's talk about the super-cool packaging, which brings Babington House levels of luxury to your bathroom. Happily, the product inside is excellent too: hydrating, smoothing and revitalising.

"I came here for the packaging and I stayed for the formula," says Laura. "It has almost like a 'dry balm' texture that I feel instantly softens fine lines. This is another one that my boyfriend quickly claimed for himself, I think mainly because of how chic the black tube looks."

9. Dr Jackson's Intense Restoring Eye Cream

Laura holding Dr Jackson's Intense Restoring Eye Cream

(Image credit: Laura Mulley)

Dr Jackson's Intense Restoring Eye Cream

(Image credit: Dr Jackson's)

Dr Jackson's Intense Restoring Eye Cream

Best plant-powered eye cream

Specifications

Key ingredients: Bidens Pilosa

Reasons to buy

+
Good for sensitive skin
+
Sinks in quickly into the skin
+
Nice natural scent

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive

If your eye area is prone to sensitivity then you may want to try a gentler, plant-based retinol alternative instead, which is what the Blackjack plant extract is in this eye cream from natural skincare brand Dr Jackson's. It's been added to a creamy formula that addresses fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin texture.

"I'm wary of using retinol around my sometimes-sensitive eyes but this plant alternative caused me no irritation whatsoever," says Laura. "The texture of the cream is lovely; rich and kind of bouncy—which is exactly how it leaves skin feeling."

10. Absolute Collagen Deep Lift Eye Cream

Laura holding Absolute Collagen Deep Lift Eye Cream

(Image credit: Laura Mulley)

Absolute Collagen Deep Lift Eye Cream

(Image credit: Absolute Collagen)

Absolute Collagen Deep Lift Eye Cream

Best collagen-boosting eye cream

Specifications

Key ingredients: Meview™, squalane, niacinamide

Reasons to buy

+
Instantly absorbed
+
Gives a blurred effect that's great under make-up
+
Also targets dark circles and puffiness

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive
-
Could be a little more nourishing

Here at Marie Claire we're big fans of collagen supplements, and so we love the idea of boosting our skin's supplies from the outside in too with this eye cream from market leaders Absolute Collagen. It has been proven to increase collagen by 143%, with a particular improvement seen in testers' dark circles and puffiness.

"This feels almost like a primer on the skin: instantly absorbed, and smoothing and blurring," says Laura. "I'd personally like it to be a little bit creamier, but it does a good job an immediately reducing the look of tiny under-eye lines."

11. Beauty Pie Youthbomb™ 360° Multi Action Eye Repair Night Serum (1% Retinol Complex)

Mica Ricketts holding Beauty Pie Youthbomb™ 360° Multi Action Eye Repair Night Serum

(Image credit: Mica Ricketts)

Beauty Pie Youthbomb™ 360° Multi Action Eye Repair Night Serum (1% Retinol Complex)

(Image credit: Beauty Pie)

Beauty Pie Youthbomb™ 360° Multi Action Eye Repair Night Serum (1% Retinol Complex)

Best night eye cream

Specifications

Key ingredients: Pina-Retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide, eyeliss

Reasons to buy

+
Reduces dark circles and fine lines
+
Brightens and illuminate
+
De-puffs and firms

Reasons to avoid

-
It's a lightweight serum texture, rather than a cream which some people might not like

Beauty Pie's beloved Youthbomb collection is a range of products tailored to brightening, smoothing and firming skin, and the results really do speak for themselves. Freelance beauty editor and Marie Claire contributor Mica Ricketts swears by this eye serum now that she's in her mid-30s.

"I am always short on sleep and my dark circles make it obvious. Combined with the fact that I'm now 35 and my eye area generally looks more dull and textured than it used to, and I'm always seeking out products that can offer hydration, luminosity and improve tone. This Beauty Pie eye serum does it all. I love that it's a silky serum texture, rather than a classic cream, as my skin is prone to congestion and rich eye creams often cause me breakouts around my eye. This one has caused no such issue—sinking in instantly to drench skin with hydration while refreshing and combatting puffiness. I also love that it contains a low-irritation retinol to tackle things like fine lines and discolouration long-term. Come morning, my eyes always look more well rested than they actually are and my dark circles are always alleviated." - Mica Ricketts, Freelance Beauty Editor

Laura Mulley
Beauty Contributor

Laura is a freelance beauty and lifestyle journalist and contributor to Marie Claire. She has also written for titles such as OK!, The Sun, Good Housekeeping, Eliza, Women's Health and i News, and was previously beauty editor at Reach Plc. During her career Laura has tried and tested thousands of products, interviewed some of the biggest celebrities and industry experts, and travelled all over the world to write travel features.

With contributions from