4 Top-Rated Eye Creams That 'Brighten' Dark Circles And 'Tighten' Skin, According To Dermatologists

The delicate skin beneath your eyes often tells a story of its own, revealing dark circles, fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet, and puffiness. These signs can speak volumes about more than just tiredness. Thankfully, a thoughtfully chosen skincare regimen can help address these aging signs and prevent future concerns.

Understanding that each person’s skin is unique, we have found the best under-eye creams recommended by aestheticians, skincare experts and dermatologists. With regular use, these creams can “brighten” and “tighten” the under-eye area, they note, offering a little extra care where it’s needed most.

4 Dermatologist-Approved, Anti-Aging Under-Eye Creams

1. Liquid Gold Firming Eye Cream

Fine lines and sagging skin under the eyes calls for a cream that will provide elasticity and firmness to the area. Dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner suggests a peptide cream to gently treat the under eye area.

“Peptides are signals that tell your skin to do a specific job. It's like dangling a carrot in front of their nose,” he explains.

For this skin type, Zeichner recommends the Alpha H Liquid Gold Firming Eye Cream because it, “contains 2 specific peptides that help strengthen the skin and stimulate collagen production to improve the appearance of fine lines and crepey skin.”

Alpha-H Liquid Gold Firming Eye Cream ($80)

2. SkinCeuticals AOX Eye Gel

Dark circles, fine lines and pigmentation under the eyes can make someone look even more tired and aged than they might be, so a Vitamin C serum will brighten the area and lighten harsh shadows.

Zeichner explains: “Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that neutralizes free radical damage, brightens dark spots to even skin tone, and supports production of healthy collagen.” For this, he recommends the Skinceuticals AOX Eye Gel to battle bags and brighten the face.

SkinCeuticals AOX Eye Gel ($95)

3. Eye Fuel All Skin Types

Puffiness under the eyes can be due to a lack of sleep, so a caffeine infused cream is the way to go. “Caffeine both has a constricting effect to eliminate excess fluid and also encourages your body to break down fat,” Zeichner says.

If this sounds familiar to you, try the Kiehl’s Eye Fuel to depuff under the eyes and enhance your overall appearance!

Eye Fuel All Skin Types, including Sensitive Skin ($24)

4. The A Method Collagen Boost Peptide Eye Cream

We also checked in with skincare expert Madelyn Cusimano , esthetician for The A Method, who explained how this eye cream is from celebrity dermatologist, Dr. Tina Alster, and a product that features peptides.

This aforementioned, powerful skincare ingredient can moisturize, hydrate and soothe the skin around your eyes.

It's dubbed an "all-in-one" cream, meaning that it targets anti-aging goals like drawing attention away from wrinkles and fine lines while also preventing dreaded puffiness.

In addition, it can brighten dark eye circles and aims to "tighten and tone the appearance of skin around the orbital rim," as noted on the brand's website, where you can purchase the highly raved $78 cream.

The A Method Collagen Boost Peptide Eye Cream ($78)

The Bottom Line

Overall, while these are four go-to and often praised eye cream ingredients, our experts suggest visiting your dermatologist for more personalized and specific recommendations.

Cusimano concludes that eye creams work best when paired with another retinol product (your dermatologist can help you find one that suits your needs).

Retinol, she says, will help "feed the collagen and encourage cell turnover, while the peptide will help support all the progress the skin is making." Both, she stresses, "work on collagen stimulation and strengthening the skin."