Our best overall pick is the Avène Soothing Eye Contour Cream
Thinking about adding an eye cream to your daily skincare roster? According to Diane Madfes, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist, eye cream can help with anything from crepey skin and fine lines to dark circles and under-eye bags. But if you’ve got a reactive complexion, it’s understandable to be a little wary about introducing a new formula.
As Dr. Madfes notes, the eye area is delicate and sensitive, regardless of skin type. With this in mind, she says, “It’s important to use products that have been specifically tested for tolerability and for use in the eye area.”
And with the right formula, folks with sensitive skin can reap all the benefits without irritation. Licensed esthetician Dana Murray recommends avoiding products with alcohol or added fragrance and looking for soothing ingredients, like chamomile, aloe, green tea, and cucumber extract.
To find the best eye creams for sensitive skin, we conducted hours of research—evaluating the highest rated options based on their active ingredients and skin benefits. We also looked for those that had specific soothing ingredients. After consulting dermatologists and considering dozens of options, we landed on these picks to give you the best in show.
Best Overall: Avène Soothing Eye Contour Cream
When it comes to sensitive skin, Avène knows what’s up. The brand offers a broad range of effective yet non-irritating products, and the Eye Contour Cream is no exception. It contains chamomile (one of Murray’s approved ingredients), plus ultra-hydrating humectant hyaluronic acid1 and soothing vitamin E.2
Keen M, Hassan I. Vitamin E in dermatology. Indian Dermatol Online J. 2016;7(4):311. doi: 10.4103/2229-5178.185494
The real secret to the sauce, however, is Avène’s mineral-rich thermal spring water, which minimizes inflammation, balances the skin barrier, and calms irritation.3 We also like that it’s fragrance-free and approved by the National Eczema Association. With daily use, you can expect reduced puffiness, a plumper under-eye area, and all-around healthy-looking skin.
Best Budgete.l.f. Cosmetics Holy Hydration! Eye Cream
You’re wise to be a little picky when selecting products for sensitive skin—but you don’t have to spend a lot of money. Case in point: e.l.f. Cosmetics Holy Hydration, a budget-friendly pick that calms with cucumber extract,4 plumps with peptides,5 and delivers a gentle dose of moisture.
Best Drugstore: Pond’s Rejuveness Lifting & Brightening Eye Cream
“Pond’s Rejuveness Lifting & Brightening Eye Cream contains moisturizing ingredients, as well as niacinamide to help improve tone and texture, and retinol to help stimulate collagen,” says NYC-based dermatologist Hadley King, MD.
Best Splurge: Priori R-Spinasome Ultimate Eye Crème Moisturizer
“For sensitive skin, I like a clean formula, such as Priori R-Spinasome Ultimate Eye Crème, as it uses green plant technology that is non-irritating and also boosts collagen,” Dr. Madfes offers.
Best Hydrating: Cetaphil Hydrating Eye Gel Cream
Sometimes, sensitive skin is just crying out for a bit of moisture. We’re big fans of Cetaphil’s Eye Gel-Cream, an exceptionally lightweight and fast-absorbing formula that hydrates with hyaluronic acid1 and soothes with all-star anti-inflammatories like vitamin E,6 chamomile, and green tea.7
Best Natural: Burt’s Bees Sensitive Eye Cream
If you’re partial to earth-sourced formulas, you’ll appreciate this 98.9% natural eye cream from Burt’s Bees. The creamy moisturizer comes in an easy-to-dispense, airtight container and goes on smooth without irritation.
Best With SPF: SkinCeuticals Physical Eye UV Defense SPF 50
“I am obsessed with this eye cream because it has SPF, and it’s also packed with a ton of ceramides, which help strengthen the sensitive eye area,” says celebrity aesthetician Joshua Ross of SkinLab.
Best With Retinol: Kate Somerville +Retinol Firming Eye Cream
If you want to see a long-term, noticeable difference in fine lines and elasticity, reach for something containing retinol,8 like Kate Somerville’s incredibly silky Firming Eye Cream. It tightens up the eye area without causing irritation and calls on hyaluronic acid to keep the skin plump and hydrated.1
Best for Day: First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Niacinamide Brightening Eye Cream
Do you often wake up with puffy eyes? You may want to start using a caffeine-infused eye cream in the morning. “Caffeine constricts blood vessels and can therefore reduce the amount of fluid accumulating,” Dr. King tells Byrdie. This one contains caffeine and pumpkin seed extract to soothe and depuff under-eye bags, as well as niacinamide to brighten.
Best for Night: Marla Rene Beauty & Co. IlluminEyez Night Cream
For your evening skincare routine, your best bet is Marla Rene’s IlluminEyez. This nighttime eye cream is chock full of radiance-boosting, hydrating, smoothing, and most importantly, non-irritating ingredients like aloe,9 vitamin E,6 and cucumber extract.4
Best Smoothing: RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream
If it’s smooth skin you’re after, Dr. King recommends using “a nightly retinoid or retinol cream, like RoC Retinol Correxion EyeCream to increase collagen.” The vitamin A derivative tackles some of the most common concerns about the eye area, including fine lines, puffiness, dark circles, and uneven skin tone.8
Best Brightening: REN Clean Skincare Brightening Dark Circle Eye Cream
“Sensitive skin responds well to REN Radiance Brightening Dark Circle Eye Cream because it has a special formula that is designed to limit irritation,” says Kristina Kitsos, a cosmetic injector and leading expert in medical facial aesthetics. “It includes bio-actives that work to brighten, hydrate, and plump the look of the entire eye area.”
