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I like to think that the perennial dark circles under my eyes give off an early-aughts Julian Casablancas vibe. That is, for much of my life, I’ve chosen to pretend they’re cool and live with them. But while under-eye circles are part of who I am genetically to a degree, that doesn’t mean I can’t keep them in check — and the best eye creams help me do that, and more.
“The skin around the eyes is the thinnest on the body with fewer oil glands, so it shows fatigue and dehydration earlier,” says Dr. Nicole Ruth, a board-certified dermatologist. “A well-formulated eye cream can improve hydration, support collagen and reduce puffiness.” In practical terms, these formulas can tone the skin, soften lines and crow’s feet, keep the skin healthier and more resilient, and ultimately ease those dark circles. For men like me, that means eye cream is an indispensable, if not always daily, part of a comprehensive grooming regimen.
But there has been some debate about the product’s efficacy. Do eye creams really, truly work, or is it all marketing?
“Better hydration alone can temporarily smooth fine lines and improve light reflection,” explains Ruth, “which is why the eye area often looks more rested almost immediately [after use].” The short answer: yes, they work. Some folks will admittedly do fine with moisturizer alone, but eye creams are specifically formulated for this thinner, more delicate skin around your eyes. (More on that below in the FAQ section.)
Below, I’ve compiled nine of the best eye creams for men, with a focus on richer formulas (balms and serums to come in the spring) as cold weather calls for cushioning, protection and hydration. Also important to note: these mini tubs and tubes may seem pricey, but the formulas are concentrated, and a little goes a long way.
Best Overall Eye Cream: Ursa Major Forest Alchemy Eye Cream
There are more accessible options out there, but if you want one of the best botanical-driven, well-researched, power-packed formulas in a whipped, buttery, nourishing texture, one that’s excellent for cooler months, that melts effortlessly around the eye area and where a little goes a long way, it is tough to beat Ursa Major’s Forest Alchemy. It’s packed with active ingredients like tremella mushrooms, which reduce dark circles and puffiness, alongside classic ingredients like glycerin, squalane and shea butter for deep hydration to reduce fine lines. The texture feels exceptionally rich yet absorbing, and I found myself looking forward to applying it, knowing my eye area would look healthier, brighter and more rested in short order.
Key ingredients: Mushroom extract hydrates, brightens and reduces dark circles; vegan squalane softens and seals in moisture; glycerin draws in water; shea butter nourishes; wild birch strengthens; algae support collagen; hyaluronic acid binds hydration.
How to Refresh (And Upgrade) Your Grooming Routine
Your grooming game could use a makeoverBest Eye Cream for Fine Lines and Wrinkles: Jack Black Protein Booster Eye Rescue
We obviously love their lip balm and pretty much everything else Jack Black makes, but the grooming OG also turns out this potent, rich, peptide-powered eye cream designed to tackle crow’s feet and wrinkles. Applying this cushiony cream a few nights a week noticeably softened fine lines around my eyes. The formula leans on a proprietary peptide blend to help support collagen and target visible signs of aging, while caffeine helps wake up and soothe tired eyes. Organic green tea delivers antioxidant protection, and omega-3 fatty acids help lock in moisture.
Key ingredients: Peptides smooth wrinkles, support collagen and improve elasticity; caffeine reduces puffiness and refreshes; omega-3 fatty acids hydrate and soothe; vitamins A, C and E provide antioxidant protection; green tea calms and defends; hyaluronic acid hydrates.
Best Eye Cream for Dry Skin: Kiehl’s Avocado Eye Treatment
Oh how I dig the buttery smooth texture of this hydration heavy hitter from Kiehl’s. It lays down a rich moisture shield for tired, weary eyes, delivering comfort and nourishment along the way. The formula leans on avocado oil for softening, beta-carotene to help protect, shea butter to deeply nourish and caffeine to revive. If dryness is your main concern, especially this time of year, this formula delivers near instant relief, leaving the eye area plush, comforted and well hydrated.
Key ingredients: Avocado oil moisturizes and softens; shea butter nourishes; squalane smooths and reinforces the barrier; caffeine reduces puffiness; vitamin E defends against oxidative stress; essential fatty acids hydrate.
Best Eye Cream for Dark Circles: Typology L40 Eye Cream
Parisian powerhouse Typology is known for potent serums, but the brand also makes excellent creams, including this targeted eye formula designed to tackle dark circles. You get a strong 2% caffeine (the brand spotlights active percentages in its products) to quickly reduce darkness and puffiness, paired with cornflower hydrolate to support microcirculation, while niacinamide helps smooth and reinforce the barrier. It doesn’t hurt that the sleek silver tube looks like it means business, which it does. After one use, my under-eye bags looked noticeably less pronounced. All of the formulas here help ease dark circles, but if they are your main gripe, this lightweight, targeted cream is one to try.
