Overview
Have you looked in the mirror after a good night’s sleep and noticed you still look tired? If so, this is often due to dark circles and puffiness around your eyes.
The good news is that there are products you can use to help with this issue, and they’re called “eye serums.” So now you’re probably wondering what eye serums are. Well, basically, they are used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and crow’s feet. They are also used to treat dark circles and puffiness around the eyes. They use ingredients such as retinol, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and antioxidants to improve the texture and firmness of the skin around the eyes.
If you’ve ever gone shopping and looked for the best eye serums, you know there are rows and rows of them to choose from. Each promises to make you look years younger, but what do you really need?
In order to answer this question, it’s important to understand how your skin ages in the first place.
Our skin is made up of three layers: the epidermis (the outermost layer), dermis (the middle layer), and hypodermis (the deepest layer). The epidermis contains melanin, which gives our skin its color.
As we age, the amount of melanin in our skin decreases, causing it to become thinner and more transparent. This process is called photoaging or photo-damaging.

There are lots of different things that can cause wrinkles and dark circles around your eyes. According to Nutritionist Trevor Folgering “Insulin resistance, a condition where the body’s cells don’t respond effectively to insulin, can lead to chronic inflammation and hormonal imbalances. These systemic changes may exacerbate or contribute to the development of dark circles, highlighting the interconnectedness of our metabolic health and skin appearance.” If you have very dry skin, it might be because of dehydration. If you have oily skin, it might be because of too much sebum production. And if you have sensitive skin, it might be because of an allergic reaction to something in your diet or skincare routine.
This doesn’t even include lifestyle factors like sleep deprivation or stress—both serious contributors to the aging process!
So how do we fix all this? With the right eye serum! Eye serums are specially formulated to address specific issues related to eye health (like dehydration) or skin care (like irritation). They’re usually made with a combination of ingredients that work together synergistically to give results quickly and effectively—and without any side effects!
How We Choose the Best Eye Serums
Our team has researched and compiled a list of the best eye serums, based on dermatologist recommendations, real-user experiences, and ingredient effectiveness. To ensure we’re recommending the best products, we considered the following factors:
1. Ingredient Science
We analyzed key ingredients with clinically backed research to ensure they provide effective results. Ingredients like retinol, peptides, and hyaluronic acid were prioritized for their proven benefits in reducing wrinkles, firming skin, and improving hydration.
2. Dermatologist & Expert Opinions
We consulted board-certified dermatologists and skincare professionals to understand the efficacy and potential risks of various formulations.
3. Real-User Feedback
Customer reviews and testimonials played a crucial role in assessing long-term results and satisfaction.
4. Price & Value
We compared price points with ingredient quality, brand reputation, and product performance to ensure users get the best value for their investment.
5. Texture & Absorption
Since the under-eye area is delicate, we assessed the texture, absorption rate, and compatibility of each serum with makeup and other skincare products.
6. Sensitivity & Suitability
We factored in formulas designed for sensitive skin and checked for common irritants like fragrances, parabens, and sulfates to ensure a broad range of users could safely use the recommended products.
Best Eye Serums
- Best for Hydration and Wrinkle Reduction: DRMTLGY Needle-Less Serum
- Best for Anti-Aging and Firming: SkinMedica TNS Eye Repair
- Best for Hydration and Brightening: Tru Alchemy Eye Elixir Serum
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex Firming Eye Serum
- Best for Luxury Firming and Lifting: La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift Serum
- Best for Total Eye Area Care: Revision Skincare D.E.J Eye Cream
- Best for Gentle Retinol Treatment: Murad Youth Retinol Eye Serum
- Best for Deep Wrinkles and Expression Lines: PERRICONE MD Essential Fx Acyl-Glutathione Deep Crease Serum
- Best for Antioxidant Protection: SkinCeuticals AOX+ Eye Gel
- Best for Dark Circles and Discoloration: STRIVECTIN Super-C Dark Circle Brightening Eye Serum
- Best for Advanced Anti-Aging and Retinol Users: Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum
Ingredients You Need To Look For When Buying Eye Serums
If you’re looking for an eye serum to help with wrinkles, dark circles, and sagging skin, it’s important to know which ingredients are going to give you the best results.
Here are some of the top ingredients to look for:
Vitamin C
A powerful antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation and discoloration caused by sun damage. It also increases collagen production, which helps reduce wrinkles.
Retinol
This vitamin A derivative works wonders on fine lines and deep wrinkles. This ingredients works as the best dark spot corrector helps from sun exposure and improves skin elasticity, so your skin looks younger and more vibrant.
Hyaluronic Acid
A humectant that helps your skin retain moisture so it doesn’t dry out or wrinkle prematurely. It plumps up skin cells so they look smoother and more supple overall!
Peptides
Peptides, are chains of amino acids that have been proven to repair skin damage. They also stimulate collagen production so they can help improve the elasticity of your skin as well as reduce signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants, which help protect against free radicals, which can cause premature aging. Retinol is one of the most popular antioxidants used in eye creams and serums because it also has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce puffiness and dark circles under your eyes. Some eye serums also contain peptides, which can help reduce wrinkles by stimulating collagen production in the skin.
Niacinamide
This powerful antioxidant can help reduce fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes. It’s also great at protecting against sun damage and preventing dark circles under your eyes.[5]
Caffeine
Caffeine is a natural ingredient that has been used as an anti-aging agent since ancient times. It stimulates collagen production and helps your skin repair itself after damage from sun exposure or other environmental factors like pollution or smoke inhalation (which can cause dark circles).[6]
Squalane Oil
It is derived from olives and helps moisturize your skin while also providing antioxidants that protect against free radicals and environmental damage.[7]
Ingredients To Avoid When Looking For The Best Eye Serums
When it comes to eye serums, there are some things you should definitely avoid.
Sulfates
These are commonly found in cleansers, shampoos, and other products. They can cause skin irritation and dryness.
Parabens
These are preservatives that are used in cosmetics and personal care products to increase the shelf life of a product. They can have negative effects on your body, such as hormone disruption and allergic reactions.
Silicones
Silicones are used in many products to make them smooth and silky feeling. They can also clog pores and cause inflammation of the skin around them.
Mineral Oils
Mineral oils are derived from petroleum byproducts and can also clog pores and cause irritation for those with sensitive skin.
Our Top Eye Serums

