The skin around the eyes and on the eyelids is thinner than in other areas, making it more susceptible to environmental damage and prone to irritation by harsh ingredients in skincare products.
Even people with dry or oily skin can have sensitive skin around the eyes. To avoid redness, eye watering, puffiness, and other signs of irritation, use products that are designed and tested for use in this delicate area.
To help you choose, we researched the best eye creams for sensitive skin and made a list of 18 of the best products according to skin experts and users.
18 Best Eye Creams for Sensitive Skin
Read carefully to determine which eye cream is suitable for you because some of these products address aging signs (e.g., lines and wrinkles), some focus on dark circles, and some provide an ultra-rich hydrating experience. The first eight products on the list are endorsed by the Vibrant Skin Bar skin experts because they are infused with medical-grade ingredients and approved by dermatologists.
How to Apply Eye Cream
All eye creams should be applied in a thin layer under the eyes and on the outer eye corners. Pat the cream lightly, rather than smear, moving outward from the inner eye corners. Use it in the morning and evening for the best results.
1. Youth Eye Complex by iS Clinical
iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex is a gentle, but rich formula suitable for all skin types. It includes hyaluronic acid, which attracts moisture from the environment and provides the necessary hydration.
Copper tripeptide growth factor rebuilds the skin’s protective barrier, strengthening the under-eye area, and pseudoalteromonas ferment extract stimulates elastin and collagen production, additionally firming the skin. The cream also contains acetyl octapeptide-3, which helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
2. Instant Effect Gel EYE by skinbetter
Instant Effect Gel EYE is free of allergens and irritating ingredients such as gluten, coconut, lanolin, paraben, dye, and preservatives. It contains soothing botanical extracts and algae blend to reduce puffiness, green coffee to enhance the skin’s ability to fight free radicals, and sodium hyaluronate for a powerful hydrating effect.
The cream helps reduce puffiness and dark circles and refreshes the under-eye area.
3. Restorative Eye Treatment by Alastin
Restorative Eye Treatment is a potent formula targeting the main concerns related to premature aging: wrinkles, dark circles, and puffiness. Niacinamide, green tea, and oak leaf tea extracts help improve skin tone and eye shadows, while tetrapeptide-30 provides powerful anti-aging effects.
The innovative TriHex Technology® in the cream promotes elastin and collagen production, while tremella (silver mushroom) deeply hydrates the under-eye area.
4. Instant Bright Eye Cream by SkinMedica
Instant Bright Eye Cream targets multiple premature aging signs and is formulated for all skin types. Its active ingredients include phenylethyl resorcinol, which helps reduce pigmentation, a potent hyaluronic acid blend to deeply hydrate and instantly plump the skin, and marine extracts to eliminate dark circles.
Note: Read our article, and find out how microneedling under eyes can help you get rid of dark circles.
5. EyeMax AlphaRet® Overnight Cream by skinbetter
EyeMax AlphaRet Overnight Cream contains a novel retinoid, ethyl lactyl retinoate, to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. The cream also includes niacinamide and glycolic acid to decrease hyperpigmentation, and many moisturizing agents to provide deep hydration – glycerin, ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and squalene.
As all creams containing retinoids, it increases the skin’s sensitivity to UV rays, so it’s intended only for use at night. The cream is suitable for all skin types.
6. Interfuse Treatment Cream for Eyes by skinbetter
Interfuse Treatment Cream for Eyes is a comprehensive formula that nourishes the skin while improving the most common premature aging signs – crow’s feet, under-eye puffiness, and dark circles.
The key active ingredients in the product are vitamin C, which brightens and protects the under-eye area, caffeine and yeast derivative, which decrease puffiness, and a mix of moisturizing agents – glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, and arginine. Jojoba esters in the product have soothing properties.
7. TNS Eye Repair by SkinMedica
TNS Eye Repair uses SkinMedica’s advanced TNS Complex formula to reduce the appearance of aging signs. The formula is infused with growth hormones and proteins to strengthen the delicate under-eye skin, antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E) to protect the skin from free radicals, and retinyl palmitate (a form of retinol) to help eliminate wrinkles.
8. TNS Illuminating Eye Cream by SkinMedica
Another TNS Complex-powered formula by SkinMedica, TNS Illuminating Eye Cream reduces dark circles, improves skin texture, and deeply hydrates the skin. Active ingredients include growth factors, antioxidants, peptides, panthenol, sodium hyaluronate, and glycerin.
It has a rich, creamy consistency that deeply nourishes the under-eye area.
9. Eye Repair Cream by CeraVe
CeraVe Eye Repair Cream is a budget-friendly drugstore cream that uses only a few ingredients in a potent combination that provides hydration throughout the day. It is infused with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, niacinamide, and a marine and botanical complex. The cream is fragrance-free and suitable for sensitive skin.
The product costs $13.49.
10. Retinol Correction Line Smoothing Eye Cream by RoC
RoC’s line-smoothing eye cream has a gentle formula suitable for sensitive skin. Its star ingredient is wrinkle-reducing retinol, so some doctors recommend spot testing before applying the cream on the whole under-eye area.
