These deeply hydrating formulas go the extra mile to target crow’s feet, sagging skin, and more. Fine lines, wrinkles, and crow’s feet are a natural part of the skin’s maturing process, but if you’re looking to soften their appearance, the best eye creams for wrinkles can help deliver a smoother, firmer look. (Sorry to your usual daily eye cream, but these formulas tend to focus primarily on moisture.) And while your go-to hydrating eye cream can plump fine lines and make them less noticeable, more pronounced wrinkles may call for ingredients like retinol and peptides, which can help firm skin and support collagen production over time, ultimately giving you results that last a lot longer.
Just don’t mistake more powerful for more aggressive: The skin around your eyes is thin and notoriously easy to irritate, so choosing a formula that’s effective without going overboard is key—which is where our dermatologist recommendations come in.
Our Top Eye Creams for Wrinkles
Best Overall: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye Complex, $125
Best Retinol: RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream, $21
Best Retinol-Free: Lancôme Rénergie Eye H.C.F. Triple Serum, $95
Best Tinted: Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy SPF 35, $79
Best Overall: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye Complex
Why it’s worth it: SkinCeuticals products are known for their science-meets-skin-care formulas, and the revamped A.G.E. Advanced Eye Complex lives up to the reputation. “It improves the appearance of crow’s feet through its potent combination of proxylane, blueberry extract, and a complex of flavonoids and synergistic peptides,” explains Lauren Penzi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. Instead of simply delivering collagen to the skin, this 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner actually encourages cells to produce it from scratch, helping to firm skin and minimize fine lines over time.
If you’re wondering, the titular A.G.E. stands for advanced glycation end-products, which naturally develop and build up in our bodies as we age and cause our skin to sag, as Kunal Malik, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, previously explained. This eye cream is your first line of firming defense. It also has light-reflecting ingredients that brighten the skin around the eyes, but consistent application yields the best long-term results. “With regular use, patients have definitely noticed a decrease in the appearance of fine lines around the eyes,” says Dr. Penzi.
Best Retinol: RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream
Why it’s worth it: RoC’s Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream is a fragrance-free best-seller that’s won multiple Allure Best of Beauty Awards. “[Here,] retinol helps boost collagen production, improve skin texture, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes,” says Dr. Penzi, who counts it among her favorites. “It also contains hydrating ingredients like glycerin and panthenol that dole out hydration and plumpness to the eye area.
Meanwhile, a mineral complex of zinc, copper, and magnesium provides antioxidant benefits to your eye skin and aids collagen formation. Jenny Liu, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Minneapolis, also backs the RoC eye cream, pointing out, “The brand has over 25 patents, so it’s well-respected in the retinol space.”
Best Retinol-Free: Lancôme Rénergie Eye H.C.F. Triple Serum
Why it’s worth it: Lancôme’s Rénergie Eye H.C.F. Triple Serum has a pretty wild wrinkle-fighting ingredient up its sleeve: a snake venom-inspired peptide that softens the look of expression lines by interfering with the muscle contractions that contribute to them. (No snakes involved, promise.) The 2024 Best of Beauty Award winner doesn’t stop there. Hyaluronic acid floods the skin with moisture to plump up fine lines, while niacinamide strengthens the skin barrier and evens out tone. There’s also vitamin F, which is a mix of nourishing fatty acids that lock in moisture and keep thin undereye skin soft and supple. And despite all those moisturizing ingredients, the silky serum sinks in fast without leaving behind the greasy slip that can send concealer sliding.
Best for Dry Skin: Neocutis Lumière Firm Riche Eye Cream
Why it’s worth it: Think of the Neocutis Lumière Firm Riche as everything you love about the 2024 Best of Beauty Award-winning original (the Neocutis Lumière Firm), only with an extra dose of rich moisture for dry, crepey undereyes. The core lineup of skin-care heavy hitters remains: growth factors to support collagen production and skin renewal, proprietary peptides for firmness, caffeine to depuff, and brightening vitamin C for antioxidant protection.
The Riche formula doubles down on moisture with petrolatum to seal in hydration, plus humectants like glycerin and hyaluronic acid to draw in and hold onto water. “The richer texture is especially beneficial for mature skin that has become thinner or drier over time,” says Jenna Queller, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Boca Raton, Florida. Stick with it, and it can leave the undereye area looking “smoother and more refreshed,” she says.
Best for Dark Circles: SkinMedica Instant Bright Eye Cream
Why it’s worth it: Why choose between smoothing wrinkles and brightening dark circles when one eye cream can tackle both? SkinMedica’s Instant Bright Eye Cream targets darkness from a few angles: niacinamide and phenylethyl resorcinol (a synthetic brightening ingredient that regulates melanin production) even out the look of hyperpigmentation, while marine extracts (including plankton extract and red microalgae) address the appearance of darkness and shadows. Caffeine also helps take down puffiness.
Meanwhile, a blend of hyaluronic acids pulls moisture into the skin to plump and smooth fine lines, while squalane locks in that hydration. “It provides an immediate brightening effect while also addressing longer-term concerns like fine lines, dehydration, and the appearance of dark circles,” says Dr. Queller. “I like that it offers both cosmetic and skin-care benefits, making patients look more awake right after application while also improving the skin the more you use it.”
Best Tinted: Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy SPF 35
Why it’s worth it: You can pamper your undereyes with all the eye cream in the world, but sun protection is still nonnegotiable when you’re treating wrinkles. “The undereye area is one of the thinnest and most sun-sensitive areas of the face, and cumulative UV exposure contributes to collagen breakdown, pigmentation, accelerated aging, and premature wrinkles,” says Dr. Queller. Colorescience’s Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy SPF 35 defends this delicate area against UVA and UVB damage with mineral zinc oxide, while antioxidants like tocopherol (vitamin E) and microalgae extract protect against environmental stressors.
While its wrinkle-smoothing benefits build with continued use, there’s some instant gratification, too: a sheer tint that blurs discoloration and perks up tired-looking undereyes. The formula “combines mineral sun protection with subtle color correction,” says Dr. Queller, and comes in four flexible shades designed to work across a range of skin tones. In other words, you’re getting an eye treatment, sunscreen, and a light layer of coverage all in one step.
Best for Sensitive Skin: Alastin Restorative Eye Treatment
Why it’s worth it: When you’re trying to soften wrinkles around sensitive eyes, throwing the strongest actives you can find at the area isn’t necessarily the answer. Alastin’s Restorative Eye Treatment takes a gentler approach with the brand’s TriHex Technology, which is a blend of peptides that support the collagen and elastin that keep skin looking smooth and firm. Meanwhile, sodium hyaluronate, squalane, beta-glucan, and shea butter load up delicate, dryness-prone skin with moisture, which can also help fine lines look a little plumper and softer.
The formula goes beyond hydration, too. “Niacinamide evens out discoloration, while green tea and oak leaf extracts target the look of dark circles,” says Dr. Queller. And since it skips retinol and other potentially irritating actives, it’s an easy one to reach for in the morning with a “lightweight texture that layers beautifully under makeup,” says Dr. Queller.
For more of our favorite products that smooth the look of wrinkles, keep reading:
9 Best Foundations for Mature Skin That Smooth, Enhance Glow, and Never Crease
10 “Botox in a Bottle” Skin-Care Products Derms Swear By for Fine Lines
9 Best Retinol Creams to Level Up Your Skin-Care Routine
Done reading? Now, watch celebrities share the beauty and wellness appointments they swear by:
Shop all of our latest obsessions in one place! And don’t forget to follow Allure on Instagram and TikTok, or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on all things beauty.
