10 Top-Rated Eye Serums Dermatologists Swear By

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Even after a full eight hours of sleep, I still look tired when I wake up in the morning, which is why a well-formulated eye serum will always and forever be a staple product in my a.m. skincare routine. The right eye serum can help instantly depuff under eye bags and make my dark circles look a little less Beetlejuice. Plus, they generally feel amazing to apply, since many eye serums have a refreshing liquid or gel texture and come with a cooling metal rollerball applicator.

Just like with regular eye creams, there are tons of different eye serums to choose from which can make the shopping experience overwhelming to say the least. Lucky for you, I've tested and reviewed countless options over the years—from drugstore eye serums with hydrating benefits to anti-aging eye serums with peptides and retinol—to come up with this list of the 10 best options. I even had two dermatologists weigh in and share their favorites formulas too.

Keep reading for the full list of the 10 best eye serums of 2023, complete with pros and cons, specs, and real-life customer reviews.

BL+ Eye Serum

I’m obsessed with Blue Lagoon Iceland's BL+ The Serum for my super sensitive skin, and the brand's gentle eye serum is equally great for my delicate eye area. It uses the same bioactive, mineral-rich water and anti-inflammatory microalgae (from Iceland’s therapeutic, geothermal Blue Lagoon) and also contains a plentiful amount of hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin and plump the look of fine lines.

• Key ingredients: Microalgae, bioactive mineral water, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C

• Usage: Morning and/or evening

• Fragrance-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “A great eye treatment with immediate cooling, hydrating, and depuffing effects. I use it morning and evening, and even roll it around the eyes as a touch up during the day when my eyes start to look tired, as it brightens the eyes instantly. I truly see a difference!”

Healthy Renew Hydrating Eye Gel Serum

This eye serum has a gel-like texture that slides on easily and has a temporary skin-smoothing effect, making it a nice primer for under makeup and concealer. And even though it's made with rich moisturizers like shea butter and coconut oil, it feels really nice and lightweight under the eyes too. “It’s also got niacinamide, which is a good, hydrating and non-irritating antioxidant,” says board-certified dermatologist Ryan Turner, MD.

• Key ingredients: Peptides, niacinamide, panthenol

• Usage: Morning and/or evening

• Fragrance-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “I've been trying to get a good skincare regimen going, but everything I've tried has made my oily skin extra greasy. Cetaphil is the first one that hasn't been greasy and sticky when I use it—and I'm starting to see some results.”

Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum

This eye serum contains retinol (a tried-and-true line smoother) and bakuchiol, a plant-derived retinol alternative that also helps to firm skin and reduce wrinkles. Also in the formula? Antioxidant-rich ferulic acid, firming rambutan (a plant-derived ingredient), and depuffing caffeine. And even though it's filled with all of these hard-working actives, I found this eye serum to be non-irritating for my sensitive skin while testing.

• Key ingredients: Retinol, bakuchiol, rambutan

• Usage: Morning or evening

• Fragrance-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “I use tretinoin on my face and neck, but my eye area is too sensitive, so I use this instead. Over the last year of using this product, I have seen incremental, steadily increasing improvements in the tone, texture, and fine lines around my eyes. It is never irritating. I highly recommend this product. A+!”

Tighten & Lift Peptight 360 Tightening Eye Serum

A triple peptide-packed eye serum that has both long-lasting *and* instant benefits. The blend of peptide ingredients stimulate collagen and elastin over time, while the caffeine and microalgae immediately minimize inflammation and fluid retention. I can honestly say that minutes after applying this eye serum, I’ve noticed a visible firming effect around my eyes—pretty major.

• Key ingredients: Triple peptide blend (oligopeptide, dipeptide, tetrapeptide), caffeine, microalgae and marine ferment algae, vitamin C

• Usage: Morning and/or evening

• Fragrance-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: "After the first day of applying the product, I noticed a HUGE difference!!! For the past year or so, I've had swollen, saggy eyelids and crepey skin and dark circles under my eyes. I have basically stopped wearing eye makeup altogether, because what is the point? It just ends up accentuating all of this, sigh. But after applying this cream on my lids and under eye area, I noticed a change almost immediately. And I mean a BIG change! I still can hardly believe it."

AOX Eye Gel

Dr. Turner is a fan of this lightweight gel as a daytime eye serum since it contain a slew of antioxidants that help protect skin from environmental stressors, including UV exposure and pollution. It also help brighten the skin under the eyes to help with dark circles. “The formula is similar to Skinceuticals’ iconic CE Ferulic Serum, but modified to be gentle enough for under eyes," explains Dr. Turner.

• Key ingredients: Ascorbic acid, phloretin, ferulic acid, caffeine

• Usage: Morning and/or evening

• Fragrance-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “I’ve been using this product for over three years. It certainly diminishes lines and feels wonderful. It also has a wonderful cooling effect."

Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

This depuffing eye serum contains a whopping 5 percent caffeine. “Topical caffeine is a vasoconstrictor that temporarily tightens blood vessels to help reduce fluid around the eyes,” says board-certified dermatologist Nazanin Saedi, MD. This eye serum also contains the antioxidant compound EGCG (found in green tea) to reduce inflammation, fade dark circles, and fight free radicals.

