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The best drugstore eye creams treat dark circles, puffiness, dryness, or fine lines (or all of the above) the same way luxe creams do it: with dermatologist-approved formulas that feature well-studied actives, such as retinols, peptides, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides.
While you can use a standard facial moisturizer around your eyes, creams formulated for the undereye area are generally lighter in texture, contain actives that target area-specific skin concerns, and are often ophthalmologist-tested to minimize the risk of irritation and stinging. And that’s a big deal, seeing as “the skin around the eyes is thinner, has fewer oil glands, and tends to be more sensitive,” Aegean H. Chan, MD, a double board-certified dermatologist based in Santa Barbara, California, previously explained. (As with all skin care, patch-test new eye creams if you have particularly sensitive skin.)
Our Top Drugstore Eye Creams
- Best Overall: RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream, $21
- Best for Dark Circles: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Eye Serum, $45
- Best for Sensitive Skin: CeraVe Eye Repair Cream, $20
Frequently Asked QuestionsLargeChevron
- Do drugstore eye creams work?
- Are eye creams necessary for undereye wrinkles?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
From caffeine-powered eye serums that minimize puffiness and help fake the appearance of a full night’s sleep to rich eye creams packed with firming peptides and brightening niacinamide, derms agree that it really comes down to the ingredients, not the price tag—as Dendy Engelman, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist, puts it. Show your undereyes some extra love with these expert-recommended picks.
Best Overall: RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream
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RoC
Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream
Amazon
Ulta Beauty
Allure commerce editor Sarah Han applying the RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream
Sarah Han
Why we love it: An eight-time (!) Best of Beauty Award winner, RoC’s Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream is loved for its time-tested, workhorse formula. Glycerin, vitamin E, vitamin B5, and pure retinol—released over a period of 12 hours to minimize irritation—hydrate, smooth fine lines, and reduce the look of undereye circles. “The lines around my 48-year-old eyes are markedly smoother and my dark circles less pronounced,” Allure executive beauty editor Jenny Bailly says.
“Retinol is my most recommended ingredient for skin care, and this is a drugstore option I suggest often,” says Corey L. Hartman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Birmingham, Alabama. “It delivers an immediate boost of moisture, and with continuous use, you should see improvement in fine lines and dark circles around the eye,” he says. Speaking of “continuous use,” have patience when you’re starting out with this (or any) retinol product. You may see results as soon as three weeks after adding it to your routine, but it could take up to three months to notice improvements. And always remember to wear sunscreen to counteract the sun-sensitive side effects of retinol.
Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han
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“RoC's retinol eye cream has been a tried-and-true formula for many years now. I'm probably aging myself by linking to this review I wrote in 2021, but with the added years (I'm 33 now), my concerns about volume loss and creasing around the eyes are even more prevalent, so RoC's Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream has made its way back into my nighttime rotation. After all, not much can beat retinol in terms of wrinkle-reducing efficacy. I've never had any sensitivity using it either, perhaps due to the fact that soothing glycerin is one of the top ingredients. All in all, this is a very affordable treatment that outperforms many pricier creams.” —Sarah Han, commerce editor
More to know
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- Key ingredients: retinol, glycerin, panthenol
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Sensitive Skin: CeraVe Eye Repair Cream
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CeraVe
Eye Repair Cream
Amazon
Dermstore
Ulta Beauty
Allure senior commerce director Shanna Shipin applying the CeraVe Eye Repair Cream
Shanna Shipin
Why we love it: CeraVe’s Eye Repair Cream is lightweight, non-irritating, and features the drugstore darling’s key (but intentionally pared-down) ingredients: three essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide. Together, they do a fantastic job pulling in moisture, plumping skin, and strengthening your already delicate barrier. It’s generally a great “starter” eye cream for anyone who wants to upgrade to a dedicated undereye formula—rather than slathering their all-over face moisturizer close to their eyeballs—and especially ideal for anyone with sensitive skin, Dr. Hartman notes, adding that it’s fragrance-free and gentle. It also has a Seal of Acceptance from the National Eczema Association, which is the ultimate North Star for those with reactive skin. (Breathe that sigh of relief.)
