The 10 Best Eye Creams for Men, Tested and Reviewed
<p>That’s where we come in. We’ve tested dozens and dozens of creams, <a href=” target=”_blank”>serums</a>, balms, and more to find the ten eye creams that live up to the hype, no matter what issue you’re hoping to address. So whether you’re hoping to minimize dark circles, tighten up sagging bags, or just generally make your eye area look better and more alert, you can be confident that there is one on this list for you. </p>”/>
Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links.
Pros
- Deeply moisturizing
- Small size is easy to travel with
- Fragrance-free
Cons
- On the thicker side
When it comes to eye maintenance, most of the issues we want to address can come down to one thing: hydration. When skin is well hydrated, it looks plumper, smoother, and healthier, so it would make sense that keeping it moisturized is the way to go, right? If you’re going to integrate an eye cream into your daily skincare routine, we suggest one that focuses on moisturizing for this exact reason. This is one of the best.
The formula is thick, but doesn’t feel heavy on your lids and sinks into skin quickly without leaving a greasy residue. Packed with nourishing ingredients like niacinamide (plus a nice addition of caffeine to help increase circulation), it’s an all-around powerhouse at keeping your peepers popping. A little goes a long way when it comes to a single application, but we recommend not being stingy—use it morning and night for best results and you’ll notice within a few weeks that your eyes look smoother and firmer even when you’re running on less sleep than usual.
| Concern | Dryness, puffiness, dark circles, signs of aging |
|---|---|
| Key Ingredients | Niacinamide, caffeine, yeast and rice extract |
| Size | 0.5 fl oz |
| When To Use | Morning and night |
Best Eye Cream With Retinol
Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 6
Pros
- Contains a gentler form for retinol
- Also helps nourish and hydrate eye area
- Opthamologist approved
Cons
- Can only be used at night
When it comes to treating signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles, no ingredient is better than retinol. The problem is that it’s typically too harsh to use on the extra-delicate skin around your eyes, where we so often first see those telltale signs like crow’s feet. The solution, of course, is to use a specifically formulated retinol product, which means it’s not only more gentle, but that it’s also been tested on the eye area.
Out of all the retinol eye products we’ve tested, this one is our favorite for a few reasons. First, it contains retinal, a form of retinol that is more gentle (both are derivatives of Vitamin A). Second, results come quickly and the signs of aging we want to address around our eyes are visibility improved in just a few weeks. Third, it’s not a one trick pony. This cream also contains ceramides to help strengthen the skin’s protective barrier and hydrating hyaluronic acid to help keep skin moisturized, plumper, and healthier. One thing to remember: since this contains retinol, you only want to use it at night (retinol can make skin sensitive to sunlight). But even with that one application a day, it’s highly effective.
| Concern | Signs of aging, sagging, dryness |
|---|---|
| Key Ingredients | Retinal, ceramides, hyaluronic acid |
| Size | 0.5 fl oz |
| When To Use | Night |
Best Eye Cream For Dark Circles
BeautyStat Universal C Eye Perfector
Pros
- High concentration of pure Vitamin C
- Gently exfoliates
- Fragrance-free
Cons
- May be too harsh for very sensitive skin
Dark circles, those pesky rings of shadow under your eyes, are notorious for sticking around a really long time and being especially hard to treat. They can be caused by a variety of things like sun damage, enlarged blood vessels, thinning of the skin, and even genetics. Knowing the root cause of your dark circles is helpful (a dermatologist may be able to assist with that), but even if you don’t, one of the most common and effective ways to treat them is with antioxidants. Which is why this eye cream can be so helpful.
Packed with L-Ascorbic Acid, a pure form of Vitamin C, this antioxidant rich cream helps to brighten and even out skin tone. It’s one of the most powerful Vitamin C creams we’ve found thanks to the formula that combines it with tartaric acid, a gentle exfoliator that also helps to even out skin tone. It’s on the active side, meaning that it may be a bit too strong for sensitive skin, but we found it to be pretty tolerable thanks to the inclusion of ultra moisturizer squalane, which helps to protect and hydrate skin as the actives go to work. Even after just a few uses, we found our under eyes looking brighter, smoother, and more alert.