Best Firming: Shani Darden Skin Care Intensive Eye Renewal Cream
Looking to firm up your under-eye area or tighten crepey skin? Go with Shani Darden’s Eye Renewal Cream. The luxurious, intensive formula calls on niacinamide (vitamin B3),10 peptides,5 and silk tree extract to deliver visibly firmer, smoother skin.
Best for Under Makeup: Fenty Skin Flash Nap Instant Revival Priming Eye Gel-Cream
On the hunt for something to apply before swiping on your concealer? Rihanna has you covered. Fenty Flash Nap flaunts a hydrating, smoothing, skin-loving formula that soothes with green tea7 and depuffs with horse chestnut extract.11
Best K-Beauty: CosRx Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream
Korean beauty brand CosRx makes some really great stuff for the sensitive set. The Snail Peptide Eye Cream contains snail mucin, a natural form of hyaluronic acid, plus peptides5 and niacinamide10 to plump, firm, and boost the eye area without stressing the skin.
Runner-Up, Best K-Beauty: Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb
Another K-beauty option is this best-selling pick from belif. The Moisturizing Eye Bomb is full of calming, hydrating ingredients to soothe the under eyes, while smoothing fine lines and wrinkles. We love that it has a cooling sensation once applied and makes the skin look more radiant instantly.
Best Depuffing: Sunday Riley Auto Correct Brightening + Depuffing Eye Cream for Dark Circles
Want to depuff your under-eyes without freaking out your skin? Sunday Riley Auto Correct is your new best friend. This fancy eye cream is infused with caffeine1 and horse chestnut to smooth and tighten while hydrating the eye area.
Best Multi-Use: SeSpring So Rich Moisturizing Cream
“For sensitive skin, I recommend using a gentle moisturizer that works for the face and eye area, like SeSpring So Rich Moisturizing Cream,” says Ross, explaining that it doesn’t contain as many potentially irritating actives. “You don’t need to spend as much money and can get two for one with your general sensitive-skin moisturizer.”
Final Verdict
If we could only recommend one product for sensitive skin, we’d have to go with Avène Soothing Eye Contour Cream, an ultra-gentle, incredibly hydrating formula that simultaneously plumps, smoothes, and soothes the eye area. For something a little more affordable, go with e.l.f. Cosmetics Holy Hydration! Eye Cream, a plumping, moisturizing concoction that’s easy on tender complexions.
What to Look for in an Eye Cream for Sensitive Skin
Soothing Ingredients
When it comes to sensitive complexions, the most critical thing with any skincare product is the ingredients list. According to Dr. Madfes, people with sensitive skin can benefit from formulas with fewer ingredients.
Murray says folks with inflamed or particularly reactive complexions should look for products containing soothing, anti-inflammatory ingredients like colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera, chamomile, vitamin E, centella asiatica (cica), niacinamide, squalane, arnica, cucumber extract, green tea, allantoin, and marshmallow root. Our favorite soothing formula is our top pick, the
Avène Soothing Eye Contour Cream, which contains vitamin E and their signature thermal spring water to calm the skin.
Hydrating Formula
Since the tissue around the eyes is notably thin, fine lines and crepiness are more apparent when your skin is dry. With this in mind, Dr. King says, “Eye creams should be hydrating and moisturizing.” Look for options containing hyaluronic acid, glycerin, ceramides, peptides, panthenol (vitamin B5), plant oils, and natural butters. We personally love the Cetaphil Hydrating Eye Gel-Cream, which is formulated with hyaluronic acid and vitamin B3.
Airtight Container
There are many benefits to using skincare products that come in airtight containers. Since they aren’t exposed to air, they’re less likely to oxidize and can last longer with fewer preservatives. Not only that, but when you don’t have to dip your fingers in to scoop out the product, you can avoid contaminating it with bacteria and other irritants.
FAQ
What are the benefits of eye creams for sensitive skin?
As Ross notes, “Not all eye creams are created equal.” To address various concerts, some formulas contain potentially irritating actives (or higher amounts of these ingredients), which may cause a reaction on sensitive skin. Gentle eye creams can offer many of the same results without irritation.
How do you apply eye cream for sensitive skin?
First and foremost, Dr. Madfes says, “Always apply it to clean skin.” Start with a very small amount of eye cream (about the size of a grain of rice and no bigger than a pea). Gently tap it in a semi-circle underneath each eye, then over the eyelids and up to the brow bone.
How often should you use eye creams for sensitive skin?
Many eye creams can be used daily, even if you have sensitive skin, and some are suitable for both morning and night. However, it all depends on the formula. For instance, a retinol eye cream should be used only at night, potentially on alternating days, to avoid irritation.
If you’re using an SPF eye cream, be sure to apply it every day in the morning. And of course, if your skin begins to sting, itches, or becomes otherwise inflamed, it’s best to stop using the product and consult with a dermatologist.