Drmtlgy is a skincare brand that’s well known for its high-quality skincare lines. Their newest needle-less serum targets fine lines and hydrates skin. The ingredients in it can help shrink pores, hydrate skin, even out skin tone, and reduce eye puffiness. It has high-quality ingredients such as tri-peptide 7, caffeine, niacinamide, and Glucosamine HCI.
DRMTLGY Needle-Less Serum is the first of its kind. It’s a serum that uses a painless needle-free delivery system to deliver vitamins and nutrients deep into your skin. With DRMTLGY Needle-Less Serum, you can get exactly what your skin needs without any of discomfort associated with traditional needle-based products.
In fact, the entire process takes minutes and delivers results that are unparalleled in terms of effectiveness and smoothness.
The serum itself is made from ingredients that have been proven effective at healing and repairing damaged skin, including hyaluronic acid and Vitamin C. It’s super simple to use: Just apply to your face daily after cleansing (but before moisturizing), then wait for results!
The key advantage of this eye serum is that it does what it says. It makes the skin around your eyes appear tighter and diminishes the look of wrinkles.
Key Facts
Container Type: Bottle | Skin Type: For All Skin Types | Size: 1 fl oz (30 ml) | Type: Serum | Brand: DRMTLGY

SkinMedica TNS Eye Repair is a topical treatment formulated to reduce under-eye bags, dark circles, puffiness, and wrinkles. It provides hydration and helps improve skin texture, making the eye area look youthful and refreshed.
Key Facts
Container Type: Jar | Skin Type: For All Skin Types | Size: 0.5 fl oz | Type: Cream | Brand: SkinMedica

Tru Alchemy Eye Elixir Serum is a product that claims to provide anti-aging benefits for the delicate skin around the eyes. It is designed to hydrate, cool, and brighten the eye area, as well as reduce the appearance of wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circles.
The serum contains natural ingredients such as Hyaluronix, caffeine, activated vitamin C, and light-diffusing technology. Light-diffusing technology reflects light and creates a soft-focus effect on the skin. Hyaluronix deeply hydrates and smooths the skin. Caffeine helps reduce fatigue and inflammation, while activated vitamin C protects against environmental damage and boosts collagen production.
Tru Alchemy Eye Elixir Serum features an advanced applicator that gently delivers the product to the eye area with a soft patting motion. It can be used morning and night and works best when followed by Tru Alchemy Quench Crème.
This serum has a melon and cucumber scent, a cream-like texture, and a cream color. It promises to rejuvenate the eye area using natural ingredients and innovative technology, making it a great choice for those seeking hydration, cooling, and brightening effects.
Key Facts
Container Type: Tube | Skin Type: For All Skin Types | Size: 0.5 fl oz (14 ml) | Form: Cream | Brand: Tru Alchemy

