8 Best Hydrating Eye Creams for Bright, Bouncy Undereyes

If the skin under your eyes has been looking dull, crepey, or dry lately, it is time to invest in one of the best hydrating eye creams. Your undereyes are thinner and more delicate than the rest of your face, which is why they’re usually the first place to show fine lines or puffiness. While your regular moisturizer can handle most of your skin’s needs, the eye area calls for something a little more targeted—think lighter textures, soothing ingredients, and formulas that won’t sting or migrate into your eyes. Whether you’re dealing with dark undereye circles, makeup settling into creases, or seasonal dryness, these editor- and derm-approved picks will help keep your undereyes plump, smooth, and hydrated.

Our Top Hydrating Eye Creams

Best Overall: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye

Why it’s worth it: A.G.E. isn’t just an ironic acronym—it stands for advanced glycation end-products, molecules that form when sugar binds to proteins like collagen and elastin, speeding up visible skin aging. The 2023 Best of Beauty Award-winning SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye cream targets this process with a blend of peptides for deep hydration, caffeine to reduce puffiness, and antioxidant-rich extracts from pomegranate and bilberry to brighten and protect. Other hydrating ingredients, such as glycerin and sorbitol, help keep the delicate undereye area smooth and supple. “With regular use, patients have definitely noticed a decrease in the appearance of fine lines around the eyes,” Lauren Penzi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, previously told Allure.

Best for Mature Skin: RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream

Why it’s worth it: Once upon a time, you could only get retinol with a doctor’s prescription—but RoC helped change that, being one of the earliest brands to introduce over-the-counter formulas. So, you can bet the brand knows a thing or two about retinols. The 2025 Best of Beauty Award-winning RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream pairs gentle yet effective retinol with moisture-replenishing ingredients like glycerin, panthenol, and vitamin E to “smooth fine lines, fade dark circles and hyperpigmentation, plus improve skin texture where it’s thinnest,” says Aegean H. Chan, a double board-certified dermatologist based in Santa Barbara, CA. The added hydrators help buffer the potential irritation from retinol while keeping the delicate undereye area moisturized and supple. Because retinol can increase sun sensitivity, “I recommend using it at night, layered with a thicker moisturizer to help reduce irritation, especially if you’re not already using facial retinols,” says Dr. Chan.

Best for Sensitive Skin: Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream

Why it’s worth it: Recognized by the National Eczema Association, Biossance Squalane + Marine Algae Eye Cream is fragrance-free and packed with gentle ingredients like squalane, glycerin, and panthenol to hydrate and soothe without irritation. “Squalane, in particular, is a fantastic ingredient for supporting the skin barrier, which is why I like this eye cream for those with sensitive skin. It helps give the formula a lovely, light texture on application,” says Dr. Chan. Fun fact: The brand’s squalane is sustainably derived from sugarcane rather than traditional shark liver, making it a win for both your skin and the planet. With added peptides and sustainably sourced marine algae, this cream leaves the delicate eye area soft, calm, and subtly refreshed.

Best for Droopy Lids: Innbeauty Project Extreme Cream Eye

Why it’s worth it: If your lids are starting to look a little saggy—or just feel dry and tired—Innbeauty’s Project Extreme Cream Eye brings them back to life. Hydration is key for droopy lids because well-moisturized skin looks firmer and more elastic. This ophthalmologist-tested formula combines humectants like glycerin and tremella mushroom extract that draw in moisture with emollients like squalane that lock it in, leaving skin soft and supple. It’s also loaded with peptides to help firm and tighten over time, while botanical extracts like Centella asiatica and paracress soothe and support elasticity.

Best for Dry Skin: Belif Aqua Bomb Eye Gel

Why it’s worth it: Just like its name suggests, Belif Aqua Bomb Eye Gel provides an instant splash of hydration—the kind that feels lightweight, absorbs fast, and leaves your undereyes looking plump and refreshed. This K-beauty favorite (and 2025 Allure Best of Beauty Award winner) doesn’t just hydrate: It brightens, firms, and wakes up tired eyes. Caffeine and hyaluronic acid team up to depuff and drench skin in moisture, while niacinamide and vitamin C help fade the look of dark circles. Meanwhile, adenosine and collagen visibly smooth and boost elasticity. Bonus: The pen-like applicator and cooling ceramic tip make it easy to get a refreshing pick-me-up anytime you need it.

