The anti-aging benefits of retinol are often overlooked when talking about under-eye care. Considering that your eye area covers almost half of your face, half of the job is already done by dealing with crow’s feet, under-eye bags, and dark circles.
When that’s the case, retinol eye creams can significantly improve your overall complexion by getting rid of hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and puffiness around your eye area.
But this holy grail anti-aging ingredient needs extra caution if you want to use it around your eyes. So to make sure we’re on the same page, here’s the recap.
As a vitamin A derivative, retinol is one of the most researched skincare ingredients. And its anti-aging benefits are pretty much common knowledge (1).
It boosts collagen production, which decreases with age and results in the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. That’s why retinol is effective in treating wrinkles both on the face and around the eyes.
But retinol is equally famous for being irritating and drying for the skin. So it’s one thing when you’re using it for wrinkles on the face, but it’s another thing when you’re using it for wrinkles around the eyes.
Why? Because the skin around the eyes is the thinnest compared to the rest of the face (2). Even though that area is the first to show signs of aging, it’s equally sensitive.
And trust me, you really don’t want to further tire the skin around the eyes by experimenting with different retinol eye creams, especially if you have sensitive eyes like me.
I ended up using my first retinol eye cream as a retinol spot treatment for my face because it irritated my under-eye area. Because I was clueless.
But over the years, I’ve perfected my method for sifting through the options and finding the right one. So if you’re not sure where to begin, here’s how to choose a retinol eye cream.
How To Choose a Retinol Eye Cream
Here’s what to keep in mind when choosing a retinol eye cream.
1. Your Skin’s Familiarity with Retinol
This is important because retinol requires caution for beginners. So it’s not smart to use it around the eyes without even trying it on the rest of the face. But you don’t have to.
If you’re a beginner, choose a retinol eye cream suitable for beginners. That translates to low-concentration formulations, retinol derivatives, or retinol esters, which tend to be weaker but gentler than retinol.
Additionally, you can try eye creams with encapsulated retinol. Encapsulation means that the ingredient is released slowly and gradually as opposed to instantly. That way, you use the real thing but with a significantly lower potential for irritation.
2. Your Skin’s Sensitivity
Under normal conditions, people with sensitive skin would choose products based on formulation. You’d go for a fragrance-free or alcohol-free eye cream and that would be it.
However, that’s not the case with retinol eye cream. Because retinol itself is the irritant. So even if your eye cream is fragrance-free, a pure retinol eye cream can still be too much.
You can look for encapsulated retinol. But also, you should make sure that your eye cream contains anti-inflammatory ingredients like aloe or green tea to avoid irritation too.
3. Your Specific Concerns
Reitnol is a multi-tasker. But if you have specific concerns, it’s better to keep that in mind too. For example, if you need a retinol eye cream for dark circles, you can additionally look for brighteners like vitamin C and caffeine in your eye cream.
If you have deep wrinkles around the eyes, you can try a retinol eye serum as serums absorb better and, therefore are more effective.
Best Retinol Eye Creams
Whether you’re dealing with wrinkles, fine lines, dark circles, or puffy eyes, below are the best retinol eye creams.
1. Kate Somerville +Retinol Firming Eye Cream
In my opinion, this is the best retinol eye cream to effectively target signs of aging around the eyes. It’s an overall satisfying formula for softening fine lines and under-eye discolorations. Its formulation consists of retinol and a new-generation retinol commonly known as Granactive retinoid. It’s as effective as retinol but with fewer side effects. The formula also has bakuchiol, a plant-derived ingredient known for its retinol-like effects.
The eye cream has a hydrating base made with aloe and hyaluronic acid. And I love the fact that I can use it above the eyes too as I have hooded eyelids and need all the lifting I can get. It might seem frivolous, but I also love the gold applicator tip for reducing puffiness around the eyes when my jade roller is nowhere to be found. So if you can afford it, this can be your new go-to retinol eye cream.
Type of Retinol: Retinol, Granactive Retinoid, bakuchiol
Other Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid
Good To Know: Cruelty-free
Size: 0.5 oz/15 ml
2. The Inkey List Retinol Eye Cream
If you have sensitive eyes but you’re on a budget, this is worth a shot. It’s beginner-friendly because it’s made with encapsulated retinol for sustained release of the ingredient. Because of that, it’s less likely to irritate. It has a very emollient base, almost like a balm, which also reduces the likelihood of irritation.
And it has glycerin and hyaluronic acid as humectants to attract water as well. Texture-wise, it’s great for dry under-eyes that tend to look flaky. So while gently softening wrinkles around the eyes with slow-release retinol, you don’t need to deal with dry, irritated skin under the eyes.
Type of Retinol: Encapsulated retinol
Other Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, cruelty-free, vegan
Size: 0.5 oz/15 ml
3. Paula’s Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream
If you’re dealing with dark circles, this retinol eye cream has just the right antioxidants for that. It has four types of vitamin C, which helps with collagen production and protects the skin from wrinkle-causing elements. But it’s also a tyrosinase inhibitor, meaning that it reduces discolorations (3).
So when formulated in your retinol eye cream, it can help amplify your results to brighten the skin and lighten dark circles. Additionally, signal peptides enhance the anti-aging benefits and improve the skin’s elasticity for a lifted appearance. Plus, it’s super moisturizing for the skin too all thanks to ceramides, squalane, and amino acids.
