Poof, Be Gone! Best Under-Eye Cream
The skin around your eye area is 40% thinner than the rest of your skin. To stay looking young and help combat environmental damage, you need to protect that delicate skin. Have you ever woken up with dark circles or puffy, swollen bags beneath your eyes and wished you could just climb back into bed rather than face the day? You’re not alone. Fortunately, when you find out the causes of eye problems and use the best under-eye cream, you’ll look ready for the day more often than not. Let’s talk about causes then see below for our fave under-eye cream picks!
What Causes Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles?
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Usually swelling around the eyes means that there is an excess of fluids called edema. Swelling and discoloration appear more prominent in this area due to the skin being thinner. Eye puffiness and dark circles are common woes, and these issues are caused by fluid retention due to several triggers.
Reasons for Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles:
- Inherited facial features
- Fatigue and lack of sleep
- Aging
- Stress
- Dehydration
- Sinus problems
- Crying
- Allergies
- Overconsumption of salt
Why Are Eyes Puffier in the Morning?
Eyes rest during sleep. As a result, we don’t blink. This lack of blinking is one of the reasons that under-eye puffiness occurs for some people. Swelling will develop under the eyes due to this reduced movement, resulting in unusually puffy eyes when waking up. Once blinking resumes when we are awake, the trapped edema fluids will be released back into circulation, and some of this swelling will reduce in a few hours.
What You Need to Know About Dark Circles
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The question you need to be asking yourself is this: are your under-eye dark circles brown or blue?
Brown Under-Eye Circles
Brown under-eye circles can be caused by two factors: genetics and hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmentation is caused by excessive exposure to the sun and rubbing your eyes frequently. A cream containing citrus or soy will help brighten up this under-eye area over a period of weeks. As always, try not to run your eyes, and protect your under-eye skin by wearing sunscreen.
Blue Under-Eye Circles
If the discoloration under the eyes is blueish, this pigmentation is usually due to two things: aging or pooling blood. Aging is a massive contributor to blue under-eye circles. Skin thins over time, and the blood vessels become more apparent. Also, during sleep, fluids accumulate under the eyes and veins expand to hold more blood. This makes the veins become more visible.
What Can We Do to Prevent Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles?
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We all want to wake up bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and ready to start the day. The good news? Puffy eyes and dark circles aren’t permanent. You simply need to find the best under-eye cream for you, and your appearance can be improved in seconds. There are also a number of temporary solutions to help reduce puffy under-eyes and dark circles.
Temporary Remedies to Help Reduce Puffy Eyes and Dark Circles
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Use eye drops
- Apply cucumber slices or chilled tea bags to closed eyes
- Get plenty of sleep
- Splash eyes with cold water
- Eat a reduced-salt diet
- Introduce potassium-rich food into your diet
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While the truth is that you’ll need to wait until your body naturally breaks up and drains the fluid that causes puffy eyes and dark circles to be fully “cured” of these issues, eye creams can speed up the process.
Unfortunately, with hundreds of eye creams to choose from, some people get overwhelmed trying to find the best under-eye cream for their needs. We’ve narrowed down the best of the best for you. Whether you’re looking to reduce puffiness, minimize dark circles, save money or even find a 100% vegan treatment, we’ve got you covered.
Here Are the Top 5 Best Under-Eye Creams:
Best Under-Eye Cream For Dark Circles: Lumière Bio-Restorative Eye Cream
Amazon
Features:
- Adds moisture
- Rejuvenates skin
- Reduces puffiness
- Alleviates under-eye darkness
- Reduces lines and wrinkles
Beauty isn’t always cheap. While Lumiere’s Bio-Restorative Eye Cream is one of the more expensive ones on our list, it’s worth the price — and not just because of the gorgeous bottle. The folks over at Lumiere dug deep to create the most effective eye cream on the market.
Created by the Swiss, this under-eye cream uses a blend of PSP (Processed Skin Cell Proteins), caffeine, hyaluronic acid and bisabolol to give your eyes a young, refreshed look. Dark circles, be gone! The caffeine helps alleviate puffiness, the hyaluronic acid plumps the skin and diminishes the appearance of dark circles and the bisabolol helps to combat the signs of aging. This product is free of fragrance and color additives, not tested on animals and dermatologist tested. Overall, it’s our pick for the best under-eye cream for dark circles.
Customer Review:
“I’ve been using religiously for about 7 years, and it’s worth every penny. I’m in my 50’s and routinely folks guess my age at 10+ younger. Look, I don’t mind being old. I don’t even mind looking old. But many of the signs of aging read as “tired”, and I don’t want to look tired. You only need a small amount. And also, when the bottle is ’empty’ I crack it open and can usually get another 3-7 days worth of product by scraping out the dregs. takes about 6-8 weeks of use to notice a difference, I seem to recall…maybe longer, but you really will notice a change if you use consistently both morning and evening.”
– SRB
Best Under-Eye Cream for Puffiness: 100% Pure Caffeine Bean Eye Cream
Amazon
Features:
- Hydrates
- Illuminates
- Reduces puffiness
- Alleviates under-eye darkness
- Reduces lines and wrinkles
Caffeine is often considered the most powerful ingredient in under-eye creams. This ingredient tightens your skin by constricting the blood vessels under the skin, which helps combat fluid buildup under your eyes. If you often suffer from under-eye puffiness, check out this 100% Pure Caffeine Bean Eye Cream. Not only will it immediately improve your appearance, but it also won’t break the bank.
