The 10 Best Eye Creams for Men that Lift, Brighten, and De-Puff

• Gives an immediate lifting and tightening effect
• Very moisturizing
• Non-greasy

• Expensive

What’s one of the biggest reasons we want to use eye cream? Because of those horrible puffy bags that show up after a night of not-so-good sleep (or no sleep at all). While many eye creams can be effective at addressing puffiness, the problem is that most of them need to be used pretty consistently before they make a difference. But when those bags show up you want them gone asap.

Enter this eye cream, which actually does lift and tighten the skin around your eyes within minutes. In addition to that tightening effect, the nourishing formula contains peptides that help to strengthen the delicate skin around your eyes so that signs of aging seem less apparent the more you use it (another reason we like to use eye cream, truthfully). In our testing process, we found that typically you have to choose between immediate and long term results. The fact that this innovative cream offers both makes it one of our top winners.

• Deeply moisturizing
• Small size is easy to travel with
• Fragrance-free

• On the thicker side

When it comes to eye maintenance, most of the issues we want to address can come down to one thing: hydration. When skin is well hydrated, it looks plumper, smoother, and healthier, so it would make sense that keeping it moisturized is the way to go, right? If you’re going to integrate an eye cream into your daily skincare routine, we suggest one that focuses on moisturizing for this exact reason. This is one of the best.

The formula is thick, but doesn’t feel heavy on your lids and sinks into skin quickly without leaving a greasy residue. Packed with nourishing ingredients like niacinamide (plus a nice addition of caffeine to help increase circulation), it’s an all-around powerhouse at keeping your peepers popping. A little goes a long way when it comes to a single application, but we recommend not being stingy—use it morning and night for best results and you’ll notice within a few weeks that your eyes look smoother and firmer even when you’re running on less sleep than usual.

• Contains a gentler form for retinol
• Also helps nourish and hydrate eye area
• Opthamologist approved

• Can only be used at night

When it comes to treating signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles, no ingredient is better than retinol. The problem is that it’s typically too harsh to use on the extra-delicate skin around your eyes, where we so often first see those telltale signs like crow’s feet. The solution, of course, is to use a specifically formulated retinol product, which means it’s not only more gentle, but that it’s also been tested on the eye area.

Out of all the retinol eye products we’ve tested, this one is our favorite for a few reasons. First, it contains retinal, a form of retinol that is more gentle (both are derivatives of Vitamin A). Second, results come quickly and the signs of aging we want to address around our eyes are visibility improved in just a few weeks. Third, it’s not a one trick pony. This cream also contains ceramides to help strengthen the skin’s protective barrier and hydrating hyaluronic acid to help keep skin moisturized, plumper, and healthier. One thing to remember: since this contains retinol, you only want to use it at night (retinol can make skin sensitive to sunlight). But even with that one application a day, it’s highly effective.

• Simple yet hydrating formula
• Lightweight gel-cream texture
• Fragrance-free

• Not many active ingredients

Eye creams don’t have to be super fancy to be effective. Hell, they don’t even need a ton of active ingredients. Remember what we said about the root cause of so many eye area issues being hydration? Well, that’s exactly why this inexpensive eye cream is one of our favorites. The simple formula is all about hydration and delivers it in spades exactly where it needs to go (around your eyes).

The lightweight gel-cream formula is easy to smooth around your entire eye area and sinks into skin quickly without any residue or film. Plus, there’s a nice cooling effect from the hyaluronic acid-rich formula that feels like you’re dousing your eyes with ice water. It’s also suitable for sensitive skin thanks to the simple fragrance-free formula, making it a good, affordable option for pretty much anyone. In fact, we can’t think of a single person that wouldn’t see a benefit from this ulta-moisturizing gel.

• High concentration of pure Vitamin C
• Gently exfoliates
• Fragrance-free

• May be too harsh for very sensitive skin

Dark circles, those pesky rings of shadow under your eyes, are notorious for sticking around a really long time and being especially hard to treat. They can be caused by a variety of things like sun damage, enlarged blood vessels, thinning of the skin, and even genetics. Knowing the root cause of your dark circles is helpful (a dermatologist may be able to assist with that), but even if you don’t, one of the most common and effective ways to treat them is with antioxidants. Which is why this eye cream can be so helpful.

Packed with L-Ascorbic Acid, a pure form of Vitamin C, this antioxidant rich cream helps to brighten and even out skin tone. It’s one of the most powerful Vitamin C creams we’ve found thanks to the formula that combines it with tartaric acid, a gentle exfoliator that also helps to even out skin tone. It’s on the active side, meaning that it may be a bit too strong for sensitive skin, but we found it to be pretty tolerable thanks to the inclusion of ultra moisturizer squalane, which helps to protect and hydrate skin as the actives go to work. Even after just a few uses, we found our under eyes looking brighter, smoother, and more alert.

• High in antioxidants
• Easy to apply clear gel formula
• Works quickly

• Gel can melt quickly on fingertips

Eye creams don’t always have to be creams. In fact, they come in all textures like gels, serums, balms, and more. Which you choose depends largely on personal preference, though some forms like richer creams and balms will generally be more moisturizing. The benefit of gels, on the other hand, is that they’re super lightweight, generally quick to apply (and sink into skin quickly), and don’t leave much residue or film behind. They’re ideal for people who don’t like heavier products but still want to reap the benefits of an eye cream.