Drunk Elephant Shaba Complex Firming Eye Serum is a product that helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes. It is one of the best eye serums for fine lines. The serum can also help to improve the skin’s firmness, elasticity, and texture.
Key Facts
Container Type: Tube | Skin Type: Sensitive | Size: 0.5 fl oz | Form: Serum | Brand: Drunk Elephant

La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift Serum is a revolutionary anti-aging product that helps reduce the appearance of under-eye bags and fine lines. When used as directed, it can help reduce the appearance of saggy skin and dark circles. It is the best eye lift cream serum.
Key Facts
Container Type: Pump Bottle | Skin Type: For All Skin Types | Size: 0.68 fl oz | Form: Serum | Brand: La Prairie

The Revision Skincare D.E.J Eye Cream is a skin care product designed to reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness around your eyes. This product is made with natural ingredients, including vitamin C and E, which are known for their antioxidant properties.
Key Facts
Container Type: Bottle | Skin Type: For All Skin Types | Size: 0.5 fl oz | Form: Cream | Brand: Revision

Murad Youth Retinol Eye Serum is a highly-effective, anti-aging eye serum that helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and puffiness. This lightweight formula contains retinol and antioxidants like Vitamin C and E to help fight free radical damage and promote cell renewal. It’s gentle enough for daily use, so you can get the most out of your skincare routine. It is amongst the best eye serums for fine lines.
The Reviewers Say:
Most of the reviewers loved this eye cream and said it was a powerful wrinkle remover.
Key Facts
Container Type: Pump Bottle | Skin Type: For All Skin Types | Size: 0.5 fl oz | Form: Gel | Brand: Murad

This serum will help you achieve a more youthful appearance. It is made with a combination of peptides, and vitamins E and C, which have been proven to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The product also contains acyl-glutathione, which helps to promote collagen production in your skin. This product can be used on all skin types, but it is especially recommended for those who have dry or mature skin.
Key Facts
Container Type: Bottle | Skin Type: For All Skin Types | Size: 1 fl oz | Type: Serum | Brand: PERRICONE MD

SkinCeuticals AOX+ Eye Gel is a skincare product that helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, dark circles, and puffiness around the eyes. This gel also helps to firm and smooth the skin around your eyes, so it looks younger and more vibrant.
SkinCeuticals AOX+ Eye Gel is a powerful antioxidant-based gel that helps to prevent and repair the signs of aging.
It contains a proprietary blend of antioxidants, peptides, and hyaluronic acid, which work together to reverse the effects of free radicals on the skin and protect it from damage.
The formula also includes hyaluronic acid, which helps to hydrate the skin and improve elasticity by binding moisture to the upper layers of the skin. This helps keep wrinkles at bay while smoothing out fine lines and crow’s feet.
By using SkinCeuticals AOX+ Eye Gel daily, you can help prevent further damage to the skin around your eyes while improving the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Key Facts
Container Type: Bottle | Skin Type: For All Skin Types | Size: 0.5 fl oz | Form: Gel | Brand: SkinCeuticals

The key ingredient in this serum is vitamin C, which is well-known for its ability to brighten skin tone and even out skin texture. It also contains peptides, which help to increase collagen production, resulting in firmer skin and less puffiness around your eyes.
Key Facts
Container Type: Pump Bottle | Skin Type: For All Skin Types | Size: 0.5 fl oz | Form: Serum | Brand: STRIVECTIN

Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum

Price: $71.00
Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum is an eye serum that helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and dark circles while also brightening and hydrating the skin under your eyes. This correcting eye serum contains a retinol complex, which helps to boost collagen production and improve elasticity, as well as ferulic acid, which inhibits melanin production and helps to prevent damage from UV rays.
Key Facts
Container Type: Bottle | Skin Type: For All Skin Types | Size: 0.5 fl oz | Form: Serum | Brand: Dr. Dennis Gross
What’s The Difference Between Eye Creams and Eye Serums?
Eye serums and eye creams are both a type of skin care product that is used to help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark circles under the eyes. However, there are some differences between the two types of products.
Eye serums are typically oil-based and have a lighter consistency than eye creams. They are usually applied after cleansing but before moisturizing. Eye serums can be used by people who have dry skin or sensitive skin around the eye area because they won’t clog pores or cause irritation like some other types of skincare products can do.
Eye creams are thicker than eye serums and can be used as an alternative to moisturizer if you want something more concentrated for your under-eye area specifically. Some eye creams, as mentioned in our Best Eye Creams for Dark Circles article, contain ingredients like retinol or peptides that help boost collagen production, which can improve elasticity in that area and help reduce fine lines and wrinkles over time as well as dark circles beneath your eyes due to under-eye puffiness caused by fluid buildup around the orbital bone (the rim around your eyeball).
Benefits of Using Eye Serums
It’s important to use an eye serum every day. Why? Because it will help you achieve the look you’re going for!
An eye serum is a lotion or liquid that you apply to the skin around your eyes. It can be used to hydrate and protect the skin there, as well as to help diminish signs of aging like wrinkles and dark circles.
Eye serums are usually applied after toning and before moisturizing–and for best results, they should be applied in upward strokes from the outer corner of your eye toward your eyebrow.
No matter your age or skin type, eye serums can help you get the results you want. Eye serums are designed to work with the needs of your specific skin type and help reduce the signs of aging and other skin issues that can occur around your eyes.
If you want to reduce wrinkles and fine lines around your eyes, then an eye serum is a must-have item in your beauty routine. Eye serums contain ingredients like peptides, retinol, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, [1] and more that will help firm up loose skin around the eye area and reduce wrinkles. These ingredients also have anti-aging properties that make them great for preventing new wrinkles from forming as well as reducing existing ones.
If you’re looking for something to help with dark circles under your eyes or puffiness around them, then an eye serum is also perfect for you! This area tends to be sensitive when it comes to skincare, so finding products that won’t irritate this delicate skin is key here! Eyelid creams are made specifically for this area so they won’t irritate it.
The skin around our eyes is different than the rest of our faces. It’s thinner, more fragile, and more easily damaged by sun exposure. That’s why it’s so important to use an eye serum.
Eye serums contain ingredients that are specifically designed to treat the delicate skin around your eyes. They can help prevent signs of aging (wrinkles, dark circles), moisturize dry skin, and even help with puffiness around the eyes.
The best eye serums contain potent antioxidants like vitamin C and ferulic acid that fight free radicals in order to help prevent premature aging of your skin.
If you want to preserve the youthful appearance of your eyes, then an eye serum is a great way to do it!
What Eye Serums Can and Can’t Do
Eye serums are a popular solution to a range of common eye issues. But what exactly can they do?
First, it’s important to know that eye serums are not meant to treat the entire eye area. They’re designed to be used in conjunction with other treatments, like face serums and creams. Their purpose is to address specific concerns as they relate specifically to the eyes—not the entire face.
That said, there are a few ways that the best eye serums can help you achieve your skin goals:
Eye Serums Can Help With Wrinkles.
If you have fine lines or wrinkles around your eyes, an eye serum can help reduce their appearance. It does this by increasing collagen production and improving skin elasticity, which helps fill in lines and wrinkles and make them less noticeable.
Eye Serums Can Help With Puffiness Around The Eyes.
When you’re tired or dehydrated, fluid builds up in your eyelids and causes puffiness around the eyes—this is also called “eye bags.” An eye serum containing peptides will help reduce water retention in this area so that puffiness is reduced or eliminated altogether!
Eye Serums Can Help With Dark Circles Under Your Eyes.
While eye serums can help improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes, they won’t completely erase them—and they won’t prevent new ones from forming, either! If you want to prevent future damage to your skin, you should look into using an SPF daily or weekly sunscreen on this area of your face (or wear protective eyewear). You should also avoid smoking or spending long periods in the sun without adequate protection.
FAQs
Q: Will an eye serum reduce wrinkles?
Eye serum will not completely eliminate wrinkles. It can, however, help to reduce their appearance and make them less noticeable when applying the product regularly. Eye serum works by strengthening the skin around your eyes and helping to repair any damage that has been done due to aging or other factors.
Because of this, eye serum is best used in conjunction with other treatments for reducing the appearance of wrinkles. It should also be used as part of an overall anti-aging skin care regimen that includes moisturizing and cleansing products as well as makeup designed for covering up problem areas like dark circles or under-eye bags.
Q: How do I apply eye serum?
Q: When should I start using eye serums?
Q: Can I use eye serums daily?
The Bottom Line
Eye serums can be used to treat several conditions affecting the skin around the eyes, including dark circles and wrinkles. Eye serums are typically applied directly to the skin around the eyelids, but some brands offer a more convenient way to apply eye serums with an applicator that resembles a pen.
The Best Eye serums are often used in conjunction with other skincare products for maximum results. For example, you might use an eye serum before applying makeup or at night to reduce puffiness and dark circles under your eyes.
You can also combine an eye serum with a moisturizer or sunscreen during the day if you want to keep your skin healthy while fighting off signs of aging.