Type of Retinol: 0.01% retinol
Other Ingredients: Vitamin C, ceramides, signal peptides, licorice extract
Good To Know: Cruelty-free
Size: 0.5 oz/15 ml
4. La Roche Posay Redermic R Retinol Eye Cream
If you have under-eye bags, a retinol eye cream can help tighten the skin around the eyes. But keep in mind that this is not easy when your problem is caused by genetics or age when the fat pads are there. So remember to manage your expectations. This is a caffeine-infused eye cream to tighten the skin to reduce the look of under-eye bags and dark circles.
It contains a retinol ester to maximize the anti-aging benefits too. The light texture has hyaluronic acid for instant wrinkle-reducing benefits. Plus, it’s also oil-free. So if you have oily skin around the eyes and you’re prone to milia, this will eliminate them too.
Type of Retinol: Retinol
Other Ingredients: Caffeine, hyaluronic acid
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, oil-free
Size: 0.5 oz/15 ml
5. Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum
If you’re looking for a retinol eye serum, this formulation is a potent one to rejuvenate the skin around the eyes. Again, serums tend to be more effective and therefore potentially more irritating than creams. So keep this in mind. This cult-favorite one is made with retinol together with a retinol ester to enhance overall efficiency. The light base delivers amino acids into the skin to hydrate the delicate eye area too.
So while retinol softens the look of fine lines under the eyes, you get to plump them for instant benefits too. This is for nighttime use only. On a side note, I’m in my mid-30s. And my pharmacist snapped at me when I reached for this. She says this is for mature skin, or at least for people over the age of 40. Well, as an age-obsessed millennial, I agree to disagree.
Type of Retinol: Encapsulated retinol, retinyl propionate
Other Ingredients: Amino acid blend, cotton wool grass extract
Good To Know: Contains fragrance
Size: 0.5 oz/15 ml
6. Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum
If you have sun damage around the eyes, antioxidants can maximize your anti-aging effects. They reverse and prevent free radical damage caused by UV and pollution. When they’re out of control, free radicals cause dehydration, hyperpigmentation, and of course, fine lines around the eyes. In addition, certain antioxidants work like boosters in your eye cream to make it work better. And that brings us to this antioxidant-rich retinol eye serum.
So both ingredient and texture-wise, it’s incredibly targeted. It’s made with retinol and bakuchiol. But it packs strong antioxidants like ferulic acid, coenzyme Q10, green tea, quercetin, licorice, and Centella Asiatica. So whether it’s wrinkles or loose skin around the eyes, this is one of the most effective retinol eye serums to manage age-related under-eye concerns.
Type of Retinol: Retinol, bakuchiol
Other Ingredients: Ferulic acid, coenzymeQ10, quercetin, green tea, caffeine
Good To Know: Cruelty-free, vegan, paraben-free
Size: 0.5 oz/15 ml
7. Roc Retinol Correxion Eye Cream
If you’re on a budget, you can’t go wrong with this drugstore eye cream. Even though it’s not necessarily an antioxidant fest, it’s still a retinol eye cream. So if you don’t need extra care with anti-inflammatories or encapsulation, this minimal but effective cream is going to help.
It’ll help retexturize the skin around the eyes for a more youthful appearance. The light texture is also hydrating for the skin too. Besides glycerin, it has vitamin B5, aka panthenol, which is a humectant but also has soothing benefits for the skin. You can use the cream sparingly if you want to be preventative. Or you can use it daily as your main eye cream to actively target wrinkles around the eyes.
Type of Retinol: Retinol
Other Ingredients: Vitamin B5
Good To Know: Non-comedogenic
Size: 0.5 oz/15 ml
8. Avene RetrinAL Eyes
If you need something stronger, or if you have mature skin and you’re already familiar with retinol, consider using retinaldehyde, aka retinal. It’s stronger than retinol, so it’s a tad bit more effective. And it’s great when you’re looking to kick things up a notch or if you have stubborn wrinkles.
And for that, this retinaldehyde eye cream is perfect. It’s hypoallergenic and fragrance-free in case your skin is sensitive to those. It’s super creamy too, which moisturizes the eye area and prevents wrinkles from dehydration.
Type of Retinol: Retinaldehyde
Other Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, thermal spring water
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, paraben-free, vegan
Size: 0.5 oz/15 ml
This concludes our round-up of the best retinol eye creams. If you need more guidance, we’ve answered a couple of frequently asked questions about retinol eye creams below.
FAQs
References:
- Mukherjee, S., Date, A., Patravale, V., Korting, H. C., Roeder, A., & Weindl, G. (2006). Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety. Clinical interventions in aging, 1(4), 327–348. https://doi.org/10.2147/ciia.2006.1.4.327 ↩︎
- Chopra, K., Calva, D., Sosin, M., Tadisina, K. K., Banda, A., De La Cruz, C., Chaudhry, M. R., Legesse, T., Drachenberg, C. B., Manson, P. N., & Christy, M. R. (2015). A comprehensive examination of topographic thickness of skin in the human face. Aesthetic surgery journal, 35(8), 1007–1013. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjv079 ↩︎
- Pilkington, S. J., Belden, S., & Miller, R. A. (2015). The Tricky Tear Trough: A Review of Topical Cosmeceuticals for Periorbital Skin Rejuvenation. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, 8(9), 39–47. ↩︎
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