Out of all the eye gels we’ve tested, this is the one we keep coming back to. It packs a punch, not just in the long term but in the short term, as well. It’s a tightening gel, which means it aims to lift sagging eye skin—a job it accomplishes very well. The effects aren’t as immediately apparent as some of the other lifting products on this list, but we do see a noticeable tightening around our eyes as soon as we use it. It’s also packed with antioxidants and peptide to help protect and strengthen the delicate skin around your eyes and moisturizing ingredients to impart the all-important hydration. The gel comes out of the tube crystal clear and smooths over skin effortlessly with minimal rubbing required.

• Provides UV protection
• Has a powdery, matte finish
• Non-comedogenic

• Some may not like the tint

Like lack of moisture, many of the skin issues we hope to target with eye cream can come down to sun damage—particularly darkness, pigment issues, and signs of aging. It would make sense, then, that sunscreen is one of your best weapons against these issues. Wearing daily sunscreen is one of the best things you can do for the overall and long term health of your skin, but depending on what kind you wear, getting it close enough to your eyes to be effective may be tricky (especially if it’s a chemical screen that may cause eye irritation).

This sunscreen-laced eye cream uses physical sunscreens (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide) to offer gentle protection to the skin around your eyes. It’s also slightly tinted, which means it won’t leave any white cast after you apply it. A warning: The formula itself is pretty much all about sunscreen. If your skin needs extra moisture, we’d suggest layer this on top of another eye cream. But since you really only want to use this during the day, most people can get away with using this in the morning and a more hydrating cream at night.

• Helps brighten dark circles and hyperpigmentation
• High concentration of antioxidants like Vitamin C
• Lightweight serum formula

• May be too harsh for very sensitive skin

When we’re talking skincare, brightening doesn’t necessarily mean lightening pigmentation issues (though that’s a big part of it). It can also mean evening out skin tone, smoothing away dry patches, and improving the dull quality of skin that’s usually associated with dryness. That’s all to say that you don’t have to struggle with dark circles to reap the benefits of this high-powered eye cream (though if you do, it’s a godsend). The combination of potent Vitamin C (a proven antioxidant brightening agent) and exfoliating lactic acid is so effective that even after just a few uses we found that any discoloration or dullness around our eyes was drastically improved.

Technically, you can use this morning and night, though we found that just using it at night was more than enough to reap the benefits. The formula itself has some hydrating factors, but the focus isn’t moisturization, so you may want to alternate it with a more hydrating product if you also struggle with lots of dryness. However, we were surprised at how well it conditioned our eye skin overall, beyond just the brightening capabilities, so we believe most people can stick with just this one and still get all the benefits.

• Provides immediate results
• Lightweight formula
• Also helps protect against outside irritants

• Some users may find it drying

Lots of eye creams promise to de-puff and lift sagging skin under your eyes, and many of them do—but we’ve never found one that lifts and tightens as quickly as this. As we said before, the problem with so many of these creams is that you want to use them when you notice eye bags or puffiness, but they tend to not be quick fixes. That’s why this one will always be in our medicine cabinet no matter what; it actually is a quick fix. We’re not exactly sure how or why it works so well, but just a few dabs of this under your eyes instantly tightens and lifts bags.

There’s a slight film left behind after you use —maybe that’s where the secret it—which is barely visible to the naked eye, but some users may notice it feels slightly tight on their skin. There are also peptides in the formula, but not a ton of ingredients that target hydration, which is why it may be slightly drying to those with chronically dry skin. That said, we don’t really see this as an everyday eye cream. It’s more the kind of thing you want to keep on hand for when you really need it, like after a sleepless night or a raucous party.

• Easy to use
• Concentrated ingredients can target eye area
• Gives a nice, cooling sensation

• Need to replenish more often than a traditional cream (depending on frequency of use)

Sure, you could use an eye mask every day, but they’re really meant to be used when your eyes need a little extra attention. Think of them as an ultra-concentrated version of your typical eye cream, the way a sheet mask is the concentrated version of your typical serum. Stick these underneath your eyes and they not only help depuff your eyes (especially if you keep them in the refrigerator), but they help make sure your skin is infused with all the active ingredients it needs.

These all-around eye masks are the equivalent of a good moisturizing, general-use eye cream. They’re packed with a ton of actives—everything from hydrating hyaluronic acid, anti-aging bakuchiol, antioxidant green tea, perky caffeine, and more—all of which help to nourish, strengthen, and protect your eye area. Masks are ideal for those mornings when you really need a little something extra for your eyes, whether it’s just a little more time or attention or a little more depuffing. That’s why we always have these ready to go just in case.

Eye creams come in a ton of different styles, so generally you want to pick one that is formulated to target your most common issues like dark circles, eye bags, signs of aging, and more. Depending on what issues the cream is meant to target, you’ll find different active ingredients that are meant to help. If you’re not sure which one you need, or just want a general all-around cream, look for something that’s more moisturizing, since lack of hydration is at the core of many common eye area issues. Keep the texture in mind, as well. The heavier the cream, the more moisturizing it usually is, but if you don’t like heavy or greasy products on your skin, especially during the day, you may want to go for a gel or lightweight serum.

It all starts with dozens and dozens of eye creams, which our team of editors, including grooming writer Garrett Munce, test for everything from effectiveness, texture, and finish to whether they live up to what they claim to do. We consult experts and other grooming enthusiasts to get their opinions, but ultimately our decisions come down to first-hand experience through our years of testing.