Best Eye Cream Against Wrinkles & Dark Circles 2024

Our eyes are considered a window to the soul, but unfortunately they can also reveal when we are tired, aging or not taking good care of our skin.

Eye creams can help us prevent signs of ageing and tiredness. Find out which creams work most effectively and suit your needs here.

We have researched, compared and tested and can now present you the results of the best eye creams available in 2024. Ready?

The most important facts

The effect of an eye cream depends heavily on the ingredients

The best eye cream is the one that is tailored to your skin condition

Only an eye cream that is well suited to your skin will deliver good results

The best eye creams in the 2024 test

Best eye cream against wrinkles

Olay Retinol 24 Max Night Eye Cream

• Pure retinol is effective against wrinkles
• Contains niacinamide against dark circles and redness
• Glycerin provides moisture

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The best anti-wrinkle eye cream comes from Olay and features the ingredient retinol (vitamin A). This boosts the production of collagen and gives the skin more thickness. This reduces existing wrinkles in the long term and also lightens pigmentation. An eye cream with retinol can be particularly helpful for mature skin over 50.

Product facts:

• Pure Reintol effectively yet gently formulated for the eye area
• Also contains niacinamide, which can lighten dark circles and soothe redness and irritation
• soothes redness and irritation
• Glycerin provides moisture
• Fragrance-free
• 15 ml

Best eye cream from the drugstore

Sebamed Anti Aging Eye Cream

• Counteracts wrinkles and fills in
• Provides plenty of moisture
• Natural oils nourish the skin

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Eye cream from the drugstore? No problem! The selection of eye creams at drugstores is large, but the Sebamed Anti-Aging Eye Cream really stands out. With Q10, natural oils and peptides, it not only combats wrinkles but is also very moisturizing. It is suitable from the onset of skin ageing in the mid-20s.

Product facts:

• Peptides ensure plumper skin
• Hyaluronic acid and glycerine provide the skin with plenty of moisture and reduce dryness lines
• Almond oil, avocado oil and shea butter nourish the skin and seal in moisture
• Q10 has an antioxidant effect
• Contains perfume
• 15 ml

Best eye cream for bags under the eyes

Dear Klairs Fundamental Nourishing Eye Butter

• Caffeine Has a decongestant effect
• Also lightens dark circles under the eyes
• Strengthens and firms the skin

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If you have bags under your eyes, an eye cream with caffeine can help. This ingredient ensures that the blood vessels around the eyes are constricted, allowing the fluid that has collected in the bags under the eyes to escape. In addition to caffeine, Dear Klairs eye cream also contains 3 different peptides that strengthen the skin and reduce wrinkles.

Product facts:

• Glycerin and hyaluronic acid provide moisture
• Caffeine constricts the blood vessels around the eyes and reduces swelling
• 4 different peptides strengthen the skin and stimulate collagen formation
• Sunflower oil is rich in vitamins A and E
• Green tea extract has an antioxidant and brightening effect
• Panthenol has a calming effect
• Free from perfume, essential oils, PEGs and silicones
• 20 g

Best eye cream for dry skin

Purito Centella Green Level Eye Cream

• Works against dryness lines
• Intensively nourishes and strengthens the skin barrier
• Reduces redness and has a calming effect

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Eye creams with hyaluronic acid have the best effect on dry skin around the eyes and dryness lines. These provide plenty of moisture and plump up the skin from the inside, which reduces fine lines. Particularly good eye creams come with skin barrier-strengthening ingredients such as peptides or ceramides, which strengthen the skin from the inside.

Product facts:

• Hyaluronic acid and glycerine intensively moisturize and store moisture in the skin
• It helps with the production of the skin’s own hyaluronic acid, ensures an even complexion and strengthens the skin barrier, which can reduce dryness lines
• Fermented ingredients provide the skin with amino acids, vitamins and minerals
• 49% centella extract helps to calm irritation and redness and also stimulates collagen production
• Peptides are components of collagen and therefore stimulate its production
• Ceramides and shea butter strengthen the skin barrier
• Panthenol soothes the skin
• Be careful with sensitive skin as it contains essential oils
• 30 ml

Which eye care is right for me?

Fluid, gel or a serum? A conventional eye cream is not always best for everyone. We now explain which eye care is right for whom and when.

Eye cream – for dry skin and anti-ageing effect

An eye cream is particularly useful for dry skin or if you want to do something to prevent wrinkles. I myself am in my late 20s and don’t have any deep wrinkles yet, but I’m already using a rich eye cream to keep them as minimal as possible for as long as possible.

If you also opt for an eye cream and wear make-up frequently or daily, you need to check whether your eye cream is compatible with it. A cream that is too greasy may prevent concealer and eyeshadow from adhering. If in doubt, you can also powder your eyelid with a small brush before continuing with the eyeshadow.

Eye gel – for dark circles, puffiness and problem skin

An eye gel is much lighter than an eye cream. It has a cooling effect and therefore helps with puffiness, redness and dark circles. Instead of being fat-based, as is the case with eye cream, an eye gel is water-based and therefore also very suitable for problem skin.

Eye fluid – compatible with make-up

An eye fluid combines the best of eye cream and eye gel. It is not quite as greasy as an eye cream, but still greasy enough to nourish the skin well. An eye fluid is perfect if you actually tend to use an eye cream but are looking for something that works better with your make-up during the day.

Eye serum – for deep care and an immediate effect

An eye serum penetrates deep into the skin and provides particularly intensive care. To get the most out of your serum, it makes sense to apply it in the evening and leave it to work overnight. This is because our skin regenerates at night, including the skin around our eyes.

So if you want to go the extra mile with your eye care, an eye serum makes perfect sense. If you opt for a light eye serum, you can use an eye cream afterwards. If, on the other hand, you choose a richer eye serum, it can directly replace the eye cream.

