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Revive tired peepers with these tried and tested formulas
When it comes to mature skin, the eye area can add years to our faces. The skin found here is far more delicate than anywhere else on our faces, meaning it naturally ages faster. By the time we reach our forties, the expression lines, under eye bags from lack of sleep and skin hollowing due to a decrease in collagen becomes more evident, which can leave the eye area looking worn out.
The good news is you can knock years off your face – and fix that delicate area of skin – by adding an eye cream into your beauty routine. And unlike other skincare products, as you only need to apply a little amount, they don’t work out as eye-wateringly expensive in the long run.
If you are new to eye creams, and are keen to find one that really does work, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the ingredients that can often be found in them. You’ll find some of our top favourite eye creams for mature skin include bakuchiol – a natural, plant-derived alternative to a retinoid or retinol, formulated into products to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
And then there is retinol of course, the powerful ingredient that works by ramping up collagen production and plumping and smoothing fine lines. Retinol is considered the gold standard for anti-ageing products, and for good reason. It dramatically improves all key signs of ageing, minimising the look of wrinkles and crow’s feet while lifting and firming skin.
We’ve been on the lookout for the best eye products to combat the signs of ageing, soothe fine lines and wrinkles, depuff, add hydration and brighten dark circles. From budget to luxury buys, lightweight formulas and gels, our eye-openers are ready for you to browse.
We reviewed a selection of eye products over several weeks. We took into account those we felt worked best for mature skin, noting how our eye area benefited from use before and after each product. Read on to see our tried-and-tested list of the best eye products for mature skin.
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A product that does exactly what it says on the label, Ren’s brightening dark circle eye cream works fairly quickly as the area definitely looks brighter within a week of daily use. Our testers dark circles are still there, of course, but we can confirm they are definitely less visible.
Where this product really shines is in its ingredients list, which includes hyaluronic acid, elderberry flowers and glycogen which work together to balance the skin tone. This eye cream has a good consistency and sinks nicely into skin with very good coverage, and a little goes a long way. Its lightweight and silky appearance makes skin feel super soft immediately. Bonus points have been awarded for being made suitable for vegans too.
As the name states, this eye serum contains retinol which is great for treating fine lines and eye wrinkles. Although on the more expensive side, retinol is to be used sparingly and so only a tiny amount is needed for it to work its magic. And work it does! The serum is easily absorbed into the skin and works best if lightly dabbed on, as opposed to rubbed in, as it is so powerful.
Murad is a very trustworthy brand and sure enough, our tester found a huge improvement to the lines in the upper corners of their eyelids after using the product every night for one month. They also have sensitive skin so the fact that this retinol did not irritate is worth noting. The only thing holding it back from earning a five star rating would be its packaging, which is a bit on the drab side.
This highly active formula targets all signs of aging around the eyes: wrinkles, loss of elasticity, dehydration, dark circles, dark spots, puffiness and loss of radiance. This cream is a must if you have dryness around the eyes as it provides the best hydration to re-energize the delicate skin area.
It is a dream to apply as it has a massaging metal tip which cools the skin and is cleverly designed to give a little massage around the eye area. We really enjoyed using the cream for a hydration boost as you can feel it getting to work immediately on sensitive areas of the skin. In fact, our tester’s skin felt so smooth after one application that it was a pleasure to put eye make-up over the top as it provided a perfect base. The packaging is also rather fancy.
Eye spy a brilliant budget buy here! Enriched with vitamin C, green coffee bean, and carrot oil to soothe and hydrate tired eyes, this Bondi Sands product is a good alternative if you are new to eye creams, or don’t want to splash the cash.
We found it worked a treat on lacklustre skin, and will be particularly good if you suffer from dry patches around the eye area. After all, for many people, including our tester, vitamin C is a holy-grail ingredient which can also be found in numerous skincare lines. Formulated in Bondi Sands’s eye cream, the vitamin C for the eye area protects against UV damage, and it helps to strengthen blood vessels and blood circulation – the combination of which helps to brighten dark circles.
After a week of using this, there was a definite brightening effect and our tester said concealer sat nicely on top of it, with her usual dryness reduced. Just be careful not to get it in the eye as it did sting a tiny bit. Hence the lower star rating.
This product would have scored top marks, but its price tag was certainly eye-watering. As La Prairie fans will agree, the Swiss luxury brand is on another level. Many of La Prairie’s products contain gold, caviar, and microalgae extracts, helping to provide a luxurious and skin-enhancing experience, and this eye cream is a pure joy to use.
Aesthetically, the pot looks beautiful and the golden spoon used to apply the cream is luxury at its best. The cream has a beautiful scent and goes on smooth, and it just feels luxurious. It has a luminous glow to it so can be worn alone to instantly rejuvenate the eye area, and makeup goes on smoothly over it. It feels and looks like a million dollars.
Of all the products we tested, this one by Hollywood aesthetician Kate Somerville produced the brightest eye results. Formulated with retinol and bio-retinal (an ingredient that includes plant-based oils and compounds), plus hyaluronic acid, this eye cream goes to work instantly. As well as smoothing out wrinkles around the eye area, skin is soft to the touch with all dryness eradicated.
The gold tipped applicator enables you to apply the cream to targeted areas and has a lovely cooling sensation to it, too. Although our tester loved this cream, it is quite a strong product so we advise you to start off using it sparingly, once or twice a week until your skin adapts to it. So while this is one product that really does pack a punch, just be careful not to overload the skin as the retinol is quite hard-hitting.
On price point, ease of application and most importantly results, this eye serum is one of the best products we tried. Formulated specifically with wrinkles, dark circles and loss of elasticity in mind, ingredients include pure hyaluronic acid, caffeine and vitamin B5 which helps with symptoms of dry eyes. And the product goes on very nicely via a massaging applicator so it is easy to target the specific eye area.
As a serum, the coldness of the product against the eye area makes it feel instantly more nourished, with no sticky residue left on the skin. When we tested it over a week of sleepless nights due to a new puppy disturbing us, our eyes felt instantly hydrated, with a noticeable improvement to puffiness. Meanwhile, the serum itself is light and soft on skin, which would appeal if you’re not a fan of thick eye creams.
When it comes to hydrating the eye area if skin is dry, flaky and sore, ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalane and glycerin are great additions – as they work by targeting fine lines which may be caused by dehydration.
Products with antioxidants, such as vitamin C, and SPF, will help to protect the skin and then you have formulas with ceramides and omegas that can help give a youth-restoring boost by nourishing and strengthening the thin eye area.
With the eye area tending to have skin ten times thinner than the rest of the face, it is more fragile and sensitive, so most serums and moisturisers are too rich in texture to properly combat the area. That’s why it can be all too common if you don’t use eye cream, and instead rely on your normal skincare products around the eyes, you won’t reap the benefits and eyes can actually look more sore and wrinkled because of the ingredients sitting too heavy on the face.
A dedicated eye cream that’s been formulated specifically for the thin skin is the way to go, as it will be gentle and light enough, and free from any ingredients that could cause aggravation.
We loved how the Ren brightening dark circle eye cream did the trick in brightening up our tired eyes. It claims to diminish dark circles in just seven days and it certainly does live up to the hype. There was definite improvement with the under eye darkness we had caused by years of bad sleep and stress and our skin soaked it in so much, the hydration boost works its magic the second it is applied!
The La Prairie pure gold radiance eye cream is by far the most luxury brand on the market and came a close second. It is just a bit difficult though to justify the price point as it wouldn’t necessarily appeal to all.
For more hydrating skincare favourites, read our review of the best hyaluronic acid serums
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