The Best Eye Creams to Reverse Summer Damage

Eyes may be windows into the soul, but the delicate skin around those eyes can reveal far more about your lifestyle than your irises ever will. Aging, exposure to pollution, stress, lack of sleep, and hydration all factor into the appearance of your skin in this area.

In addition to getting proper sleep, nutrition, and staying hydrated this summer, it’s imperative to consistently use an eye cream that hydrates and protects properly. We consulted with several respected dermatologists and veteran makeup artists to compile a list of the best eye creams to consider this summer for your eyes to look their best.

To Brighten

Saint Jane’s Bright Repair Eye Cream is an optimal brightening and cooling experience for the eye area. It’s packed with green tea, vitamin C and soothing CBD to de-puff and eliminate dark under-eye circles. One of L.A.’s most in-demand facialists, Cynthia Franco (whose clients include Salma Hayek, Vanessa Kirby, and The Weeknd) sees the instantaneous benefits of this eye cream. “My clients love it because it gives a well-rested appearance, I love it because it effectively reduces inflammation under the eyes and the appearance of dark circles,” Franco says. “Plus, the ingredients are super absorbent—but more importantly, fast-acting.”

To Soothe and Protect Using Clean Beauty

This EWG-verified eye cream is formulated with a specialized blend of only four ingredients: green coffee seed oil, Sanoma flower oil, Lactobacillus ferment and water using a BioIntact cold emulsion process. Fermented Sanoma flower oil, the hero ingredient in the formulation is exceptionally rich in tocopherols, phytosterols, oleic, linoleic and palmitic acids. The unique combination helps boost radiance through consistent and intense hydration and protection of the skin barrier. The dermo duo behind Tribeca Skin Solutions, Diana and Laura Palmisano, continue to use the clean beauty eye treatment often to tend to the skin needs of their clients year-round, but especially during summer when the eye area can often be dehydrated. “Protecting the delicate skin around the eye area is important every season, but especially in the summer when there is more exposure to environmental elements from being outdoors,” the Palmisanos say. “We prefer Symbiome’s Luminary Replenishing Eye Cream because the minimal formula is fast-absorbing and concentrated with rich fatty acids and vitamins that help to protect and hydrate the barrier of the skin while also repairing damage to skin barrier.”

To Boost Collagen Production

When drinking water round the clock just doesn’t cut it, this fast-acting eye fluid contains HyA Complex-4, a mixture of four types of specialized hyaluronic acid, which performs with high-level effectiveness to hydrate the delicate eye area. International in-demand celebrity facialist Cynthia Aguilar savors the antiaging benefits of the smoothing eye cream. “I consider this the perfect eye care solution to help treat the signs of aging and fatigue,” she says. “It even functions to deeply hydrate the skin around the eye contour area, giving a radiant finish to your complexion and making it a go-to recommendation for my clients all year long—but especially during the hotter months of summer.”

For Smoothing and Line Minimization

By far one of the most impressive eye treatments on the market, Shiseido’s eye cream uses two state-of-the-art scientific innovations combined with an ultra-healing complex combination of plant extracts that reinvigorate and essentially reactivate the eye area. ReNeura technology repairs skin by activating its often unresponsive sensory nerves, while the second innovation, Kombu-Bounce Complex, uses a three-algae combination to stimulate your skin’s own Laminin-511 production—the protein responsible for regulating the environment of the stem cell. Tina Turnbow, the esteemed makeup artist whose worked has graced red carpets and fashion covers galore, often turns to Benefiance Eye Treatment to restore and smooth her clients’ eyes. “This is my client Keri Russell’s favorite eye cream,” Turnbow says. “I love using this under makeup because its rich formula hydrates and plumps without pilling or being too slippery. It’s the perfect formula for an eye cream and does everything you’d ever want!”

Hydration and Dark Circle Relief for Sensitive Eyes

Natalie Aguilar, the L.A.-based aesthetician often busy perfecting and tending to the skin needs of Eiza González and Rita Ora, declares Biologique Recherche’s Créme Contour eye treatment is the perfect all-in-one eye fix. “This is one of my favorite hydrating eye creams—it happens to be the best for sensitive eyes that tend to be dry,” Aguilar says. “It’s a protective, soothing, anti-dark circle cream that’s rich in beautiful seed oils and contains ceramides. I love that it has no fragrance; it’s gentle, moisturizing, and doesn’t irritate the eye area. Oftentimes, hydrating eye creams coat and leave a thick residue. This one does not feel like that at all.”

A Combo Treatment for Day and Night

“The skin under the eye area is especially delicate, and is usually where you’ll see the first signs of aging,” advises one of the country’s most renowned dermatologists, Dr. Harold Lancer. “During the summer, the sun can quickly damage the skin, so it’s important to wear your sunscreen, but also have an effective eye serum tackling wrinkles and tightening the skin under the eye.” Lancer created the Legacy Eye Treatment duo to help protect the eye area, using five active high-quality complexes. The day and night eye rollers help renew the eye area with an innovative triple rollerball applicator that gives a cooling effect that also gently massages the eye area. The Day Roller portion is infused with crushed white pearl and micro-algae, while delivering cooling hydration and improving the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. The Night Roller is formulated with crushed black pearls and Dr. Lancer’s Youth GF Complex to minimize the look of crow’s feet and fine lines. Any visible signs of crepe-iness are softened, leaving the eye contour looking firmer and moisturized.

For Intense Eye Hydration

Hourglass promises overnight eye transformation to fight puffiness, fine lines, and blue light stressors. This product gives noticeable plumping around the eye. Lisa Aharon, the makeup mastermind who works on creating looks for Rachel Brosnahan and Zosia Mamet tends to her own eyes with Hourglass’ Equilibrium Eye Balm. “A super hydrating moisture surge for eyes, Hourglass’ eye balm is what I’ll load on at night, almost like a mask or treatment,” she says. “It’s heavy-duty, long-lasting hydration in a little pot! It also has a bonus brightening effect to combat dark circles—and who doesn’t love that?”

To Awaken Dull Eyes and Improve Texture

This eye serum glides on refreshingly light and absorbs fast with visible results that improve the texture around the eyes, while hydrating and providing an even-toned appearance. Retinol and ferulic acid also bolster your eye area’s collagen production. This treatment even wins the praise of such respected dermatologists such as Francesca Ortenzio MD, FAAD. “The Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum has multiple potent collagen-stimulating ingredients,” Ortenzio says. “Retinol, a derivative of vitamin A and bakuchiol, an extract from the Babchi plant, both work to tighten crepe-y skin and diminish fine lines, making the entire eye area look brighter, healthier, and refreshed.”

We only include products that have been independently selected by W's editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.