Tester feedback from senior commerce director Shanna Shipin
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“I use CeraVe for a lot of my face and body care, so it was only natural for me to reach for this Eye Repair Cream when I started noticing more puffiness and deeper lines. While I can't say it's gotten rid of any sort of darkness around my eyes, it does brighten and plump up my skin! I look more awake and, more importantly, it continually helps me repair (how fitting) and restore my skin barrier. If you already have sensitive skin, the area around your eyes needs extra TLC. I can't use a lot of eye creams because they tend to make my dermatitis flare up, or just make the skin around my eyes feel congested—but not this eye cream!” —Shanna Shipin, senior commerce director
More to know
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- Key ingredients: ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Dark Circles: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Eye Serum
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La Roche-Posay
Hyalu B5 Eye Serum
Amazon
Dermstore
Ulta Beauty
Allure beauty director Sarah Kinonen applying La Roche-Posay’s Hyalu B5 Eye Serum
Sarah Kinonen
Why we love it: La Roche-Posay’s Hyalu B5 Anti-Wrinkle Replumping Eye Serum comes with a massage roller applicator that feels like an instant wake-up call for tired eyes—cooling, soothing, and so refreshing. The lightweight serum is just as impressive: Two types of hyaluronic acid hydrate and plump, while a 10% complex of caffeine, niacinamide, and hepes (short for hydroxyethylpiperazine ethane sulfonic acid, which helps keep the active ingredients stable) helps smooth fine lines, brighten dark circles, and firm up the skin. It’s fragrance-free, gentle for sensitive eyes, and perfect for anyone who wants an extra depuffing element as part of their skin-care routine.
Tester feedback from beauty director Sarah Kinonen
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“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if an eye cream doesn’t have a metal applicator, I don’t want it! And this La Roche-Posay treatment not only has a metal tip, but a rollerball tip, which is why I deemed it an instant favorite after the first use. The formula itself is more serum than cream (it’s literally in the name) and easily seeps into undereye crevices to plump with hyaluronic acid and lock in moisture with glycerin. It’s great for day and night, but I find its lightweight texture lends itself to more morning use.” —Sarah Kinonen, beauty director
More to know
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- Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, caffeine, niacinamide
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Puffiness: Bioderma Sensibio Eye+
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Bioderma
Sensibio Eye+
Dermstore
Allure associate beauty editor Annie Blay-Tettey applying the Bioderma Sensibio Eye+
Annie Blay-Tettey
Why we love it: For the same reasons we (and derms) trust Biodema’s ultra-gentle micellar water to trap, lift, and remove makeup and grime—without irritating sensitive or even rosacea-prone skin—Bioderma Sensibio Eye+ is also a tried-and-true, sensitive skin-approved formula. A go-to for her patients, Dr. Engelman loves that Sensibio “hydrates the delicate eye area with squalane and glycerin without causing irritation and helps reduce puffiness, thanks to caffeine and a soothing base that supports the skin barrier,” she says. Speaking of puffiness, this lightweight gel-cream addresses other signs of stressed-out eyes, such as dark circles, with a blend of anti-inflammatory peptides and brightening rhamnose (a sugar molecule) that leave the undereye area visibly smoother, calmer, and more refreshed.
Tester feedback from associate beauty editor Annie Blay-Tettey
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“I usually pat my moisturizer under my eyes and call it a day, but the BiodermaSensibio Eye+ Cream makes me excited to put on an eye cream. It's moisturizing but not too heavy and leaves my undereye area feeling super hydrated. No creasing under makeup over here!” —Annie Blay-Tettey, associate beauty editor
More to know
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- Key ingredients: caffeine, squalane, acetyl tetrapeptide-5, glycerin
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Under Makeup: Byoma Barrier Repair Eye Cream
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Byoma
Barrier Repair Eye Cream
Amazon
Ulta Beauty
Allure content director Sophia Panych applying the Byoma Barrier Repair Eye Cream
Sophie Panych
Why we love it: Byoma’s Barrier Repair Eye Cream is positively packed with reliable moisturizers like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter—just the right fixer-uppers if your skin leans dry or flaky. But that’s not where its benefits end. This nongreasy cream also contains a copper-peptide complex, carrier peptides that literally deliver copper to the skin to heal wounds, which, in turn, stimulates collagen and elastin production—leaving the skin firmer and bouncier.
