A tough night spent working late or caring for a sick child can leave its mark on your face by morning, especially with those pesky dark circles under your eyes.
So, yes, investing in an eye cream is essential. In fact, you should only settle for the best eye cream specifically designed for dark circles. Here are the ones that beauty enthusiasts on Reddit and TikTok are raving about, so you know they’re tried and tested!
Eye Creams for Dark Circles to Try
Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream
Been burning the midnight oil? Had a late night? Look tired all the time? Then, you’ll need this super refreshing morning-after eye cream that can instantly reduce puffiness after a long night thanks to its blend of clinically proven ingredients.
Formulated with caffeine, Panax ginseng, and magnolia extract, it’s capable of stimulating vasoconstriction and fighting free radicals while taking care of puffiness and dark circles around the eyes for a more radiant-looking you. In addition, it also has natural optic brighteners to instantly perk up tired peepers.
Many Sephora reviewers said that the formula re-energises the eyes, with one claiming that it’s helped lighten dark circles after two weeks of usage. No wonder it’s touted as the best eye cream for dark circles.
Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream retails for RM160.
Lancôme Advanced Génifique Yeux
Lancôme’s Génifique technology needs no other introduction and just like how it’s good for your skin, the technology is also applicable for your under-eye. This award-winning product may be pricey, but is certainly one of the best eye creams for dark circles you can find; it purportedly reduces the visibility of wrinkles, fine lines, and signs of fatigue while revitalising the fragile eye contour area in seven days.
Users have reported seeing their dark circles fade within two weeks of use, as well as improvement with puffiness and fine lines. With regular use, this eye cream promises to give you a youthful glow.
Lancôme Advanced Génifique Yeux retails for RM360.
First Aid Beauty Brighten + Glow Eye Cream with Niacinamide
Formulated with Niacinamide, Pearl Micro Pearl, and Caffeine, this illuminating eye cream reduces the appearance of dark circles over time while also giving an instant glow.
Simply massage the product into the undereye area and you’ll find that your eye area looks brighter and dewier instantly. This also makes makeup look fresher on top of it!
First Aid Beauty Brighten + Glow Eye Cream with Niacinamide retails for RM190. Click on the links below to check for latest promotions.
Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream
The crowd’s beloved “natural beauty” line takes a maximalist approach with this best eye cream for dark circles, using not one but five different types of vitamin C for superior skin-lightening benefits to improve even the most stubborn signs of damage.
Eight peptides and cucumber extract round up the formulation to help make your under-eye area look firmer and more refreshed.
Not only is it a creamy, soothing mixture that blends easily into the thin under-eye skin, but the formula is also free from essential oils, drying alcohols, silicones, chemical screens, fragrance, and sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) which makes it perfect if you’re looking to avoid any harsh ingredients, but still want to see effective results.
In an independent consumer study of 50 users, 84 percent of them say their under-eyes looked brighter while 97 percent note their eye area felt more nourished.
Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream retails for RM310. Click on the links below to check for latest promotions.
Shiseido White Lucent Anti-Dark Circles Eye Cream
Power-packed with a blend of dark circle-diminishing ingredients and a muti-luminising powder, this formulation not only brightens the look of pesky under-eye circles by improving micro-circulation and supporting melanin production, but also makes your skin look plumper and more hydrated.
As it’s both dermatologist- and ophthalmologist-tested, you don’t have to worry about the formula irritating your eyes as it works its magic on brownish and blueish dark rings, making it one of the best eye creams for dark eye circles, for sure.
Shiseido White Lucent Anti-Dark Circles Eye Cream retails for RM220 at Shiseido’s standalone boutique in Suria KLCC as well as all Shiseido counters nationwide.
Cosrx Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream
K-beauty enthusiasts are probably no stranger to the cult-favourite Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, which contains snail slime to keep skin in check by providing a barrier of hydration, and we guarantee you’ll love this eye cream as it uses the brand’s favourite ingredient to brighten and re-energise the eye area.
In addition to snail mucin, the formula also has niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and five different types of peptides to deeply moisturise and protect the delicate eye contour while boosting skin’s natural collagen production.
Cosrx Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream retails for RM40.76. A discount is available at the time of writing. Tap on the link for updated price.
Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Eye Cream
Vitamin C is a popular skin ally but this potent formula takes it up a notch by using THD ascorbate, an ultra-stale form of vitamin C that’s said to be 50 times more powerful than the traditional variant.
Packed with 10% THB ascorbate, caffeine, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants such as vitamin E and ferulic acid, this hydrating eye cream can help improve the look of dark circles, puffiness, and crow’s feet instantly and over time while functioning like a second skin to help protect the vulnerable eye area.
A little goes a long way for this powerhouse formula though, as reviewers have reported that the texture veers on the thicker side so you’ll only need very little for each application.
Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Eye Cream retails for RM340.
Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic + Retinol Eye Cream
By now, you should know that retinol is the gold standard of anti-ageing ingredients, and this nourishing eye cream has plenty of it.