Key ingredients: Caffeine de-puffs; cornflower hydrolate soothes and stimulates microcirculation; niacinamide brightens and calms; glycerin draws in water; hyaluronic acid binds hydration; vitamin E provides antioxidant protection.
Best Softening Eye Cream: Malin+Goetz Revitalizing Eye Cream
This ultra-concentrated formula from Malin+Goetz has a whipped, cloud-like texture that feels every bit as indulgent with a lightweight consistency to boot. Loaded with nourishing fatty acids and hydrating peptides, it left my eye area incredibly soft and smooth, with a plush, lightly mattifying finish that made the skin feel noticeably supple. Marine algae extract helps brighten, while the deeply moisturizing formula works to smooth fine lines. Plus, it absorbs well without heaviness, a rare win for a richer eye cream.
Key ingredients: Peptides smooth fine lines and wrinkles; marine algae extracts soften and hydrate; sodium hyaluronate and panthenol replenish moisture.
Best Nourishing Eye Cream: Blue Lagoon BL+ Eye Cream
This eye cream sits firmly in the luxury tier, but there are two reasons you should seriously consider it: there are two sizes available (if $165 for 0.5 oz. feels too extravagant, there’s a $60 version for 0.169 oz.), and this particular cream proves why elevated skincare can be worth the splurge. I first discovered Blue Lagoon’s line in its home base of Iceland, where it came in clutch after a long flight — the silky texture instantly comforted my tired eyes (credit to the brand’s mineral-rich Icelandic seawater). It goes on like a luxe face moisturizer for the eye area, with squalane cushioning, ceramides supporting, and the hero BL+ Complex formula defending against collagen breakdown. It may not be the top pick for dark circles, but for spa-level hydration, protection and softening, this is easily one of the best eye creams out there.
Key ingredients: BL+ Complex with microalgae and silica stimulates collagen production; Blue Lagoon seawater nourishes; bakuchiol improves skin tone; niacinamide strengthens; ceramides smooth; squalene locks in moisture.
Best Brightening Eye Cream: Origins GinZing Eye Cream
This brightening balm from Origins helps tackle puffiness, brighten the overall area and soften dark circles, all with a subtle zing. You get caffeine to boost circulation, ginseng to revive and energize, vitamin C for radiance and niacinamide to smooth and even tone. Some benefits show quickly, while others build over time. While it is not the most hydrating formula, it is one of the most dependable for a refreshed, toned look that helps makes it look like you actually caught some Zs. Note: This cream has a slight tint in either “cool” or “warm” that blends in easily and matches your skin tone to help conceal bags even better.
Key ingredients: Vitamin C brightens and boosts radiance; niacinamide evens tone and strengthens; caffeine de-puffs; ginseng revitalizes and improves circulation.
Best Value Eye Cream: CeraVe Skin Renewing Eye Cream
CeraVe is one of my favorite accessible brands that you can grab at Amazon or Target, proof that you do not need to spend big for solid grooming products. Eye creams often skew pricey, but pound for pound, this is an excellent option at an entry-level price — and a clutch cream for newcomers. This newer formula from CeraVe adds caffeine to help boost circulation and wake up tired eyes, alongside three essential ceramides to lock in moisture and support the barrier, niacinamide to brighten and calm, and a peptide complex to smooth the look of fine lines. It is not the richest cream, more of a lotion, but at around $17, it is hard to argue with it as a reliable, easy, everyday option.
Key ingredients: Ceramides (1, 3, 6-II) reinforce the skin barrier; hyaluronic acid hydrates; niacinamide soothes and brightens; glycerin draws in water; caffeine refreshes.
Best Eye Cream for Sensitive Skin: Horace Under-Eye Moisturizer
This hip Parisian brand makes one of the best under-eye creams. (Frankly, they make some of the best products in just about every grooming category.) This travel-friendly tube delivers a super-soothing, low-irritation formula, with many of its ingredients sourced from natural or organic origins. The unscented cream (essential for sensitive skin) blends trusted staples like aloe and caffeine with a range of vitamins and botanical extracts that nourish, wake up and hydrate. Plus, the cooling metal applicator feels awesomely refreshing while helping reduce puffiness without stressing the fragile skin area.
Key ingredients: Aloe vera soothes and hydrates; cornflower water reduces puffiness; caffeine improves circulation; glycerin draws in water; vitamins E and C provides antioxidant protection.
How We Made These Picks
All of these eye creams nourish and protect the eye area with more occlusive cushioning for cooler months (no serums here), but some lean more treatment-focused for dark-circle support, softening, brightening, etc. The skin around my eyes tends to show bags quickly, so I paid close attention to texture and absorption, and how well each formula softened fine lines, reduced puffiness and kept the under-eye area refreshed. After years of testing grooming products across categories, this lineup features some of the most reliable and effective eye creams available today, from brands I know and trust.
Eye Cream FAQ
What should I look for in an eye cream?
Start with your primary concern, as the best eye creams target various issues with many formulas addressing several at once. Common ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and squalane help draw in and retain moisture, while caffeine can help reduce puffiness. For long-term skin support, look for peptides, which help support collagen and soften the appearance of fine lines, along with antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and niacinamide to brighten and protect the delicate eye area. Some brands use botanical active ingredients such as algae or green tea, while others rely on clinical complexes. Many of these formulas can serve as your primary eye cream, but if it fits your budget, it’s helpful to rotate based on your skin’s current needs and the season.
Below, Dr. Nicole Ruth shares her expertise on other common questions about eye cream.
What are the benefits of using an eye cream?
“The skin around the eyes is the thinnest on the body, has fewer oil glands, and shows fatigue, dehydration and collagen loss earlier than the rest of the face which is why fine lines and dark circles tend to show up there first. A well-formulated eye cream can target these concerns with humectants, peptides, caffeine or retinoids to improve hydration, support collagen and reduce puffiness. Clinically, better hydration alone can temporarily smooth fine lines and improve light reflection, which is why the eye area often looks more rested almost immediately.”
How should you apply eye cream?
“Think pat, don’t rub. I usually recommend a small rice grain amount around the eye but not directly into the lash line. Gentle patting minimizes mechanical stress on delicate skin and helps the product absorb without stretching the tissue, which, over time, can contribute to laxity.”
What is the difference between an eye cream and a mask or serum (rollerball)?
“Eye creams are designed for daily barrier support. They balance hydration, occlusion and active ingredients at concentrations safe for the thin periocular skin. Serums are lighter, more active-focused and absorb quickly, while masks are intensive treatments that temporarily hydrate the area to smooth texture. Rollerballs mainly offer a cooling massage effect, which can help transient puffiness by encouraging lymphatic drainage — the benefit is as much mechanical as it is topical.”
Can a regular moisturizer be used in place of an eye cream?
“Sometimes it can if the moisturizer is fragrance-free, nonirritating and formulated for sensitive skin. The key difference is that eye creams are tested specifically for periocular tolerance and often avoid heavier occlusives or strong actives that could migrate into the eye and cause irritation. For men using retinoids, exfoliating acids or fragranced moisturizers, a dedicated eye cream provides a safer buffer zone for this high-risk area.”
How quickly can an eye cream reduce dark circles or ease fine lines?
“Hydration effects are immediate within minutes, skin plumps slightly, making fine lines appear softer. Puffiness can visibly improve within hours with ingredients like caffeine, which temporarily constrict blood vessels. Structural changes, such as collagen support from peptides or retinoids, can take weeks to months because they depend on biological remodeling. I like to set expectations: very dramatic overnight changes aren’t often realistic, but consistent use produces cumulative improvement.”
About the Expert:
Dr. Nicole Ruth is a board-certified dermatologist practicing in at Weiser Skin in New York. She specializes in cosmetic and medical dermatology with a focus on hair, nails and skin. Known for her thoughtful, evidence-based approach, Ruth blends medical expertise with an eye for aesthetics to help patients achieve healthy, natural-looking results.
Why You Should Trust Us
In addition to writing for InsideHook, I’ve covered topics ranging from grooming to fragrances to for GQ, Robb Report, Men’s Journal, Business Insider, Esquire and Men’s Health. I served as the Market Editor at Esquire for several years, scouring the industry for the best items that were not only worth the investment but also made for compelling stories and good advice for our readers. I also conceptualized and wrote many grooming and fragrance stories for Esquire. I have always tried to add a timeless element to whatever I have written; although trends are interesting and relevant to a degree, my heart has always been drawn to more perennial guidance and themes. My obsessive-compulsive tendencies are both a blessing and a curse, and while I often delve into researching items to the point of exhaustion, it’s this approach that often positions me as a go-to person for advice. Whether it’s about colognes, creams or coats, people recognize that I’ve done the legwork. I enjoy inspiring others to seek out their unique interests in things that might improve their lives.
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