Eye mask

An eye mask, like a face mask, is less for daily use and more for occasional use for that extra bit of care. I like to use eye pads about once a week. They are like sheet masks for the eyes.

You can get effective and inexpensive eye pads (see here).

What you can do for

Swollen eyes

If you have puffy eyes or bags under the eyes, the lymph flow is often simply not working properly. What you can do now: Use a decongestant eye gel and massage the eye area.

dark circles

Tiredness and dehydration are common causes of dark circles. Accordingly, getting a good night’s sleep and drinking enough water helps best in the long term. However, excessive sugar consumption is also often reflected in dark circles under the eyes.

The best way to care for dark circles under the eyes is to use a rich and oily skincare product.

Wrinkles and crow’s feet

Wrinkles can never be completely stopped. Nevertheless, it helps if you take preventative measures and use a good eye care product in your 20s. If the wrinkles are already there, the rule is: care, care, care. Because nourished skin simply looks more beautiful and wrinkles appear less deep.

Dry eyes

If you have a dry eye area, you should use a rich eye cream and/or eye serum. As dry eyes often itch, you can relieve the unpleasant feeling by cooling them.

Either with the help of a jade roller or with a cooling gel eye mask. Alternatively, you can also use a cool pack. However, you should wrap this in a cloth beforehand so as not to damage your skin.

Adapt eye care to your age

Best eye cream from 20

In our 20s, we don’t need to worry about wrinkles and eye creams yet, right? Wrong! Because prevention is the best thing you can do, especially when it comes to wrinkles. Once the wrinkles are there, you can conceal them visually, but you won’t be able to get rid of them.

If you want to counteract eye wrinkles, you should start using an eye cream at the age of 25 at the latest, or even earlier. However, as there are usually no severe wrinkles yet, you can use a lighter eye cream or even an eye gel first (unless you have dry skin).

Best eye cream from 30

The first wrinkles appear in the 30s. These are not yet very deep for most women at this age, but a richer eye cream and/or eye serum can still be used here. It is also important that this is reliably applied every morning and every evening.

The aim is to ensure that the eye area is not dried out at any time, as dryness causes new wrinkles to form more quickly and existing wrinkles to become more visible.

Best eye cream from 50

From 50, wrinkles around the eyes can no longer be hidden, but the better cared for the skin looks, the less deep the wrinkles appear. At this age, continue to rely on rich eye creams and use “rich” or “intense” versions during the day if available.

Look out for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, collagen and retinol to provide your skin with particularly intensive care.

Tips for everyday life

Thorough cleansing: In order for your skin to absorb eye care properly, it is important that your skin (including the skin around your eyes) is thoroughly cleansed. Removing make-up is a must-do anyway, but even without make-up, your skin should be regularly cleansed of sebum and everyday dirt.

Oxygen: Let your skin breathe! Fresh air stimulates blood circulation, your skin looks healthier and firmer and redness is reduced. I open the window next to my bed completely as soon as I get up, stand next to it briefly and then make my bed with the window open.

No rubbing: You should not rub your eyes. This wears out the skin and wrinkles appear more quickly. When applying eye cream, make sure you only use your ring finger, as this automatically applies less pressure.

A little refreshment: It’s not always time for a cooling massage with the jade roller. A good way to quickly refresh the eye area and the rest of the facial skin and reduce puffiness is to use thermal water spray.

Take your time: To make sure you get the most out of your eye cream and your make-up lasts longer, take a break between these two steps. So don’t apply the eye cream and then immediately apply concealer, eyeshadow and the like. However, a break of two minutes is completely sufficient.

Perfume and alcohol in eye cream

Perfume and alcohol have a drying effect. These ingredients therefore have no place in eye creams in particular. While there is nothing to discuss when it comes to perfume and we have therefore only presented fragrance-free eye creams in this article, it is not quite so simple when it comes to alcohol.

There is “good” and “bad” alcohol. When we demonize alcohol in cosmetics, we mean ethanol or alcohol denat. These two ingredients are particularly drying.

Make sure that neither ethanol or alcohol denat is in your cosmetic products or at least appears late in the list of ingredients.

FAQS

Which eye cream really works?

A good eye cream should contain effective ingredients to target dark circles, bags under the eyes and wrinkles. Caffeine, retinol and hyaluronic acid are suitable for this purpose. You can find the best eye creams for your needs above.

What is the best eye cream?

The best eye cream is the one that best suits the needs of your eye area. If you have dry skin around your eyes or wrinkles, then a rich eye cream with anti-ageing ingredients is suitable. Decongestant, cooling and brightening eye creams help with puffy eyes or dark circles.

Which eye cream do dermatologists recommend?

Dermatologists always recommend a sensitive but effectively formulated eye cream. We recommend La Roche-Posay Pigmentaclar eye cream, which is suitable for sensitive skin but still combats dark circles and wrinkles well.

Which eye cream is best for over 40s?

As we age, our skin and especially the area around the eyes can become very noticeable. The wiser we get, the more our skin lacks moisture and elasticity. Therefore, the best eye cream for over 40s is a rich cream with plumping and moisturizing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, peptides and/or retinol.

Which eye anti-wrinkle cream is the best?

The best anti-wrinkle cream for the eyes should be a moisturizing eye cream that provides the skin around the eye area with the necessary moisture and reduces dryness lines.

For age-related wrinkles, you can opt for an eye cream with retinol, which effectively boosts collagen formation and thus combats wrinkles in the long term.

Conclusion

Good eye care is the key to a beautiful and healthy-looking eye area. With the right eye care and effective formulation, you can counteract wrinkles, reduce puffiness and combat dryness and dark circles. Above you will find the best eye creams for your skin’s needs. We can no longer do without our eye care.