Can we all scream “hell yeah!” for those eye creams? Well, without them, divas like you would be wandering hopelessly, lost, looking tired, and exhausted. Yup, this is truly hyperbolic. But a big thanks to these magical potions — our fatigue, dark circles, and puffiness are reduced. But with so many options out there, things can get perplexing.
That’s why I’ve curated a list of some of the best under eye creams for dark circles in India. But before we dive into the list, let me also tell you that no matter how much rest you get, there are a few other reasons those dark bags appear — genetics, allergies, thinning skin, and pigmentation.
So, using any random eye cream will not banish those dark bags. Instead, there are only a selected few that actually work. Scroll down!
10 Best Under Eye Creams for Dark Circles in India
These eye creams are enriched with high-tech ingredients that help constrict the blood vessels (that cause dark shadows) and further, brighten pigmented areas to ensure you see noticeable results.
So, these are my list of favourites.
1. Forest Essentials Light Hydrating Under Eye Gel
- Tones the delicate skin
- Relaxes and soothes
- Reduces fine lines and wrinkles
- Provides deep moisture
Product Features:
- Contains aloe vera, rose extracts, and cucumber
- Reduces fine lines and wrinkles
- Provides deep moisture
- Cucumber (astringent) reduces pigmentation
- Tones the delicate skin
- Hydrates your eye skin deeply
- Relaxes and soothes
- Expensive but for the brand and ingredients it uses, it is 100% worth the money
2. RE’ EQUIL Under Eye Cream for Wrinkles & Dark Circles
- Suits all skin types
- Rejuvenate your under eye skin
- Restores moisture and elasticity
- Clinically proven actives
Product Features:
- Contains quinoa seed extracts, lumiskin, hyaluronic acid
- Rejuvenate your under eye skin
- Restores moisture and elasticity
- Clinically proven actives
- Suits all skin types
- Non-comedogenic formulation
- Gives brighter & radiant looking eyes
- Hydrolyzed pea proteins for deep moisture
- Not much drawbacks found
3. Honest Choice Eye Cream for Men & Women
- Prevents wrinkles and pigmentation
- Enhances skin cell activity
- Peptides contribute supple & young skin
- Safe and harmless
Product Features:
- Includes plant stem cells, vitamins, and cucumber
- Hyaluronic acid replenishes moisture levels
- Prevents wrinkles and pigmentation
- Enhances skin cell activity
- Peptides contribute supple & young skin
- Safe and harmless
- Boosts skin elasticity
- Comes with anti-aging properties
- Reduces puffiness & wrinkles
- Great packaging
- Not much drawbacks found
4. Neutrogena Repair Under Eye Cream for Dark Circles
- Hydrates delicate skin around eyes
- Nourishing liquid eye cream
- Wakes up tired eyes
- Accelerated Brightening Complex
Product Features:
- Nourishing liquid eye cream
- Wakes up tired eyes
- Formulated with Accelerated Brightening Complex
- Dermatologically-tested and safe
- Reduces dark bags in a few weeks
- Hydrates delicate skin around eyes
- Maintains healthy under-eye skin tone
- Not many drawbacks found
5. Bella Vita Organic Under Eye Cream for Dark Circles
- Enhances skin elasticity
- Repairs dark circles effectively
- Brightens your under-eye skin tone
- Lessens eye puffiness
Product Features:
- Natural & mild under-eye gel based formula
- Repairs dark circles effectively
- Brightens your under-eye skin tone
- Lessens eye puffiness,wrinkles, and fine lines
- Contains cucumber extracts, tulsi, almond oil, retinol, jojoba oil, and aloe vera
- Boost collagens
- Soothes eye fatigue
- Enhances skin elasticity
- Not many drawbacks found
6. St.Botanica Pure Radiance Under Eye Cream
- Leves the skin nourished
- Promotes consistent moisture balance
- Repairs damaged tissues
- Non-sticky & non-greasy formula
Product Features:
- Vitamin C in it brightens the tender skin
- Contains hyaluronic acid and vitamins B3 too
- Has morrocan oil & jojoba oil
- Non-sticky & non-greasy formula
- Promotes consistent moisture balance
- Repairs damaged tissues
- Penetrates deeper into skin and heals
- Rich in antioxidants & anti-ageing
- Leves the skin nourished
- Not many drawbacks found
7. mCaffeine Raw & Naked Coffee-based Under Eye Cream
- Protects from sun damage and heals
- Fights free radicals
- Free from SLS and parabens
- Approved by the FDA
Product Features:
- Contains natural coffee, water lily, vitamin E, and almond oil
- Fortified with pure antioxidants
- Protects from sun damage and heals