| Concern | Dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles, uneven skin tone, sagging |
|---|---|
| Key Ingredients | Vitamin C, green tea, tartaric acid, squalane |
| Size | 0.3 fl oz |
| When To Use | Morning and night |
Best Eye Cream Gel
Dr. Loretta Tightening Eye Gel
Pros
- High in antioxidants
- Easy to apply clear gel formula
- Works quickly
Cons
- Gel can melt quickly on fingertips
Eye creams don’t always have to be creams. In fact, they come in all textures like gels, serums, balms, and more. Which you choose depends largely on personal preference, though some forms like richer creams and balms will generally be more moisturizing. The benefit of gels, on the other hand, is that they’re super lightweight, generally quick to apply (and sink into skin quickly), and don’t leave much residue or film behind. They’re ideal for people who don’t like heavier products but still want to reap the benefits of an eye cream.
Out of all the eye gels we’ve tested, this is the one we keep coming back to. It packs a punch, not just in the long term but in the short term, as well. It’s a tightening gel, which means it aims to lift sagging eye skin—a job it accomplishes very well. The effects aren’t as immediately apparent as some of the other lifting products on this list, but we do see a noticeable tightening around our eyes as soon as we use it. It’s also packed with antioxidants and peptide to help protect and strengthen the delicate skin around your eyes and moisturizing ingredients to impart the all-important hydration. The gel comes out of the tube crystal clear and smooths over skin effortlessly with minimal rubbing required.
| Concern | Signs of aging, puffiness, dark circles, sagging |
|---|---|
| Key Ingredients | Lipochroman, chromabright, marine algae peptides |
| Size | 0.6 fl oz |
| When To Use | Morning and night |
Best Sunscreen Eye Cream
SkinCeuticals Physical Matte UV Defense SPF 50
Pros
- Provides UV protection
- Has a powdery, matte finish
- Non-comedogenic
Cons
- Some may not like the tint
Like lack of moisture, many of the skin issues we hope to target with eye cream can come down to sun damage—particularly darkness, pigment issues, and signs of aging. It would make sense, then, that sunscreen is one of your best weapons against these issues. Wearing daily sunscreen is one of the best things you can do for the overall and long term health of your skin, but depending on what kind you wear, getting it close enough to your eyes to be effective may be tricky (especially if it’s a chemical screen that may cause eye irritation).
This sunscreen-laced eye cream uses physical sunscreens (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) to offer gentle protection to the skin around your eyes. It’s also slightly tinted, which means it won’t leave any white cast after you apply it. A warning: The formula itself is pretty much all about sunscreen. If your skin needs extra moisture, we’d suggest layer this on top of another eye cream. But since you really only want to use this during the day, most people can get away with using this in the morning and a more hydrating cream at night.
| Concern | Signs of aging, sun damage |
|---|---|
| Key Ingredients | Zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, silica |
| Size | 1 fl oz |
| When To Use | Morning |
Best Brightening Eye Cream
Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Vitamin C Lactic Firm and Bright Eye Treatment
Pros
- Helps brighten dark circles and hyperpigmentation
- High concentration of antioxidants like Vitamin C
- Lightweight serum formula
Cons
- May be too harsh for very sensitive skin
When we’re talking skincare, brightening doesn’t necessarily mean lightening pigmentation issues (though that’s a big part of it). It can also mean evening out skin tone, smoothing away dry patches, and improving the dull quality of skin that’s usually associated with dryness. That’s all to say that you don’t have to struggle with dark circles to reap the benefits of this high-powered eye cream (though if you do, it’s a godsend). The combination of potent Vitamin C (a proven antioxidant brightening agent) and exfoliating lactic acid is so effective that even after just a few uses we found that any discoloration or dullness around our eyes was drastically improved.
