All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Some may debate the value of an eye cream—after all, what does it do that a face moisturizer doesn’t? But the best eye serum is a different matter. Unlike a traditional eye cream, which is largely meant to provide moisture, “eye serum serves more as a treatment step—like a booster—for concerns like fine lines, puffiness, or dark circles,” says Mamina Turegano, MD, a triple-board-certified dermatologist in New Orleans.
Vogue’s Favorite Eye Serums
- Best Overall: Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum, $17
- Best for Dryness: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum, $25
- Best for Hyperpigmentation: Dermalogica Biolumin-C Eye Serum, $75
- Best for Puffiness: Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage, $42
- Best for Dark Circles: innisfree Green Tea Caffeine Bright-Eye Serum, $22
- Best for Blue Light Damage: Chanel N°1 De Chanel Revitalizing Eye Serum, $100
And many would benefit from incorporating an eye serum into their routine, either alone or beneath an eye cream. “If you’re starting to notice fine lines, puffiness, or dark circles—or just want to be proactive about eye aging—adding a serum can be a game changer,” says Dr. Turegano, who recommends them to her patients over 30, or anyone who’s consistent with their skin-care routine and wants to add to it.
Because eye serums are so targeted, the right formula largely depends on what concern you want to address. With that in mind, here’s what experts recommend.
In This Story:
Best Overall: Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: There’s no shortage of excellent formulations among Korean skin-care products, but few have matched the efficacy and results of this eye serum. It’s a favorite of Y. Claire Chang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, for its combination of ginseng and retinal, which she calls “powerful antiaging ingredients.” (Retinal is a more potent cousin to retinol; it’s thought to be gentler too.) She also gives it bonus points for its “lightweight, lotion-like formulation,” she says. However, because it contains a retinoid, it’s better used only at night.
- Key Ingredients: Ginseng, retinal, peptides, macadamia seed oil
- Best for: Those with milia, fine lines, or uneven skin texture
- Size: 30 ml
Best for Dryness: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: Don’t be fooled: This unassuming bottle houses a strategic (and elegant) combination of ingredients designed to brighten and tighten the eye area. The blend of peptides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide work to “hydrate, brighten, and reduce appearance of fine lines,” says Dr. Chang, who counts it among her favorites. It’s ideal if you aren’t seeking heavy-duty actives just yet, or want to try eye serums before investing on an even more powerful formula.
- Key Ingredients: Green tea extract, niacinamide, peptides, caffeine
- Best for: Those seeking benefits on a budget
- Size: 15 ml
Best for Hyperpigmentation: Dermalogica Biolumin-C Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: While some dark circles are actually shadowing caused by puffiness or one’s natural bone structure, others are the result of hyperpigmentation—particularly among those with deeper skin tones, who are more vulnerable to skin discoloration in general. With not one, but two types of vitamin C, then, this formula “helps brighten the skin and repair oxidative damage from UV radiation,” Dr. Chang says. Because it’s rich in antioxidants, it’s a particularly good daytime option as well.
- Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, tremella mushroom, chia seed oil
- Best for: Stubborn dark circles
- Size: 15 ml
Best for Blue Light Damage: Chanel N°1 De Chanel Revitalizing Eye Serum
.jpg)
- Why We Love It: Chanel’s No.1 De Chanel line is a celebration of—and homage to—red camellia extract, which helps reduce the stress lines and wrinkles developed from repeatedly squinting and blinking over the years; here, the antiaging ingredient is also paired with moisturizing squalane and camellia yeast extract to support the skin barrier. It’s especially impactful for those struggling with damage from the blue light of electronic devices—and informs both the eye serum’s formula and packaging. “The cooling effect provided by the rotating cryo applicator combined with the gel-like texture improves microcirculation and helps relieve screen-induced eye fatigue,” the science team at Chanel shared with Vogue.
- Key Ingredients: Red camellia extract, camellia yeast extract, azalea yeast extract, squalane
- Best for: Those with dark circles and fine lines
- Size: 0.53 oz.
Best for Puffiness: Clinique All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage for Dark Circles
- Why We Love It: Like a cold splash of water, this cooling rollerball helps you wake up—and simultaneously works to bring down puffiness. The chill is only one way in which it delivers results. On top of that, “it contains caffeine to help depuff the undereyes and is fragrance-free,” says Mina Amin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles. (Fragrance is a common allergen, which could stoke irritation—and thus exacerbate puffiness.) She also likes that it contains antioxidants, as these “help improve the appearance of under eye circles,” she says.
- Key Ingredients: Caffeine, panthenol, grape-seed extract
- Best For: Puffiness and undereye bags
- Size: 15 ml
Best for Deep Lines and Wrinkles: Tata Harper Elixir Vitae Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: As Tata Harper is a pioneer in clean beauty, it’s little surprise that Tata Harper Elixir Vitae Eye Serum brings together 54 active ingredients meant to minimize wrinkles, reduce puffiness, improve dark circles, and subtly plump skin. Together, they’re meant to target even the deeper lines and fields around the eyes—to yield similar results to in-office treatments. “With injectables, Botox paralyzes the muscles, and filler acts like an instantaneous layer of hyaluronic acid in your dermal layer,” Harper told Vogue when the formula first debuted. “With topicals, the mode of action is different, but you’re getting a daily dose of similar effects.”