- Fights free radicals
- Free from SLS and parabens
- Approved by the FDA
- Infused with skin-nurturing ingredients
- Non-sticky & non-greasy
- Absorbs better and easily
- Clinically-tested formula
- Not much drawbacks found
8. Biotique Bio Almond Nourishing & Soothing Eye Cream
- Wonderful fragrance
- Heals sunburns and pigmentation
- Reduces skin dryness
- Gets rid of dark circles
Product Features:
- Contains sunflower oil, almond oil, Quince fruit, and nutmeg
- Enriched with vitamin E to improve skin elasticity
- Heals sunburns and pigmentation
- Fortified with natural antioxidants
- Wonderful fragrance
- Brightens and lightens eye contours
- Reduces skin dryness
- Gets rid of dark circles & puffiness
- Consistency is too thick
- Composition is oily
- Fails to absorb quickly
9. Himalaya Herbals Under Eye Cream for Dark Circles
- Contains blend of herbs
- Special formula for delicate skin
- Suits all skin types
- Moisturises eye area
Product Features:
- Contains safe & proven blend of herbs
- Special formula for delicate skin around the eyes
- Suits all skin types
- Detoxifies & moisturises eye area
- Smoothness wrinkles & fine lines
- Infused with wheatgerm oil & vitamin E
- Nourishes the skin
- Not many drawbacks found
10. L’Oreal Revitalift Laser X3 Under Eye Cream
- Improves skin elasticity
- Lightweight formula
- Corrects and retightens the skin
- Gives a smooth texture
Product Features:
- 3% Pro-xylane + Adenosine for deep hydration
- Improves skin elasticity
- Contains fragmented hyaluronic acid & caffeine
- Corrects and retightens the skin
- Gives a smooth texture
- Great packaging and applicator
- Lightweight formula
- Lifts sagging skin
- Effects seems to be a little cosmetic
- Effects last only if you use the product
- Doesn’t address the dark circles issue
What are Under Eye Creams?
An eye cream is specifically formulated for your delicate skin around the eyes, so that they become firm and thicker.
Usually, eye creams come packed with more oil content than regular face creams or lotions do. In addition, they also have more active ingredients that help in getting rid of common eye problems like dark circles, eye puffiness, eye fatigue, etc.
How to Choose an Eye Cream?
You just cannot pick a random eye cream and start applying it. No! In fact, a BIG NO!
To ensure that you are getting the maximum from that little extra step (of applying an eye cream), turn to its ingredients list. Also, keep in mind: Prevention is the key. Therefore, preserve your skin around your eyes with the right skincare habits.
Okay, so now the most crucial question – what factors to look for while buying an eye cream?
Is there anything specific which you should be looking for?
Well, 100% yes.
There are 3 important factors to look into while choosing an under eye cream:
- Your Skin Type
- Normal skin: Use a gel-based formula if you have normal skin tone. Apply it on a daily basis to rejuvenate the delicate skin under the eyes. Also, a light formula absorbs better and makes your eyes feel relaxed.
- Sensitive & Acne-prone skin: Buy an under eye cream that’s formulated with soothing ingredients such as chamomile and green tea. Since the skin surrounding the eyes is very delicate, always apply it gently.
- Dehydrated & Dry skin: Go for an under eye cream that has some nourishing ingredients like vitamin C (because L-ascorbic acid maintains hydration), chamomile, green tea, and coneflower. For dry skin, it is best recommended to use the eye cream both in the mornings and nights to keep itchy or flaky skin at bay.
- Sticky or Oily skin: Look for an eye cream that has nice, balancing gel formulation. Although you don’t need an extra layer of hydration, an eye cream definitely helps in erasing off the dark circles and further, prevents ageing signs.
- Damaged or Ageing skin: For mature skin or skin that’s suffering from too much damage (perhaps, due to environmental factors or any other lying medical condition), look for an eye cream that harness the regenerative & hydrating properties of plant stem cells. This ingredient promotes skin cell repair and protects it from further damage.
- Your Age
- 20s to 30s: This is the ideal age to start wearing a good eye cream. Most people tend to believe that eye creams are only when they get into their 40s. Hell, no! If you start early, you repair early and prevent your skin from damage. If you fall under this age group, try different DIY home remedies as well as use a good eye cream that’s rich in antioxidants.
