If you’ve been dealing with dark circles for a while, you know how stubborn they can be. No matter how much you sleep, how much water you drink, or how much under-eye sunscreen you apply, people keep commenting on how tired you look–but that’s just what your eyes look like! It feels you’ve tried everything, and yet the dark circles under your eyes just won’t go away. Maybe it’s time, you think, to try a targeted cream for dark circles.
Does this sound familiar? Probably. Dark circles under the eyes are a very common skin concern, and it just so happens they can be extremely difficult to correct. If you’re determined to give it a try, we’re here to help: we’ll explain the origin of your dark circles, what you can do to reduce them, and which eye creams and serums to consider for your skincare routine.
Table of Contents
Types of dark circles (& what causes them)
When we talk about dark circles, we’re talking about a number of different things. As a rule, it’s safe to consider that there are two main types of dark circles: brown or purple. If you’d like to known which one you have, try a simple under-eye pinch test: pinch the darkened skin under your eyes (gently!), and lift it slightly away from your face. If the skin remains dark, your dark circles are probably “brown” and due to hyperpigmentation; if the skin brightens up slightly, then you’re probably dealing with “purple” or vascular dark circles.
Brown dark circles
Brown dark circles are often associated with hyperpigmentation. They tend to be hereditary, and they are more common in darker skin tones. People of Mediterranean and South Asian descent, for example, tend to struggle with brownish dark circles.
Skin tone aside, brown under-eye circles can also appear as a result of sun damage or hormonal changes–hence the importance of under-eye sunscreen.
Purple or blue dark circles
Purple or blue-ish dark circles have a different cause, often associated with a vascular problem (aka poor blood circulation). Lack of sleep, dehydration, seasonal allergies, or dietary changes can cause the veins under your eyes to dilate, causing a darker appearance as a result.
Hollow or sunken eyes
There’s a third type of dark circle, which isn’t actually a dark circle at all–it’s more of a shadow. These “dark circles” may look dark brown, black, or even greyish, and they appear in hollow or sunken areas of the face, like the under-eyes. Perhaps your skin has sagged a little with age, creating a shadow; or perhaps your bone structure just naturally creates a little valley under your deep-set eyes. If that sounds like you, you may be struggling with this third type of “dark circle”.
Dark circles associated with deep-set or sunken eyes are particularly difficult to reduce with skincare, because they are a characteristic of your bone structure. Your best bet is to conceal them with targeted concealers for dark circles, which help brighten the eye contour and reflect some light in the area, disguising the shadows under your eyes.
Puffy under-eye bags
The words “dark circles” and “under-eye bags” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing at all!
Dark circles are “flat” on your skin, so to speak–they are patches of darkened skin, which often appear in the undereye area but may extend all around the eye (we see this a lot with people who have hyperpigmented, or “brown” dark circles).
Under-eye bags, on the other hand, are swollen areas that appear just below the eyes. They have many causes, and their location may vary slightly, but they are not dark circles. However, you may find that some creams that help minimize dark circles are also effective in minimizing under-eye bags.
How to prevent dark circles
Dark circles can be hard to prevent, especially if they’re of the brown, hyperpigmented variety. However, there are some things you can try to prevent dark circles or, at least, to minimize their appearance:
- Wear sunscreen, including around your eyes. This is particularly important if you have pigmentation-based dark circles, which may actually get darker with sun exposure;
- Follow a healthy diet, rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and “good” fats (think salmon, nuts, olive oil, etc). This will improve the overall condition of your skin and, hopefully, minimize the appearance of your dark circles;
- Avoid excess alcohol and caffeine, and consider quitting smoking. Alcohol, caffeine, and smoking can all cause dehydration, which may make your dark circles more visible;
- Get enough sleep. A lack of sleep doesn’t directly cause dark circles, but it can make your skin look tired and dull, which in turn will exaggerate the appearance of dark circles around your eyes;
- Always remove your eye make-up. Not only is it a good habit to have, it will keep you from waking up in the morning with extra darkness around your eyes. “Raccoon eyes” can be fun as a makeup trend, but they’re not as fun as a side effect of incomplete makeup removal.
The best skincare ingredients for dark circles
A 2024 scientific review found that ingredients such as niacinamide, caffeine, vitamin E, and vitamin C were effective in reducing dark circles. “Eye creams that contain niacinamide, caffeine, and vitamin E have been shown to decrease periocular hyperpigmentation,” the study reads, adding that “eye creams that contain vitamin C have been shown to increase under eye brightness.”
A study published in 2024 also found that “retinoids proved to be most effective in reducing dark circles, with 68.75% of patients reporting improvements.” Peptides and vitamin C followed closely behind, showing improvement in 50% and 56.25% of patients, respectively. A combination of peptides and ceramides was also effective, with a 75% improvement, “suggesting a synergy between these ingredients for combating dark circles.”
As we guide you through some of our favorite eye creams and serums below, we’ll make sure to tell you which ingredients are present in which formulas!
Our favorite eye creams for dark circles
Now that you know a little more about dark circles, we can dive straight into the product recommendations.
In pots or in tubes, with or without applicators, the eye creams you will find below all have one thing in common: they are designed to help you win the fight against dark circles. It’s all about finding the right one for you. Which one will you pick?
Filorga Optim-Eyes Eye Contour Cream
Best all-rounder
Filorga Optim-Eyes Eye Contour Cream
The Filorga Optim-Eyes Eye Contour Cream offers a triple-action effect. It minimizes dark circles, reduces under-eye bags, and smooths wrinkles and fine lines, all at the same time.