Best for Hyperpigmentation: Chantecaille Blanc Peony Eye Serum Dark Spot Corrector

Why it’s worth it: Let’s say it one more time for the people in the back: We love a cooling-tip applicator when it comes to eye creams. The Chantecaille Blanc Peony Eye Serum Dark Spot Corrector nails it on the chic design and luxe feel, but it’s also so much more than sleek packaging. Known for incorporating botanicals into nearly all their skin-care formulas, Chantecaille packs this brightening serum with white peony extract to help even tone and proprietary thiamidol to visibly fade dark spots over time. Ginger extract and peptides smooth and energize tired eyes, so the entire area looks more even in tone and texture.

Best for Puffiness: Isdin Isdinceutics Vital Eyes Night Eye Cream

Why it’s worth it: Made to work while you snooze, Isdin Isdinceutics Vital Eyes Night Eye Cream syncs up with your skin’s natural overnight repair mode so you wake up looking a little more rested. A key ingredient, “caffeine, is excellent for helping limit water retention,” says Morayo Adisa, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Chicago. While the formula taps caffeine’s depuffing powers, glycerin draws in hydration, shea butter locks it in, and rice extract helps smooth and soften delicate undereyes. The brand’s LiftFirm complex—a blend of red sea algae and evergreen tree extracts—helps firm and tighten the skin. There’s also melatonin, which adds an antioxidant boost, helping repair damage from daily stressors as you rest. Come morning, your eyes look brighter and noticeably less puffy.

Best Drugstore: CeraVe Eye Repair Cream

Why it’s worth it: We appreciate it when a product name gets straight to the point, and CeraVe Eye Repair Cream does exactly what it promises. “This is a great option for those with dry and sensitive skin around the eyes, given the formulation includes barrier-supportive ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid. I love the texture of this product; it’s very moisturizing but doesn’t feel too heavy. It provides a noticeable smoothing effect that works well under makeup. I also like this for a night treatment,” says Dr. Chan. It rivals pricier formulas for a fraction of the cost, making it the ultimate drugstore eye cream for restoring the undereye area while keeping it soft and resilient.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an eye cream do that a facial moisturizer can’t?

The main difference between an eye cream and a regular facial moisturizer comes down to the formulation. “The skin around the eyes is thinner, has fewer oil glands, and tends to be more sensitive,” says Dr. Chan. Because of that, eye creams are made with a lighter texture and gentler ingredients that are less likely to cause stinging or irritation—even if they migrate a bit into the eyes. Many are also ophthalmologist-tested to ensure they’re safe for use near such a delicate area. In short, while your moisturizer hydrates the rest of your face, an eye cream is carefully designed to nourish, protect, and smooth the skin where it matters most.

Can hydrating eye creams reduce fine lines or dark circles, or do they just moisturize?

“Eye creams often include specific active ingredients that can help with the common undereye complaints, in addition to moisturizing. Products with retinols and certain peptides can help improve skin texture, fine lines, and other skin changes associated with photodamage,” says Dr. Chan. These formulas are usually made with lower concentrations, so they’re gentle enough for the delicate eye area. Meanwhile, ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides boost hydration and strengthen the skin barrier, while occlusives such as dimethicone lock in that moisture. So, a good eye cream does more than just plump the skin—it can also help soften fine lines, refine texture, and gradually brighten the undereye area.

What eye cream should I use if I have sensitive eyes?

If you have sensitive eyes, “it’s best to be cautious with products that contain strong actives, like retinoids, or potential irritants, such as fragrance. Because the skin around the eyes is more sensitive than elsewhere on the face, those ingredients can sometimes cause stinging or redness,” says Dr. Chan. When in doubt, patch-test any new eye cream on a small area for several days first to make sure your skin can handle it before applying it more widely.

Meet the experts

• Morayo Adisa, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Chicago
• Aegean H. Chan, a double board-certified dermatologist and medical director of California Dermatology Group based in Santa Barbara, CA
• Lauren Penzi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City

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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 hydrating 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 of in-house writers and editors, as well as contributors, along with special consideration from dermatologists. To learn more about our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.

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