Its other star ingredient is ectoin, an amino acid derms love for its protective properties: As Allure has previously reported, it safeguards your skin from UVA/UVB rays, pollution, and other environmental factors, and helps prevent water loss and irritation (talk about a multitasker). So, not only does Byoma’s creamy formula immediately restore moisture to your skin, but it also helps keep it more resilient and healthy going forward.
Tester feedback from content director Sophia Panych
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“I’m not an eye cream girl. Typically, I'm happy with the hydration in the area where I get my face cream. But, on nights and mornings when my undereyes look a little tired and dry, I add this into my routine and the rich, creamy formula instantly revives the area, leaving it plumper and smoother. It's especially good under makeup because it doesn't pill.
This is just a really lovely, hydrating eye cream at a spectacular price. The areas around my eyes are temperamental—they're not exactly sensitive, but if they don't like a certain cream, the area around the outer corners of my eyes can get red and raw. I always approach eye creams with caution, but this one I never have to worry about aggravating my skin because it's so gentle and comforting (probably because it was made with protecting the skin barrier in mind).” —Sophie Panych, content director
More to know
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- Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, ectoin, copper tripeptide-1
- Fragrance-free: yes
Best for Crow’s Feet: Cetaphil Healthy Renew Eye Gel Serum
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Cetaphil
Healthy Renew Eye Gel Serum
Amazon
Walmart
Kinonen applying the Cetaphil Healthy Renew Eye Gel Serum
Sarah Kinonen
Why we love it: If retinol doesn’t play nice with your sensitive undereyes, Cetaphil’s Healthy Renew Eye Gel Serum is a gentler alternative that garners the same effects (read: smoother, brighter skin without the risk of irritation). “Formulated with peptides and retinol-like peptides, it helps minimize the appearance of dark circles, fine lines, and signs of fatigue,” says Dr. Engelman, who points to adenosine as a retinol stand-in that helps with collagen production and boosts skin’s elasticity.
Niacinamide (vitamin B3) and panthenol (B5) round out the impressively lightweight formula to hydrate, soothe, and support the skin barrier. And if the skin around your eyes leans dry or crepey, ingredients like shea butter, sodium hyaluronate, and coconut oil step in to deliver deep, lasting hydration and a smoother, more supple finish.
Tester feedback from Kinonen
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“Not all eye creams are created equal, but it’s fair to say that they all make my undereyes feel alive after a night of five hours of sleep. I really like the Cetaphil Eye Gel for late nights and early mornings. It’s lightweight (more of a gel than a cream), super soothing (made with calming niacinamide), and is fragrance-free, which means it won’t irritate my sometimes-sensitive eye area. It’s also made with peptides to help depuff sleepy undereyes, which I’ve grown to know very well these days.” —Sarah Kinonen, beauty director
More to know
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- Key ingredients: niacinamide, panthenol, peptides, shea butter, coconut oil, rice lees extract
- Fragrance-free: yes
Frequently Asked Questions
Do drugstore eye creams work?
“Drugstore eye creams can be just as effective as pricier options,” according to Dr. Engelman. While luxury options might offer more refined textures or higher-tech delivery systems, “you don’t need to splurge to see results—just focus on the formulas," she says. Many affordable formulas contain proven active ingredients, such as caffeine, peptides, and hyaluronic acid, which help target puffiness, the appearance of fine lines, and dark circles. Just remember: If you want to see real results, consistent use is key, no matter what’s on the label.
Are eye creams necessary for undereye wrinkles?
Eye creams may not be mandatory in a basic skin-care routine, but when it comes to treating specific skin concerns, they’re often worth it. “I believe eye creams are necessary for under-eye wrinkles,” says Dr. Hartman. “The skin under the eye is thin and delicate compared to the rest of the face, so it needs special care.” He explains that, because the eye area is so close to the eye itself, it’s important to use products specifically formulated and tested for that zone. “The active ingredients in eye creams will be tailored to an appropriate percentage for delicate eye skin, which is another reason why I recommend including an eye cream in your daily skin care routine,” he explains. For mild to moderate wrinkles, eye creams with ingredients like peptides and hyaluronic acid can be effective. However, for more advanced wrinkling, professional treatments (such as lasers, fillers, or RF microneedling) may offer better results.
Meet the experts
- Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at Shafer Clinic, based in New York City
- Corey L. Hartman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology, based in Birmingham, Alabama
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that's included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best drugstore eye creams, we considered each product's performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors — along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors — in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon — is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.