The Brightening Eye Creams of 2024
Believe It or Not, Beauty Sleep Is a Very Real Thing. While You Can Sip Down a Triple-Shot Latte the Morning After a Late Night to Perk Up, It’s Much Harder to...
Believe it or not, beauty sleep is a very real thing. While you can sip down a triple-shot latte the morning after a late night to perk up, it’s much harder to disguise the exhaustion that’s written all over your face – especially under your eyes. While genetics can be to blame for some of the darkness, there are also other contributing factors — including the fact that the skin under the eyes is thinner and more delicate than it is on the rest of the face (go figure, right?). Luckily, there are specific brightening eye creams that help to diminish the look of dark circles.
To find the most effective brightening eye creams, we put in the work — researching top-rated options and reaching out to dermatologists for their expert recommendations. The Replenix Tinted Brightening Eye Cream secured the best overall spot on our list due to its medical-grade hyaluronic acid-infused formula that brightens, hydrates, and firms the under-eye area.
Complete with drugstore favorites, dermatologist picks, and top-rated options, these brightening eye creams provide both short-term and long-lasting benefits for skin. Keep reading for the 13 best brightening eye creams.
Best Overall
Replenix Tinted Brightening Eye Cream
Replenix
Made with a powerful combination of medical-grade ingredients, this tinted eye cream works overtime to combat dark circles and puffiness on the spot, while also providing long-term benefits to the skin. Edelweiss flower is infused into the formula, which is clinically proven to help tighten aging skin around the eye. Additionally, fractionated hyaluronic acid protects the skin’s barrier, while a dynamic blend of peptides aid in healthy collagen production.
Aside from the product’s extended advantages, this cream also instantly brightens dark circles due to its blendable pigment that addresses hyperpigmentation. Its illuminating tint works well with all skin tones, giving under-eye areas an immediate pick-me-up. If you have dry skin under your eyes, we recommend priming the area with a hyaluronic acid serum before putting on this eye cream just because this product is not extremely hydrating.
Benefits: Brightens, tightens, and depuffs | Active Ingredients: Edelweiss flower, Fractionated hyaluronic acid, Collagen-boosting peptides | Size: 0.29 fl oz.
Must Read
Best Budget
The Inkey List Brighten-i Eye Cream
The Inkey List
If you’re looking for a hydrating eye cream that combats dark circles, The Inkey List Brighten-i Eye Cream is just the thing you need. For starters, this lightweight formula works well with all skin types including dry, aging, and oily. Plus, it performs well as a primer under makeup. (Just be sure to only layer makeup on top of this, as additional moisturizers or serums can cause this product to pill.) These benefits are just the tip of the iceberg, though, because the brightening capabilities are also extremely impressive.
“This very affordable formula includes an ingredient called Brightenyl — also known as diglucosyl gallic acid — which helps prevent skin discoloration while fading existing hyperpigmentation,” explains Geeta Yadav, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and founder of FACET Dermatology. . “This makes it an ideal formula for someone who has genetic discoloration rather than temporary dark circles caused by blood pooling under the eye. This cream also contains brightening pigments that cosmetically brighten the appearance of dark circles.”
Benefits: Brightens, hydrates, and primes | Active Ingredients: Brightenyl, Mica mineral | Size: 0.5 fl oz.
