Eye creams are often overlooked in traditional skin-care routines, but with the right ingredients, an eye cream can do a range of incredible things for the area’s fragile skin, like brighten dark circles, firm sagging skin, soften fine lines and even reduce puffiness.
When it comes to depuffing under-eye bags, caffeine and peptides are two of the top ingredients to look for in an eye cream formula. “Puffy eyes tend to be caused by the build-up of fluid in the area or dilated blood vessels that are visible under the sensitive and delicate eyelid skin,” Miami dermatologist Dr. Deborah Longwill previously explained to NewBeauty. Caffeine “is a vasoconstrictor, it will penetrate into your skin and constrict the blood vessels, which will reduce the puffiness” and deliver a tightening effect, temporarily.
Another common ingredient that can help to reduce under-eye puffiness is peptides, which promote collagen production. “Peptides are good for all skin types and can help remove damaged collagen and elastin and then rebuild healthy collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid,” Fresno, CA dermatologist Kathleen Behr, MD told us. “This improves skin texture, elasticity and hydration.” Put simply, peptides help eyes look more youthful overall.
To help you find the perfect eye cream to combat under-eye puffiness, we gathered 11 top-rated, dermatologist-recommended picks chock-full of ingredients that will take down swelling.
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For an incredibly affordable option that reduces puffiness and smoothes lines, we recommend this light and fast-absorbing cream from the The Inkey List. It contains a winning combo of caffeine and Matrixyl 3000, a potent peptide blend, plus Albizia julibrissin bark extract to smooth skin texture. It’s also incredibly hydrating, thanks to glycerin and squalane. Celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg once told NewBeauty it’s “a gem” to use before concealer.
Active ingredients
Caffeine, Matrixyl 3000™ peptide, albizia julibrissin bark extract
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This silky-smooth eye cream combines a patented, stable formula of vitamin C with peptides, caffeine, hyaluronic acid and CBD to tackle both dark circles and puffiness. Harnessing the antioxidant powers of vitamin C in your eye cream will also help to diminish the look of fine lines, smooth skin tone and calm inflammation.
Active ingredients
Caffeine, 5% pure vitamin C, green tea extract, hyaluronic acid, peptides
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With a gel-like texture, and a blend of caffeine, peptides and brightening lactic acid, Dermalogica’s Awaken Peptide Eye Gel refreshes tired eyes in minutes. In fact, users over 40 rave it’s a 10-minute “miracle.” One shopper who says their crow’s feet are “so apparent” in the mornings shared, Awake Eye Gel “helps immediately.” It “gets rid of the puffiness within 5-10 minutes,” commented a customer over 60. “As the gel dries you can almost feel an instant firming effect,” read another review.
Active ingredients
Caffeine, rosemary leaf extract, tetrapeptides, lactic acid
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Vitamin C, caffeine and mica all help to fight puffiness and blur fine lines and brighten dark circles. This silky undereye cream also has a welcome cooling effect on contact for additional soothing.
Active ingredients
Peptides, vitamin C, synthetic mica, yerba mate
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San Juan, Puerto Rico dermatologist Noelani Gonzalez, MD recommended ISDIN’s K-Ox Eyes to us last summer to firm undereye skin and reduce puffiness, thanks to the formula’s inclusion of vitamin K and hyaluronic acid.
Active ingredients
Vitamin K oxide, eyeliss, hyaluronic acid, haloxyl
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Another dermatologist-loved eye cream is from medical-grade skin-care brand, SkinMedica. Glenn Dale, MD dermatologist Valerie D. Callender, MD, previously told us this is her “favorite” eye cream because it fades the appearance of dark circles, has caffeine to treat puffiness and hyaluronic acid to keep the area hydrated and smooth.
Active ingredients
Phenylethyl resorcinol, hyaluronic acid, vitis flower stem cell extract, marine extracts, caffeine, Persian silk tree extract
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Consider this eye cream akin to the classic method of the cold spoon trick. This cooling eye gel delivers intense hydration with 2 percent hyaluronic acid and 5 percent niacinamide.
Active ingredients
Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide
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Turn back the clock on all signs of aging eyes. Beauty editor-favorite brand U Beauty delivers a true multitasking eye cream. The formula’s marine plankton extract brightens, ceramides boost the skin barrier and peptides plump and minimize the look of under-eye bags.
Active ingredients
Peptides, diamond powder, beta-glucan, marine plankton extract, ceramides
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Murad’s gel-texture eye cream has a slight yellow tint with light-reflecting properties to bring extra brightness to the eyes, and features a metal applicator, for a cooling effect. Its formula has microcurrent-inspired amino acid peptide, caffeine and lily.
Active ingredients
Caffeine, peptides, lily, apple fruit extract, glycerin
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K-beauty favorite Innisfree uses amino acid-rich green tea, 2 percent caffeine and niacinamide to depuff, calm inflammation, brighten dull skin and even skin tone and texture. Bonus: its rollerball packaging has a delicious cooling effect.
Active ingredients
Caffeine, green tea, niacinamide
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This year’s NewBeauty Award-winner for Best Depuffing Eye Gel is Versed’s Weekend Glow. It’s the one editorial assistant Isabelle Buneo keeps “going back to over and over” to fake a full night’s sleep.
Active ingredients
Caffeine, vitamin C, niacinamide
