Looking to tackle dark circles and fine lines? These retinol eye creams could help

When it comes to shopping for the best eye cream, we often look for ingredients such as caffeine or hyaluronic acid, but have you ever thought about retinol?  

You've probably heard of this magical skincare ingredient thanks to its ability to tackle everything from pigmentation, fine lines and more, but even as a beauty writer, I had never thought about applying it around my eye area.

So, when I saw that retinol eye creams were growing in popularity, I decided to go straight to the experts to find out everything I needed to know. I even tried some of the most popular brands out there, so keep on scrolling for my top picks.

What is retinol?

First things first, what is retinol? I spoke to Dr Justine Hextall, a consultant dermatologist for La Roche-Posay, who said, "Retinol is an over the counter form of a group of substances referred to more broadly as retinoids. These are all derived from vitamin A."

"Retinoids work by binding with the retinoic acid receptors in the skin, which stimulates a faster turnover of skin cells. Retinol also reduces the production of enzymes known as collagenases, which as their name suggests, facilitate the breakdown of collagen in the skin." 

Dr Hextall says that collagen forms our skin's scaffolding, so you want to try and avoid the breakdown of collagen where possible.

Why should you use a retinol eye cream? 

So, why might we want to be using retinol in our eye cream? "Our skin starts to lose collagen and elastin over time," explains Dr Hextall. "As the skin in the eye area is thinner, lacks oil glands and is subject to the stresses of constant muscle contraction, it is one of the first areas to show fine lines and wrinkles. As retinols help to reduce the breakdown of collagen and also thicken the epidermis, a retinol eye cream is both a good preventative and active treatment to repair damage. Using a retinoid can therefore help to brighten this area, thicken the epidermis and reduce dark circles."

How should you use a retinol eye cream? 

After reading that, you might be keen to add a retinol eye cream into your skincare routine, but it's important to make sure that it's the right fit for you.

Dr Hextall recommends balancing the retinol out with gentle, hydrating skincare ingredients to prevent dryness and irritation around the eye area. Also, make sure to use a retinol eye cream alongside a high factor, broad spectrum, daily SPF to avoid any sun damage.

Are retinol eye creams safe for everyone to use? 

Although retinol is amazing for some, it can irritate others, so Dr Hextall recommends avoiding retinol eye creams if you have any inflammatory skin issues around the eye area, such as eczema.

If you have sensitive skin, then Dr Hextall says that it might be fine to use, but make sure to introduce the product into your routine slowly and consider applying a moisturiser first to dilute it slightly and protect the skin.

The best retinol eye creams to buy now

So that you make the right choice when purchasing a retinol eye cream, team Marie Claire UK has been busy testing the best formulas around. We've taken everything from price, packaging and, of course, results into account. So, here are our top picks. Before scrolling, don't forget to check out our guides to the best caffeine eye cream, how to help under-eye wrinkles and how to get rid of dark circles.

1. La Roche-Posay Redermic [R] Retinol Eye Cream

"La Roche Posay is always my go-to skincare brand as their products are suitable for sensitive skin. I really like this eye cream as not only does it contain retinol, but it has caffeine too, helping to tackle a number of skin concerns. It's lightweight, really hydrating and doesn't have much of a scent, which meant that it didn't irritate my skin." Grace Lindsay, Beauty Writer

2. The INKEY List Retinol Eye Cream

"The INKEY List is amazing at creating affordable skincare that delivers real results, and the retinol eye cream is no exception. This eye cream was a little thicker than some of the others I tried, which meant it felt more hydrating on the skin (always a plus when it comes to retinol), and my skin definitely looked and felt a lot smoother."  Grace Lindsay, Beauty Writer

3. Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum

"When it comes to eye cream, I always look for formulas that will depuff and brighten my under eyes. After nights with insomnia and a movie marathon that involved one or two tear jerkers, I can safely say that this eye cream did just the trick. Aside from tackling under-eye puffiness and brightening the area, this cream had a gentle scent and was very lightweight so felt fresh and cooling. Although it's an investment, it's definitely a must-have in my eye cream repertoire." Sofia Piza, Producer

4. No7 Pure Retinol Eye Cream

"This eye cream is so lightweight, and I didn't feel any burning or tingling after applying. Personally, I didn't notice any huge differences in the way my under eyes looked, however they did feel a lot smoother, and for the price, I will definitely continue to use to see if I notice any other results." Sofia Piza, Producer

5. RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream

"This eye cream originally appealed to me thanks to the gold packaging, however, the product is just as nice. Lightweight and easy to apply, it blended into my under eye area like a dream, and works to tackle three main concerns. Puffiness, dark circles and fine lines be gone." Grace Lindsay, Beauty Writer

6. StriVectin Advanced Retinol Multi-Correct Eye Cream

"I've long been a big fan of retinol and have used it for a while now, but I've always been wary of using it around the eye area. I started using this StriVectin eye cream as I noticed some fine lines appearing and I'm so happy I did. My eye area is more hydrated and the metal applicator is the best one I have used. The product comes out of the top of the applicator which makes it much cleaner and easier to use compared to other eye creams I have tried. While I cannot say it has made my fine lines disappear, they haven't got worse and no new ones have appeared." Dionne Brighton, Writer