Designed with a refreshing texture, this is one of those eye creams that are just perfect to store in the fridge in between uses. The cool temperature will amp up the decongestant effect, allowing you to deflate that morning puffiness in no time.
| Key Ingredients | Chrysin Peptides Hyaluronic acid |
|---|
Clinique All About Eyes
Best “replacement” for a good night of sleep
Clinique All About Eyes
This Clinique eye cream is a classic, and for good reason; infused with the energizing properties of caffeine, vitamin A, B, and D, and a wealth of antioxidants and fatty acids, Clinique All About Eyes is often referred to as “8 hours of sleep in a jar.”
Perfect for early mornings as well as late evenings, this refreshing gel-cream melts seamlessly into the skin. It minimizes the appearance of both under-eye puffiness and dark circles in a single gesture.
| Key Ingredients | Vitamin C Caffeine |
|---|
ISDINCEUTICS K-Ox Eyes Cream
Best for stubborn dark circles
ISDINCEUTICS K-Ox Eyes Puffiness & Dark Circles Cream
One of the hardest working eye creams for dark circles, this is a skincare staple for many of our writers here at Care to Beauty. ISDINCEUTICS K-Ox Eyes Puffiness & Dark Circles Cream is named after vitamin K oxide, a unique active that gradually brightens the eye area by preventing the congestion of blood vessels under the eyes.
If you too struggle with those purplish dark circles that never seem to go away, this is the cream for you.
| Key Ingredients | Vitamin K oxide Hyaluronic acid Peptides (Haloxyl, Eyeliss Complex) |
|---|
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix
Best for prevention and repair
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix
This award-winning formula improves the overall appearance of the eye area: from signs of aging to dehydration, from dark circles to under-eye puffiness, there’s nothing this Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Concentrate Matrix can’t tackle.
Powerful ingredients work in tandem to offer a restorative experience: we’re talking vitamin C, probiotics, hyaluronic acid, and soybean extract, all of which hydrate and strengthen the delicate skin around the eyes, thus preventing the onset of any and all imperfections.
| Key Ingredients | Peptides (Night Peptide) Hyaluronic acid |
|---|
Sesderma K-Vit Anti-Dark Circles Serum Clarifying
Best for purple dark circles
Sesderma K-Vit Anti-Dark Circles Serum Clarifying
Not only does the hardworking Sesderma K-Vit Anti-Dark Circles Serum Clarifying help correct dark circles, it also reduces wrinkles and fine lines around the eyes.
Due to its unique composition, which features vitamin K oxide, this serum reduces the build-up of blood pigments underneath the eyes, which is often responsible for the purple, shadowed appearance of many dark circles. It is also rich in hyaluronic acid and organic silica, which improve micro-circulation in order to revitalize the eye contour area.
| Key Ingredients | Vitamin K oxide Hyaluronic acid |
|---|
Esthederm Intensive Hyaluronic Eye Serum
Best for “sunken” eyes
Esthederm Intensive Hyaluronic Eye Serum
The high-concentration Esthederm Intensive Hyaluronic Eye Serum re-plumps wrinkles and hollow areas under the eyes. As we age, the tear trough, which is the area underneath the eyes, begins to lose density, creating a sunken, hollow curve that looks a lot like dark circles.
This serum, rich in encapsulated hyaluronic acid of high molecular weight, can reduce the depth of the tear trough by 47%, thus restoring light and luminosity to the eye area.
| Key Ingredients | Hyaluronic acid Caffeine |
|---|
Eucerin Anti-Pigment Eye Contour Cream
Best for under-eye hyperpigmentation
Eucerin Anti-Pigment Eye Contour Cream
Part of the iconic Eucerin Anti-Pigment range, the Eucerin Anti-Pigment Eye Contour Cream brings the benefits of Thiamidol to the fight against dark circles. Thiamidol is widely recognized for its ability to act on the origin of hyperpigmentation, thus reducing all types of dark spots–including, of course, dark circles.
With a fresh and light formula, this cream also features hyaluronic acid, peptides, and light-reflecting pigments, which help brighten the eye contour area.
| Key Ingredients | Thiamidol Hyaluronic acid Peptides Light-reflecting pigments |
|---|
SVR [C] Eye Biotic Smoothing Illuminating Eye Care
Best revitalizing eye cream
![SVR [C] Eye Biotic Smoothing Illuminating Eye Care 15ml](https://static.beautytocare.com/media/catalog/product//s/v/svr-c-eye-biotic-smoothing-illuminating-eye-care-15ml.jpg)
SVR [C] Eye Biotic Smoothing Illuminating Eye Care
The SVR [C] Eye Biotic Smoothing Illuminating Eye Care is an eye contour cream that targets both brown and blue dark circles, as well as puffiness, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Formulated with 5% vitamin C, along with Argireline (a top-performing peptide) and light-reflecting micropigments, this cream helps even out the skin around the eyes, reducing signs of fatigue and aging for a revitalized appearance.
| Key Ingredients | Vitamin C Peptides (Argireline) Light-reflecting micropigments |
|---|
Endocare Radiance Eye Contour Anti-Dark Circles Cream
Best for an anti-fatigue effect
Endocare Radiance Eye Contour Anti-Dark Circles Cream
The Endocare Radiance Eye Contour Anti-Dark Circles Cream focuses primarily on protecting the sensitive skin around the eyes from external aggressors, while counteracting signs of fatigue.
The formula combines active ingredients that help reduce puffiness under the eyes, such as caffeine, and depigmenting ingredients that help reduce dark circles, such as niacinamide, tranexamic acid, and a blend of antioxidants. The formula also contains universal pigments to even out and brighten the skin under the eyes, for a bright and radiant appearance.
| Key Ingredients | Caffeine Niacinamide Tranexamic acid Universal pigments |
|---|
Hopefully you’ve found your eye cream match among our recommendations. Looking for something a little more intensive, for when eye cream just won’t cut it? Then make sure to look through our favorite eye patches and eye masks: they might just be what you need!