Technically, you can use this morning and night, though we found that just using it at night was more than enough to reap the benefits. The formula itself has some hydrating factors, but the focus isn’t moisturization, so you may want to alternate it with a more hydrating product if you also struggle with lots of dryness. However, we were surprised at how well it conditioned our eye skin overall, beyond just the brightening capabilities, so we believe most people can stick with just this one and still get all the benefits.
| Concern | Signs of aging, hyperpigmentation, dark circles, puffiness |
|---|---|
| Key Ingredients | Vitamin C, lactic acid, cica |
| Size | 0.5 fl oz |
| When To Use | Morning and night |
Best De-Puffing Eye Cream
Dr. Brandt No More Baggage Eye De-Puffing Gel
Pros
- Provides immediate results
- Lightweight formula
- Also helps protect against outside irritants
Cons
- Some users may find it drying
Lots of eye creams promise to de-puff and lift sagging skin under your eyes, and many of them do—but we’ve never found one that lifts and tightens as quickly as this. As we said before, the problem with so many of these creams is that you want to use them when you notice eye bags or puffiness, but they tend to not be quick fixes. That’s why this one will always be in our medicine cabinet no matter what; it actually is a quick fix. We’re not exactly sure how or why it works so well, but just a few dabs of this under your eyes instantly tightens and lifts bags.
There’s a slight film left behind after you use —maybe that’s where the secret it—which is barely visible to the naked eye, but some users may notice it feels slightly tight on their skin. There are also peptides in the formula, but not a ton of ingredients that target hydration, which is why it may be slightly drying to those with chronically dry skin. That said, we don’t really see this as an everyday eye cream. It’s more the kind of thing you want to keep on hand for when you really need it, like after a sleepless night or a raucous party.
| Concern | Sagging, puffiness, dark circles |
|---|---|
| Key Ingredients | Filmatrix, caffeine, peptides |
| Size | 0.5 fl oz |
| When To Use | Morning |
Best Eye Mask
Jaxon Lane Bro Mask Under Eye Gel Pads
Pros
- Easy to use
- Concentrated ingredients can target eye area
- Gives a nice, cooling sensation
Cons
- Need to replenish more often than a traditional cream (depending on frequency of use)
Sure, you could use an eye mask every day, but they’re really meant to be used when your eyes need a little extra attention. Think of them as an ultra-concentrated version of your typical eye cream, the way a sheet mask is the concentrated version of your typical serum. Stick these underneath your eyes and they not only help depuff your eyes (especially if you keep them in the refrigerator), but they help make sure your skin is infused with all the active ingredients it needs.
These all-around eye masks are the equivalent of a good moisturizing, general-use eye cream. They’re packed with a ton of actives—everything from hydrating hyaluronic acid, anti-aging bakuchiol, antioxidant green tea, perky caffeine, and more—all of which help to nourish, strengthen, and protect your eye area. Masks are ideal for those mornings when you really need a little something extra for your eyes, whether it’s just a little more time or attention or a little more depuffing. That’s why we always have these ready to go just in case.
| Concern | Dryness, puffiness, dark circles, signs of aging, sagging |
|---|---|
| Key Ingredients | Bakuchiol, green tea, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, caffeine |
| Size | 0.5 fl oz |
| When To Use | Morning |
What to Look For
Eye creams come in a ton of different styles, so generally you want to pick one that is formulated to target your most common issues like dark circles, eye bags, signs of aging, and more. Depending on what issues the cream is meant to target, you’ll find different active ingredients that are meant to help. If you’re not sure which one you need, or just want a general all-around cream, look for something that’s more moisturizing, since lack of hydration is at the core of many common eye area issues. Keep the texture in mind, as well. The heavier the cream, the more moisturizing it usually is, but if you don’t like heavy or greasy products on your skin, especially during the day, you may want to go for a gel or lightweight serum.
How We Chose
It all starts with dozens and dozens of eye creams, which our team of editors, including Grooming Editor Garrett Munce, test for everything from effectiveness, texture, and finish to whether they live up to what they claim to do. We consult experts and other grooming enthusiasts to get their opinions, but ultimately our decisions come down to first-hand experience through our years of testing.
Why Trust Us
We’re not going to say something is great unless it’s actually great. Every product in Esquire’s round-ups is carefully curated by our grooming and e-commerce teams.ds
When it comes to skincare, you can rest assured that we’re hand-selecting products that we’ve personally tested, tried, and loved. Our grooming editor Garrett Munce, along with the rest of the style team, has spent years slathering, smoothing, applying, wearing, and test driving hundreds (thousands!) of skincare products and we are confident that these are the best.
Every pick on this list (and our other lists) comes from these years of testing. We know that everyone’s skin is different, no two men are the same, and what works for you may not work for everyone else. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.
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