- 30s to 40s: Once in late 30s, your main focus should be on 2 things. One: boosting your collagen production. Two: combating the ageing signs. Look for an eye cream that has high-grade retinols & peptides, as they are far more beneficial at this time. Hyaluronic acid is also excellent in plumping up your skin and further, keeping them hydrated.
- 50s and above: If you are in your late 40s or above, it is vital to look for an eye cream, which supports tissue repair, reduces ageing signs, and prevents damage. Also, this is the time when skin sensitivity keeps increasing. Therefore, go for something that has rich anti-inflammatory properties. Maybe, a good peptide blend will be beneficial.
- The Results you Desire for
Okay, so what kind of results are you expecting from an eye cream? Is it for deep hydration? Lightening of dark circles? Moisturised and nourished? So, there are many! So, based on what you want, pick an eye cream.
- Hydration: Okay, so if hydration is what you want as a result, look for an eye cream that has anti-inflammatory ingredients and hyaluronic acid. These give a brightening and moisturising effect.
- Dark circles removal: If this is what you want to achieve, opt for an eye cream that is rich in anti-inflammatory, hydrating, and has some essential brightening ingredients that work on those dark bags.
- Reduced or Balanced pigmentation: If discolouration or hyperpigmentation is what you want to fix, look for an eye cream that contains liquorice, citrus, and organic peptides. These will lighten, balance, and soothe your skin tone.
- Smoothing of wrinkles and fine lines: If this is what you want to accomplish, then look for a good eye cream that has loads of potent ingredients like retinol derivative retinyl, plant peptides, and L-ascorbic acid. These help in filling the fine lines and further, smooth your crepey lids.
How to Use an Eye Cream Properly?
The skin around your eyes is a lot more fragile than the rest of your face. They are vulnerable to dryness, and in fact, show fatigue as well as ageing signs much faster. That’s why you’ll see your ageing signs there first.
Since the area under the eyes is very delicate, it also means that you have to apply the under eye cream correctly to sabotage your skin underneath. You just can’t rub the eye cream rigorously or harshly.
So, here’s what you need to do:
Step 1: Wash your hands and face first
You definitely don’t want the lurking hand germs to get on your eyes or face. Do you? So, before you even think of applying your eye cream – here’s a regime to rigidly follow. Wash your hands first and then, your face with a mild face wash.
Step 2: Take a little amount (pea-size) of the eye cream on your fingers
Understand that most eye creams are highly concentrated. So, unlike body lotions, you really don’t have to be generous while applying them. Just a pea-size amount can do a lot good, especially for athta lil’ delicate skin area. Take them on your fingers and be ready.
Step 3: Apply it in tiny dots around your eyes and brow bones
Now, comes the fun part – application! Begin with the inner corners beneath your eyes. Apply little dots all the way up to your brow bones so that it looks like a semi-circle. Tap on that semicircle kind pattern gently to stimulate blood circulation. Do this until the eye cream is completely absorbed. Never stretch or pull the skin when you are doing this. Be gentle. Don’t put excess pressure.
Note: Never get close to your eyes, as it can cause irritation. Just focus on the delicate skin underneath. Not the eyes. Unless the eye cream label asks you to, never ever apply near or on your eyelids.
Step 4: Leave it for better absorption
If you are applying it in the morning, then leave it for a few minutes so that it gets absorbed properly. Wait at least for 2 minutes before you even think of applying that concealer. If you are using it at night, then it shouldn’t be a problem. But just make sure to clean your face and hands before doing so.
For desired results, use the eye cream both during morning and at night. While some might prefer using it in the daytime to make the concealer look perfect; others like it to be applied at night.
But this is completely your choice and preferences. As long as you use it on a daily basis, it is good!
Conclusion
For many men and women, eye creams might not do much or have great effects — especially, if you’re someone who comes with dark circles or hereditary bags. You can make little lifestyle changes. Say, for instance, reduce your salt intake.
However, there isn’t any guarantee that these tricks will work. Even if it does, it won’t be a miraculous cure. So, the best bet? Well, eye creams!
No matter which side you stand on the debate for using eye creams, one thing to religiously do is to use good sunscreen. Just “go back to basics.”
And if you really don’t have that much money — or the desire — to invest your hard-earned money on a nice, fancy eye cream, here’s my simple advice: “Just eat healthy, take less stress, be fortified with vitamins, wear a good sunscreen, exercise regularly, and drink lots of water. These are the actual ABCs of skincare.