The vitamin A derivative, combined with ferulic acid, a potent ECG complex, and anti-ageing oils, works to treat the dehydrated eye area and stimulate collagen production under the eyes, making dark circles, crow’s feet, and skin crepiness less visible. One of the best eye creams in the market? Definitely.
Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic + Retinol Eye Cream retails for RM370. Click on the link below to check for latest promotions.
Olay Eyes Ultimate Eye Cream
Supercharged with peptides and vitamins, this helps to fight dark circles, wrinkles, fine lines, and puffiness instantly while renewing skin’s surface over time for younger-looking eyes. The formula also comes with Olay’s colour-correcting technology, so it acts as a touch of concealer that matches all skin tones.
What’s more, among the list of best eye creams for dark eye circles, this is one of the more affordable ones so you won’t have to worry if you’re sticking to a budget.
Olay Eyes Ultimate Eye Cream retails for RM79.90. Click on the links below to check for latest promotions.
La Mer The Eye Concentrate
This is arguably the most luxurious eye cream in every sense (including price), and to be honest, you wouldn’t expect anything less from the brand which harnesses the mighty skin-reviving powers of the sea.
Packed with triple the Concentrated Miracle Broth and lime tea concentrate, the highly potent eye cream works to hydrate and soften the delicate skin around the eye area while at the same time diminishing the look of dark circles. Thanks to the antioxidant-rich formula, it also helps to prevent future damage before it begins.
The best part? The luscious cream comes with a silver-tipped applicator that helps you apply the perfect amount of product each time. It may come with a hefty price tag, but plenty of happy La Mer customers have attested that the results are well worth the cost.
La Mer The Eye Concentrate retails for RM1,320. Click on the links below to check for latest promotions.
Paula’s Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Gel
Don’t let this refreshing eye gel fool you – it may feel light but boy, does it pack a serious moisturising punch, thanks to a fatigue-eliminating formula that’s heavy in hyaluronic acid, peptides, and licorice.
Additionally, it also has antioxidant-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and protect it from environmental stress. The built-in metallic tip also comes in handy as it feels extra cooling and soothing upon application.
Paula’s Choice Resist Anti-Aging Eye Gel retails for RM199. Click on the link below to check for latest promotions.
Read more: Double cleansing: What is it, how to do it, and why it’s an important part of your skincare routine
Why you need the best eye creams for dark eye circles
Investing in the best eye cream for dark circles is your best bet in combating dark circles if going under the knife isn’t an option.
Sure, many will tell you to log a full night’s sleep as a reasonable fix for dark under-eye circles (which it is, by the way), but it may not be a feasible option for some of us especially if your dark circles are caused by genetics, pigmentation, allergies, and thinning skin.
According to dermatologists, the colour under your eyes is a combination of blood vessels, pigment in the skin, thickness of the skin, and the fluid that can accumulate in this delicate, sensitive area. Dark circles are often the result of skin-darkening pigment combined with redness from dilated blood vessels.
A study by Clarins has also shown that Asian women are more susceptible to increased fatty tissue and decreased lymphatic activity in the skin under the eyes with age, which means the skin can become much thinner and loses density while dark circles become more visible.
Aside from genetics and ageing, other factors such as lack of sleep, dehydration, heavy alcohol consumption, and not eating a well-balanced diet can all contribute to the appearance of dark circles too.
That is why we’ve rounded up the best eye creams for dark circles as well as our top tips to help you improve the look of dark circles.
Word of advice: be sure to patch test the eye cream for any potential allergic reactions before applying them on your sensitive under-eye area.
Other tips to fight dark circles
Good question! Indeed, there are a number of lifestyle habits you can practise on top of using the best eye cream for dark circles to help diminish the appearance of dark circles.
Here are some that we really advocate:
- Protect your eyes from the sun: Any self-respecting dermatologist will tell you that UV protection is essential for both your skin, but did you know that sun damage could also worsen dark circles? Apart from sunscreen (a broad spectrum formula with SPF 50 is the best), you can amp up the sun shield with sunglasses to protect the vulnerable eye area from UV damage that causes skin ageing and further pigmentation.
- Hands off, please: Avoid rubbing your eyes if you can – this may be difficult if you have eczema or allergies but rubbing your eyes is literally one of the worst things you can do to the delicate, sensitive eye area. That’s because constant, prolonged rubbing can result in a form of dark skin called hyperpigmentation. You can try to stop the rubbing by keeping the eye contour area moisturised with the best eye cream for dark circles to cut down on dryness and irritation. Oh, don’t forget to be gentle when washing your eyes or removing makeup too.
- Check your sleeping position: If you’re prone to eyelid swelling, sleeping on your back can be helpful in reducing puffiness as much as it helps to lessen the signs of ageing on the skin. If you’re a side or front sleeper however, investing in a silk pillowcase can help prevent wrinkle-inducing tugging on the skin.
- Get enough rest: Getting enough sleep is just as essential as UV protection for your eyes. In case you haven’t noticed, being overtired can definitely affect your under-eyes – this reason alone should be why you should aim for eight hours of sleep every night.
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