This lightweight, organic under-eye cream contains multiple coffees and green tea extracts. The cream has been designed to deflate and tighten the skin beneath your eyes in seconds. In addition to the benefits of caffeine, green tea contains anti-inflammatory elements that further help to reduce swelling and promote circulation. Plus, this cream contains vitamins C and E, which will help nourish your skin.
Have one too many glasses of wine and your skin reflects it the next morning? Just massage a few drops of this beneath your eyes, and those bags will be gone in seconds. This truly is the best under-eye cream for puffiness.
Customer Review:
“I’ve had chronic, deep under-eye bags since I was a kid, and water helps but it’s hard to stay hydrated at work. I’ve tried a lot of under-eye creams with harsh ingredients like Prep H and some other brands that made my skin red. This cream, however, is the only one that does it all- moisturizes, works well under my makeup, and actually makes my under-eye bags disappear! It had an instant effect in my opinion, and as I use it every day my bags look more and more refreshed. I even use it on my forehead a little, because I feel like the caffeine and natural ingredients are probably amazing for anti-aging. Highly recommend!!!!”
– Anonymous
Best Drugstore Under-Eye Cream: Olay Eyes
Amazon
Features:
- Acts as a touch concealer
- Hydrates
- Reduces puffiness
- Alleviates under-eye darkness
- Reduces lines and wrinkles
There are days when you can spend hours browsing the aisles of Sephora, and there are days when you only have time to quickly pop into your local drugstore and hope they have what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for an affordable, quality eye cream but don’t have time to place an Amazon order or hit up your favorite beauty counter, don’t worry. Olay Eyes has you covered. It’s the best under-eye cream for people who are in a pinch and need a quick fix from their local CVS.
Olay’s Ultimate Eye Cream acts quickly to tackle dark circles, puffiness, and even fine lines and wrinkles. Plus, its lightly tinted, color-correcting formula helps smooth uneven skin tones and liver spots. A blend of peptides and vitamins, this cream is a great all-in-one eye cream that will help depuff, dewrinkle and get rid of those dark circles.
Customer Review:
“Was pleasantly surprised with the results. After reading several negative reviews I thought I would try this product anyway. I’ve been using it about three weeks and have found the dark circles under my eyes have definitely lightened and also the darkness on the eyelids have also lightened. The puffiness under the eyes is slightly reduced. All in all, I am happy with this product’s results for the amount of money it costs. I’ve been using Olay products for years and have been happy with all of them.”
– AMF
Best Vegan Under-Eye Cream: Youth to the People’s Superfood Peptide Eye Cream
Amazon
Features:
- 100% vegan
- Possible primer for concealer
- Ingredients that illuminate
- Softening for tired eyes
- Recyclable packaging
Great vegan beauty products are sometimes hard to find, which is why we are grateful for Youth To The People. Youth To The People is a relatively new, natural beauty brand. A family-owned company based out of California, this company’s products contain ingredients solely sourced in the US. The company also caters to those with sensitive skin and those seeking high-quality, vegan skincare products. These superfood-packed products are cold-pressed and produced in small batches that are perfect for the sensitive skin beneath the eyes.
Youth To The People’s Superfood Peptide Eye Cream is the best under-eye cream for those looking for a 100% vegan product. Comprised of kale, aloe, sunflower seed oil and other all-natural products, this product is free from harsh chemicals and other allergy-inducing properties. The cream blends vitamin C with the soothing properties of aloe vera and the hydrating elements of sunflower oil and hyaluronic acid. Youth To The People’s cream is lightweight and quickly absorbs into the skin as it works its magic to revive tired eyes, soften fine lines and crows feet and brighten the skin.
Customer Review:
“I have extremely sensitive skin, especially around my eyes and I am highly allergic to most things. I often buy stuff and cannot use it after a couple days, no issues with this.”
– Angerer
Best Overall Under-Eye Cream: La Mer Eye Concentrate
Amazon
La Mer Eye Concentrate
Features:
- Hydrates
- Illuminates
- Reduces puffiness
- Alleviates under-eye darkness
- Reduces lines and wrinkles
Yes, it’s expensive. However, La Mer’s Eye Concentrate is a high-end beauty brand worth the price. Created by aerospace physicist Dr. Max Huber in the 1960s as a scar-treatment remedy, La Mer uses sea kelp to create Miracle Broth, the elixir at the heart of every Crème de la Mer product.
La Mer’s Eye Concentrate is lightweight and has a soft, not-overpowering fragrance. This cream helps to dramatically reduce the appearance of dark circles, discoloration and puffiness. For best use, keep its signature silver-tipped wand in the refrigerator prior to use to further reduce puffiness.
Customer Review:
“This stuff is amazing. The whole product line is incredible. I used this for 2 days and noticed a difference in the mirror, which I thought was pretty impressive But then after about 4-5 days of use, OTHER PEOPLE started commenting on my skin!!!! I mean, its cool if you can notice it on yourself, but for others to notice really validated its effectiveness to me!”
– Book Girl
Please note that eye puffiness and dark circles usually go away on their own accord after 48 hours or so. If the problem still persists after this time frame, consult your healthcare professional to make sure that there’s nothing else going on.
Have you discovered the best under-eye cream? Tell us about it in the comments.
