Ever woken up in the morning and realized that your eyes look kind of puffy? Same. And while you can dunk your entire face in an ice bath to remedy it (seriously—the technique is all over TikTok), I'm always going to prefer a practice that won't leave me sopping wet mere minutes after I've woken up. Plus, those jade rollers and facial de-puffing tools that you see all of your favorite beauty gurus using can get pretty expensive, and require you to perform an entire face massage on top of the rest of your regular morning routine. Oh, and they sometimes take months to show results. Which is why eye creams can be your best bet to fight off unwanted puffiness around your eyes.
Before we get into all of the reasons to run to the store to grab one for yourself, here's an eye cream PSA: Many of the eye creams and tools that promise to de-puff your eyes in seconds are...kind of bullshit. Beauty marketing talk is real, but thanks to the consumer demand for more transparency, it's getting easier to weed out the eye creams that are all talk, no action.
What causes my eyes to look puffy?
Eye puffiness is actually just fluid retention in your eye area. It's most often caused by lack of sleep, allergies, excess salt, or the four margaritas you downed last night, which means you’re kind of stuck waiting around until your body naturally breaks up and drains the fluid on its own, thus de-puffing your eyes and under-eye area.
Do eye creams really work on puffiness?
Yes. That's because certain ingredients can help speed up the de-puffing process, like caffeine (which constricts and tightens skin) and certain antioxidants (like aloe and green tea), which help reduce swelling after you massage them on. There are also eye-soothing products that promise to de-puff and actually over-deliver—you just have to know what's out there.
But rather than have you read every single ingredient label on every single product in the drugstore, we dug up the absolute best de-puffing eye creams and serums that will shrink those bags down ASAP. Check them out, ahead and get to slathering.
This cult-favorite eye cream from The INKEY List is jam-packed with caffeine to reduce the look of puffiness from the very first application.
Just a little bit of this eye cream leads to de-puffed and brightened under eyes. Panax ginseng and caffeine de-puff, while niacinamide hydrates and vitamin C brightens.
Remember when this eye tightener went viral on TikTok last year? Me too. It instantly does away with loose or puffy skin in under three minutes, leaving you with a smooth appearance.
Sometimes, puffy bags can feel more inflamed than usual. That's when you need a hydrating gel-cream for relief. Try sticking this drugstore gem in the fridge for an extra boost of cooling comfort.
This eye serum contains green tea and caffeine to do away redness and pigmentation that tends to pop up around the eye area.
If you haven't caught on by now, let me make it plain and clear: The key to a bright and youthful under eye is hydration. Squalane, peptides, and hyaluronic acid is the nourishing triple threat in this ultra-clean cream, which your dehydrated puffy under eyes are so desperately craving. Dab a bit of this gel-based cream underneath your eyes for a seamlessly smooth appearance.
The instantly recognizable Eye Sleeping Mask from Glow Recipe contains encapsulated retinol and coffeeberry that work over night to de-puff while you sleep.
Turmeric, clove flower, Indian gooseberry, and kombucha all power this supercharged eye cream. Use it morning and night to completely reinvent your eyes.
This ultra-soothing eye balm promises to visibly fill in fine lines around your eyes. Vitamin C helps to brighten the area, too.
If you find that your eye area has begun to change due to menopause, this eye cream from Womaness was designed with you in mind. It contains Hyaclear, a advanced form of hyaluronic acid that optimizes your skin's elasticity and moisturization.
Tackle darkness, puffiness, and fine lines all in one with this cream from fresh. It's chock-full of ingredients like kombucha, black tea extract, and lychee seed extract all stop free radicals in the air (thank you, pollution) from affecting your skin.
Korean skincare often has the most innovative textures on the market, and this cream is a prime example. It glides on so your makeup lays on the skin flawlessly, and it contains honey to hydrate and Korean red ginseng saponin to minimize the appearance of fine lines.
Those with sensitive skin will appreciate this thoughtful, bioadaptive botanical blend of earth-friendly ingredients like roundhead bush clover, apple extract and more to feed your tired, puffy eyes with the nutrients they need. Things like pollution and free radicals only increase puffiness, and this acts as a balancing act to douse your skin in moisture and a protective barrier for a smooth and happy eye area.
Dry skin and fine lines around the orbital area won't stand a chance once this extra-hydrating eye cream is in the picture. This anti-aging formula is full of feel-good, botanical ingredients: Aloe, daffodil, and buckwheat wax de-puff the under-eye area, treat dark circles, and smooth out rough textures. Consider this the fountain of youth within a bottle.
Replace that ice cube you've been rolling around on your eyes with this refreshing upgrade. The circular ceramic applicator has an ice-cube-effect that will coat your eye contour area with more than just H2O. The silky, sorbet texture contains cornflower water, which instantly wakes up tired eyes and deflates puffiness. Bonus: there's also a bit of abyssinica oil, which clinically strengthens your brows and lashes overtime—so have at it!
Fact: Just because a product is "natural" doesn't mean it's somehow better. Because, sadly, most natural formulas actually contain ingredients known to irritate your skin. Thankfully, this eye cream isn't one of those. The all-natural formula is packed with legitimate swell-reducing powerhouses, like antioxidant green tea and anti-inflammatory marigold extract, along with the a hefty dose of caffeine. So you can look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, without compromising your clean routine.
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