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, Lactobacillus ferment, algae extract, date seed extract
- Best for: Mature skin
- Size: 15 ml
Best for Firming: Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: A bit closer to eye cream than most serums, the Murad Retinol Youth Renewal eye serum stands apart for its glycerin and pomegranate seed oils, which together help maintain skin hydration for hours. That sets the ideal environment for both the formula’s retinol and retinol booster, which are gradually released throughout the night to deliver results with minimal irritation or dryness—if any.
- Key Ingredients: Retinol, Swertia flower extract, hyaluronic acid
- Best for: Sagging or thinning skin
- Size: 15 ml
Best for Dark Circles: Innisfree Green Tea Caffeine Bright-Eye Serum With Niacinamide
- Why We Love It: This slim tube offers a Who’s Who of eye-brightening ingredients, among them green tea, which is rich in amino acids and antioxidants to hydrate and protect this delicate area. But it’s “also made with 2% caffeine to help visibly depuff, and also contains niacinamide to help brighten discoloration,” Dr. Amin says. To further quell puffiness, the rollerball doubles as a mini massager, helping to move fluids that may be causing bags.
- Key Ingredients: Green tea extract, caffeine, niacinamide, hyaluronic
- Best for: Dark circles
- Size: 10 ml
Best Applicator: Axis-Y Vegan Collagen Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: Dr. Turegano is a fan of this Korean-made eye serum, which is lightweight and brimming with a blend of vegan collagen, peptides, and fruit extract, which work together to brighten and firm the eye area. Moreover, “it also has a metal applicator tip, which gives an instant cooling, depuffing effect,” she says. Testing by the brand has found that the formula can reduce wrinkles in addition to undereye bags and puffiness.
- Key Ingredients: Peptides, vitamin c, hyaluronic acid
- Best for: Dry or sensitive skin
- Size: 10 ml
Best Drugstore: Cetaphil Hydrating Eye Gel-Cream
- Why We Love It: While some may ask the world of their eye serum, others are content with keeping the delicate undereye skin healthy and bright. For that, Cetaphil Hydrating Eye Gel-Cream is a good option. “Simple, hydrating, and gentle—this one’s perfect if your main goal is moisture and barrier support,” Dr. Turegano says. “It’s a great drugstore option that plays well under makeup.” As it’s hypoallergenic and ophthalmologist-tested, it’s also unlikely to irritate those with sensitive eyes.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide
- Best for: Dry skin
- Size: 14 ml
Best for Crow’s Feet: Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: For those seeking to smooth crow’s feet, it doesn’t get much more effective than retinol. And this particular formula “combines retinol, ferulic acid, and niacinamide to target fine lines, dullness, and puffiness,” Dr. Turegano says. “It’s strong but still lightweight and doesn’t feel heavy around the eyes.” It also contains rambutan and bakuchiol—two plant-derived ingredients that work similarly to retinol, but with less irritation—to bolster its effects.
- Key Ingredients: Retinol, ferulic acid, rambutan, bakuchiol
- Best for: All signs of aging
- Size: 15 ml
Best for Early Signs of Aging: Alastin Restorative Eye Treatment
- Why We Love It: Whether you’re targeting puffiness, dark circles, crow’s feet, or all of the above, this multitasking treatment can help on all fronts, according to Dr. Turegano. “It uses a peptide blend to support collagen and elastin and works well even for sensitive or post-procedure skin,” she says. It goes beyond simply supporting collagen production and actually clears out damaged collagen and elastin, thus clearing the way for those new fibers that deliver firmer, smoother skin.
- Key Ingredients: Peptides, niacinamide, green tea extract
- Best for: Those seeking a one-and-done solution
- Size: 14.8 ml
Everything You Need to Know
What is an eye serum?
An eye serum is a lightweight and highly concentrated skin-care product that’s specifically formulated for the delicate skin around the eyes. They “typically contain higher concentrations of active ingredients compared to regular eye creams or face creams,” Dr. Amin says. “The skin around the eyes is thinner and more sensitive, so it can absorb and respond better to these potent ingredients.”
Because they’re so lightweight, they absorb quickly and layer seamlessly under other skin-care products; for that reason, an eye serum “is great to use in the morning if you have to apply other skin-care products and makeup on top,” Dr. Chang says. She recommends seeking out ingredients that target your specific concern; for instance, try peptides or retinoids for fine lines, niacinamide and vitamin C for dark circles, and caffeine for puffiness.
What’s the difference between an eye serum and eye cream?
There’s always a time and a place for eye cream. “Eye creams tend to focus on hydration and barrier support, often containing emollients and occlusives,” Dr. Chang says. Meanwhile, eye serums have a lighter texture, sink in more quickly, and may offer a greater variety or higher quantities of active ingredients than their richer counterparts, she says, that may make them better able to target issues like fine lines or puffiness.
Meet the Experts
- Mamina Turegano, MD, is a triple-board-certified dermatologist in New Orleans.
- Y. Claire Chang, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in New York.
- Mina Amin, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles.