7 Skin Care Experts on the Best Eye Cream for Dark Circles, from $11 to $170

Dark circles are the worst. And while, yes, we could just pile on the heavy-duty concealer on those mornings when we’re running on four hours of sleep, we’d rather find a more permanent solution. So we turned to the pros. Here, seven skin care experts share their favorite eye cream for combating dark circles at every price point. Take notes.

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1. SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Complex

Glamsquad makeup artist Kelli Bartlett swears by this SkinCeuticals formula to treat her celeb clients’ dark circles. “The science behind this eye cream is incredible—its mixture of peptides and flavonoids actually do reduce the blue and red look of tired, stressed, dark circles,” she explains. And a pro tip? Bartlett recommends mixing a bit of it into your concealer to help the skin under your eyes appear smoother.

Buy It ($98)

2. Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex Synchronized Recovery

Bartlett is also a fan of this best-selling formula from Estée Lauder. It’s proven to brighten dark circles after just three weeks of use, and Bartlett attests, “It really does the job if you use it consistently.” It’ll also reduce fine lines, puffiness and dry skin. Bartlett suggests applying it all around the eye area (even on your lids) to really reap the benefits.

Buy It ($62)

3. Erno Laszlo Multi-Task Eye Serum Mask

OK, this one technically isn’t an eye cream (it’s a mask), but Bartlett declares it “a makeup artist’s dream,” so we had to include it. “The eye mask is coated in a super-high-performance serum infused with algae extract and B3 that shows visible signs of brightness after just one use,” she says.

Buy It ($35)

4. Omorovicza Reviving Eye Cream

This cream is makeup artist Lisa Aharon’s favorite to use on her celeb clients (who include Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Brosnahan and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, BTW). “When choosing an eye cream to put in my kit, there are a few things that I look for.  Hydration, smoothing, brightening and de-puffing, of course, but I also need something that won’t pill under concealer or be too greasy,” she explains. Omorovicza’s Reviving Eye Cream fits the bill.

Buy It ($145)

5. GlamGlow BRIGHTEYES Illuminating Anti-Fatigue Eye Cream

There was so much hype around this eye cream that it sold out in just 48 hours. And according to Sheel Desai Solomon, a board-certified dermatologist, it’s worth the hype. The fast-absorbing formula is made with illuminating spheres that brighten dark circles, even if you were up with the kids throughout the night. “And it does much more than just address tiredness around the eyes,” Solomon raves. The cream also contains caffeine extract to energize the skin and peptides to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Fingers crossed it doesn’t sell out again.

Buy It ($39)

6. Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Eye Cream

Solomon points out that sometimes dark circles are caused by aging, not fatigue. This cream tackles both issues you're covered either way. “It contains a potent dose of vitamin C to help the body’s own synthesis of collagen and hydrate the outer layers of the skin,” she explains. And more collagen = more youthful-looking skin. Consider us sold.

Buy It ($34)

7. CeraVe Eye Repair Cream

Looking for a drugstore find to ditch your dark circles once and for all? Solomon suggests this $11 option from CeraVe. She explains that the loss of ceramides (a component of the skin barrier), which comes with aging, can “leave your skin vulnerable to sun damage, aging and dehydration.” Yikes. Luckily, this hydrating cream is formulated with three types of ceramides to stop aging in its tracks. And of course, erase your dark circles in the process.

$11 at Amazon

8. Eterno Time Eraser Eye Cream

This is makeup artist Sarah Cranham’s go-to for getting rid of dark circles on all of her clients. Swipe on a thin layer, and the unique mixture of anti-wrinkle peptides, acai and hyaluronic acid will create a noticeable difference in just 60 seconds. We’re impressed.

$60 at Amazon

9. Perricone MD Firming & Illuminating Under-Eye Cream

Want some stats? In a clinical study of 103 women over the course of 28 days, 96 percent showed an improvement in the depth of their wrinkles after using this cream. And 75 percent said they felt their dark circles improved. Not too shabby. Celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg recommends looking for a formula with neuropeptides (like this one) to help heal any skin damage.

Buy It ($170)

10. Citrix Vitamin C Eye Cream

Greenberg also recommends choosing an eye cream that’s packed with vitamin C, like this one from Citrix. “I love vitamin C for its anti-aging and brightening properties,” the Marshalls beauty expert explains. This particular cream also contains coenzyme Q10, an ingredient that naturally occurs in the body, and works to improve moisture retention and skin elasticity. Bottom line: Super-smooth under eyes are a given.

Buy It ($50)

11. Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème

Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, told The Strategist that this brightening cream is his top recommendation for eliminating dark circles. His reasoning? The vitamin C in this product “neutralizes free-radical damage, calms inflammation and blocks the production of abnormal pigmentation to brighten under-eye circles,” he explains. And real women agree. “I look refreshed when I use this,” one reviewer praises.

Buy It ($38)

12. Revision Skincare Teamine Eye Complex

“Revision’s Teamine Eye Complex has been a favorite of dermatologists for dark circles for many years. It’s formulated with three different antioxidants—vitamin C, green tea extract and grape seed oil—as well as skin brighteners including mica, silica, and titanium dioxide,” Melissa K. Levin, M.D., a clinical instructor at NYU Langone Medical Center and Mount Sinai Hospital told MyDomaine. If it’s derm-approved, we’re all in.

$81 at Amazon

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