The 5 Best Dark Circle Eye Treatments

Having dark circles under your eyes is never fun. And while getting a great night's sleep can help, and concealer can be a temporary fix, there's nothing quite like a powerful eye cream to brighten, firm, and tone the skin. In addition to brightening up the skin around your eyes, many targeted eye treatments can actually help reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin's elasticity, and protect skin from future damage. Of course, not all eye treatments and creams are created equal, and many don't deliver on their promise to eliminate dark circles. But, the five eye creams on this list are the exception.

Olay Ultimate Eye Cream

Banish those dark circles, once and for all

With Olay Ultimate Eye Cream, never worry about looking tired and puffy again.

Best Overall

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With its rich, nourishing formula that works to fortify skin’s natural moisture, Olay Ultimate Eye Cream is loaded with eye-brightening benefits and anti-aging actives (think peptides and vitamin B3) that make eyes appear healthier, lighter, and more radiant. Put simply: This is an honest-to-goodness powerhouse product that actually does what it’s supposed to do. It hydrates and restores the eye area, and it’s even formulated with a hint of concealer that blends in with all skin tones, so the effects can be seen almost instantly. Olay Ultimate Eye Cream is the real deal.

Pros:

Super-hydrating and anti-aging, thanks to a powerful combo of vitamin B3, peptides, and pigments.
Color-correcting technology with a touch of concealer = no more dark circles.
Even helps to reduce the look of puffy eyes.
Relatively affordable.

Cons:

Doesn’t help with deep-set wrinkles.

Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme

Get instantly brighter under-eyes

The name says it all: Banana Bright Eye Creme makes eyes appear instantly brighter, smoother, and more radiant.

Best Vitamin C Treatment

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One of the year’s buzziest products, Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Creme is beloved for its ability to noticeably reduce the look of dark circles while also targeting signs of aging and improving concealer application and wear. It’s tinted with a tiny bit of yellowish powder and powered by vitamin C, so it does what all eye creams are supposed to do and often don’t: it actually brightens under the eye area. And though it does help concealer glide on more smoothly, you probably won’t even need to wear any. Banana Bright Eye Creme deeply hydrates and nourishes the skin, though it’s also lightweight. In short, it’s a near-perfect product.

Pros:

Combination of vitamin C and “banana powder” (bright yellow powder) helps to instantly brighten the whole eye area.
Improves concealer application.
Collagen-boosted, so it also helps target fine lines and wrinkles.

Cons:

The fragrance can take some getting used to.

RoC Retinol Correxion Anti-Aging Eye Cream

Stimulate collagen production, get brighter eyes

The RoC Retinol Anti-Aging Eye Cream actually helps build up skin volume and firmness, which equals no more dark circles.

Best Retinol Treatment

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Particularly if you have extra-thin, delicate skin around the eye area, retinol is a magical ingredient for helping to banish dark under-eye circles. This is because retinol actually helps to thicken skin by increasing cell turnover, which means fewer dark circles and smoother, more radiant-looking skin. Gentle enough for sensitive skin, but still super-effective, RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream is awesome for reducing the look of dark circles and puffiness and fighting signs of aging. It’s moisturizing without being greasy, too, which is always a huge plus with any eye cream.

Pros:

Visibly reduces dark circles and crow’s feet after you use it for a while (in fact, the longer you use it, the better it works), due to the retinol-infused formula.
Moisturizing but doesn’t leave a greasy residue on the skin.

Cons:

You may not notice results until after you’ve been using the product for at least a week or so.

M3 Naturals Eye Cream

Meet your new best friend: hyaluronic acid

Infused with skin-smoothing and brightening hyaluronic acid, this M3 Naturals Eye Cream results in brighter, tighter skin around the eye area in mere seconds.

Best Collagen Treatment

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Boosted with all-natural, powerful ingredients like hyaluronic acid and collagen, the M3 Naturals Eye Cream truly rejuvenates the entire eye area, unlike many other creams out there. Hyaluronic acid promotes smoother, softer, more supple skin, while stem cell- and collagen-based ingredients increase skin cell longevity. The result? Skin that’s visibly brighter and firmer, and no more dark circles or puffiness.

Pros:

Stem cells and hyaluronic acid help to boost collagen production, which improves skin texture and brightness. Dark circles will be a thing of the past.
Ingredients are natural and gentle, which is important since skin around the eye is super delicate.
Awesome value.

Cons:

Not the best for eliminating fine lines and wrinkles.

skyn ICELAND Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels

Cult-fave eye gel patches that actually work

The skyn ICELAND Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels are beloved by many for their ability to tone and de-puff the eye area.

Best Eye Gels

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If you’d prefer to go the eye masking route, skyn ICELAND’s Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels are a cult-favorite product among makeup artists, celebrities, and skincare fiends for a reason: They really work, and best of all, they work fast. These cooling under-eye gel patches help to tone and firm up the skin within ten minutes, thanks to a potent combo of elastin, Ginkgo biloba (which helps to improve blood flow and reduce puffiness), and hexapeptide, which reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. When you want to instantly look like you got a good night’s sleep (even if you stayed out way past your bedtime), it really helps to have Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels on hand.

Pros:

Peptides and botanicals help to improve blood circulation, reduce puffiness and fine lines, and even prevent future damage.
These patches have a soothing, cooling effect while you wear them, which can be a nice de-stressing activity.

Cons:

Slightly pricey.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes dark under-eye circles?

There are several factors that could be contributing to those pesky under-eye circles, and they don’t all have to do with lack of sleep (although that doesn’t help, either). Genetics and skin tone are the main causes of dark circles, along with not sufficiently protecting your skin from the sun.

Is there anything I can do to cure my dark circles for good?

There is some evidence that Retinoids may increase cell turnover and thicken skin–potentially helping alleviate the appearance of dark circles. Apart from that, eye creams are your best bet; targeted eye creams that contain hyaluronic acid, retinol, ceramides, and peptides can help temporarily plump up the skin and banish the darkness.

How can I treat my under-eye bags and puffiness?

While there’s not a ton that you can do for bags, injectable fillers can help. They work by raising the skin to make the texture appear smoother and more uniform.