Other active ingredients include panthenol, a form of vitamin B with calming and hydrating properties, and zinc and copper, minerals that soothe sensitive skin and help improve fine lines, puffiness, and tone. Zinc also helps reduce all types of acne.
The product costs $28.
11. Hydro Boost Eye Gel-Cream by Neutrogena
Hydro Boost Eye Gel-Cream is a minimalist, budget-friendly, hydrating eye cream. Its key ingredients, hyaluronic acid and glycerin, help the skin retain moisture and prevents dryness and irritation. The gel-cream formula is absorbed quickly, like a gel, but provides the long-lasting hydration of a moisturizing cream.
The product costs $22.99.
12. Hydrating Eye Cream with Hyaluronic Acid by First Aid Beauty
Hydrating Eye Cream is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin, because of its soothing and hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, panthenol, and cucumber extract. The antioxidant properties of caffeine and colloidal oatmeal in the formula ward off free radicals. Licorice root extract brightens the skin, helping to improve pigmentation and reduce dark circles.
The cream has a rich consistency and absorbs quickly.
The product costs $30.
13. Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado by Kiehl's
Skin experts often recommend Creamy Eye Treatment to people with very dry skin and increased sensitivity around eyes. It has amazing hydrating and soothing capabilities thanks to emollient ingredients such as avocado oil, shea butter, and tridecyl stearate.
The cream is fast-absorbing and lends a soft, supple feel to the skin.
The product costs $36.
Note: Learn what is the best skin care routine for dry skin.
14. Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Boost 360° Eye Cream by Skinfix
Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Boost 360° Eye Cream brightens and tightens the skin, reducing puffiness, and decreasing fine lines and wrinkles.
The cream’s star ingredients include hydrating triple-lipid complex, a blend of ingredients that restore the skin’s ceramide and fatty acid levels, helping to strengthen and plump the under-eye area. It also contains a seaweed hyaluronate blend, which provides intense hydration, and a fermented prebiotic yeast, which helps reduce dark circles.
The cream is light and soothing, and suitable for all skin types.
The product costs $44.
15. Hypoallergenic CBD Sensitive Skin Therapy Soothing & Hydrating Eye Cream by Perricone MD
The manufacturer claims Hypoallergenic CBD Sensitive Skin Therapy is a gentle cream with potent moisturizing and nourishing ingredients suitable for the sensitive skin around the eyes.
The cream is infused with 99% pure CBD (cannabidiol), a natural substance found in the hemp plant, which calms and revitalizes stressed and problematic skin. It also contains bisabolol (a compound found in chamomile extract) to brighten and soothe the skin, and marigold extract, to provide intense hydration and calming effects.
The product costs $72.
16. Eye Cream for Sensitive Skin by Burt’s Bees
Eye Cream for Sensitive Skin appeals to users who prefer clean, earth-sourced ingredients in their skincare products. The cream’s key ingredients include olive oil, shea butter (emollients), cotton flower extract, and glycerin (humectants), which help depuff and hydrate the skin.
Lactic acid in the product works as a gentle exfoliant to brighten and firm the skin, while aloe vera soothes and regenerates the delicate under-eye area.
The product costs $14.99.
17. Toleriane Dermallergo Eye Cream by La Roche-Posay
Toleriane Dermallergo Eye Cream is tested on allergy-prone skin and designed to reduce irritation in the under-eye area, making it suitable for all skin types.
The product is rich with hydrating ingredients, including glycerin, shea butter, and squalene. Niacinamide improves the natural protective moisture barrier around the eyes, and acetyl dipeptide-1 cetyl ester helps decrease irritation by signaling to the skin cells to relax.
The product costs 26.99.
18. Soothing Eye Contour Cream by Avène
Suitable for all skin types, Soothing Eye Contour Cream uses carefully chosen ingredients that calm irritated or dry skin and reduce puffiness in the under-eye area.
Avène thermal spring water provides natural anti-irritant properties, bisabolol soothes inflamed and tight skin, and glycerin and sodium hyaluronate help retain the skin’s moisture all day.
The product costs $29.
Which Eye Cream for Sensitive Skin Should You Choose?
Skin around the eyes is delicate and often requires special care.
The following general guidelines for choosing the best eye cream can help in your search for a suitable product.
- Look for eye creams with a clean formula and few ingredients.
- Choose eye creams with humectants that help attract moisture, such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, panthenol, urea, etc.
- Choose eye creams with emollients that help retain moisture, such as shea butter, squalene, ceramides, lanolin.
- Look for soothing plant ingredients such as aloe vera, green tea, cucumber, seaweed.
- Spot test the product first if it includes potent anti-aging ingredients, such as retinol and vitamin C.
- Opt for soft, lightweight products.
- Make sure the cream is free of irritating ingredients (e.g., synthetic fragrances, parabens, alcohol, preservatives).
Conclusion
People often experience sensitivity around the eyes due to various factors, including harsh weather, lack of sleep, and irritating skincare products. Quality eye creams for sensitive skin can help resolve these issues and revitalize the area around the eyes.
We hope our list of recommendations helps you find a suitable product that will make the skin around your eyes feel soft and hydrated.