• Key ingredients: Caffeine, EGCG

• Usage: Morning and/or evening

• Fragrance-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: "This truly lightens dark circles and I have used everything from natural ingredients to synthetic brightening creams. This was the quickest-acting, most effective, cheapest product with the best lasting results. A little goes a long way so you don’t have to restock often at all!”

A-Shaba Complex Eye Serum

“This eye serum has multiple botanical ingredients, plus it includes peptides to help boost collagen and 3 percent caffeine for depuffing and brightening effect,” says Dr. Turner of this cult favorite clean beauty eye serum. There’s also retinol in the formula, so Dr. Turner recommends keeping this on off your eyelids: “You have to be careful applying this many actives, especially retinol, onto your lids," he warns.

• Key ingredients: Retinol, copper peptides, caffeine

• Usage: Morning and/or evening

• Fragrance-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “This is the only eye serum I’ve tried that I can see makes any real difference. I use it at night and pat a small dot gently around my eyes. After a week or two my eyes look rested and bright. Love it!!!”

Revitalift 2.5% Hyaluronic Acid + Caffeine Eye Serum

The 2.5% in the product’s name adds up the main ingredients: 1% caffeine plus 1.5% hyaluronic acid. Together, this duo is incredibly effective at depuffing your under eyes and providing an intense, yet lightweight, hydrating effect. This eye serum also comes with a unique metal ball applicator that feels cooling when you swipe it under your eyes.

• Key ingredients: Caffeine, hyaluronic acid

• Usage: Morning and/or evening

• Fragrance-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: "Amazing product for the price. I instantly feel my skin firm up under my eyes after using this. I have been using it for about four weeks and am seeing results! I will definitely be purchasing again.”

Instant De-Puff Eye Renewal Serum

This eye serum from Tula is packed with anti-inflammatory probiotic and prebiotic extracts to help maintain a healthy microbiome on the skin. Why does this matter? A healthy microbiome = a healthy skin barrier, and less of a chance of inflammation and irritation around your eye area. While the jury is out on the efficacy of these ingredients for directly affecting dark circles or puffiness, the formula does include collagen-building peptides and soothing sea algae to reduce inflammation.

• Key ingredients: Probiotic and prebiotic extracts, sea algae, peptides

• Usage: Morning and/or evening

• Fragrance-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: “I love to apply this under my eyes because the cooling effect is nice. My under eyes feel refreshed after using this. Plus it's easy to blend and it doesn’t have a scent.”

Restorative Eye Treatment

“There’s solid science behind Alastin's peptide-based TriHex technology that's used in this eye serum,” says Dr. Saedi. "It's clinically proven to increase collagen and elastin production over time to help firm and smooth the skin around your eyes." There's also green tea extract and niacinamide in the formula to help brighten dark circles as well.

• Key ingredients: Tetrapeptide 30 (TriHex Technology), green tea extract, niacinamide

• Usage: Morning and/or evening

• Fragrance-free? Yes

Glowing customer review: "My cosmetic dermatologist recommended this eye cream and after using it for some time I really noticed less puffiness and less darkness around my eyes. It is also very moisturizing and works well under makeup. I'm sold.”

Are eye serums effective?

Yes, a well-formulated eye serum is an effective way to hydrate, smooth, and/or brighten the delicate skin around your eyes. “A water-based serum is a really efficacious way to deliver instant hydration and active ingredients. like vitamin C or peptides, to the thin skin around the eyes,” says Dr. Turner.

Many eye serums comes with rollerball applicators, which provide a cooling effect that helps depuff by constricting the tiny capillaries underneath the skin, adds Dr. Turner. "If you slide the applicator from the inner corner outward, it helps to move fluid away from the undereye area to deflate under-eye bags too."

Is eye serum better than eye cream?

Eye serum isn't necessarily better than eye cream, but using a water-based eye serum can be a more efficacious way to apply potent active ingredients to the skin. A liquid or gel serum can penetrate the skin to better deliver moisture and active ingredients into the skin—plus they can be easier than creams to smooth around your delicate eye area, says Dr. Turner.

Another benefit of an eye serum? The lightweight formula won’t exacerbate puffiness around the eyes like a richer, more occlusive cream can.

What's the number one kind of eye serum for dark circles?

The number one kind of eye serum for dark circles will contain caffeine and/or brightening antioxidants, such as vitamin C, to help improve the look of shadows and discoloration under the eyes, says Dr. Saedi.

Which eye serums are best for wrinkles?

According to Dr. Saedi, eye serums that contain peptides are best for wrinkles. "Peptides are proven to stimulate collagen production over time, which helps soften fine lines and firm skin," says Dr. Saedi. And FYI, Dr. Saedi prefers eye serums with peptides over those with retinol since they tend to be less irritating.

Meet the experts:

• Ryan Turner, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in New York, NY and the and co-founder of TRNR Skin

• Nazanin Saedi, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Dermatology Associates of Plymouth Meeting in Philadelphia, PA.

Why trust Cosmopolitan?

Gina Way is an editor, copywriter, and professional skincare junkie. Her work has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Oprah Daily, Allure, Marie Claire, and more. Follow Gina on Instagram.

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