The dermatologist’s most famous anti-aging skin care ingredient, retinol, is sought-after for its many benefits, including smoothing, firming, brightening, and much more. Additionally, it comes with scientific evidence to prove it. Research has discovered that retinol may help reduce dark circles. Darkness around the eyes also boosts collagen and elastin formation to reduce the appearance of lines. There’s a caveat: the often-difficult vitamin A derivatives can be potent and may cause irritation. Therefore, the majority of Retinol creams are not safe for the eye area. With the recent advancements in technology for skincare, there are now retinol-based creams specifically designed for delicate areas.
The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab regularly tests skincare products and evaluates them in our Lab and with consumers who try them. To find the most effective products for the eyes using retinol, we tested the effectiveness of various samples using various instruments within our Lab. Our panel of testers from the consumer market also tried them IRL over four weeks. After which, they commented on the product’s properties, the application, and the appearance of the skin following use. In the process, we have collected more than 5,900 information points to identify the top Retinol eye creams available according to the tests conducted with our GH Beauty Lab.
Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum
Retinol is the principal active ingredient; Murad’s serum was a GH Beauty Lab test winner with firming, wrinkle-reducing, and the skin’s hydrating effects. The light formulation improved the firmness of the skin by 33 percent 33%after four weeks of regular usage with the Lab’s Cutometer machine, and moisture levels increased by 18%, based on studies conducted using The Corneometer device. Also, it reduced wrinkles by 7 percent in digital images using The Visia Complexion Analyzer in four weeks and improved the appearance of bags under the eyes. Even though it has retinol, our testers ranked it nearly perfect for non-irritating skin. “Finally, an eye treatment that delivered on its promises,” a customer reviewer said. “I’m thrilled with how this product improved my undereye area. Best I’ve ever used!” Another person has reported: “It never caused irritation or redness.”
Garnier SkinCare Ultra-Lift Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream containing Pro-Retinol
A great value in the GH Beauty Lab eye cream tests, this Garnier cream with retinol effectively firmed and softened the skin. It improved skin firmness by 32% and hydrated it by 31%, though it didn’t visibly reduce wrinkles on Lab tests. The creamy formula was popular with testers, receiving excellent scores for its ability to reduce dark circles and its pleasant fragrance. “It seemed to diminish my dark circles, so I used much less concealer!” A consumer test subject said. “It was also a fantastic moisturizing agent and could brighten the entire area. ”
Roc Retinol Correxion Under Eye Cream
Dark circles that are swollen undereye bags, Crow’s feet won’t have a chance against the Good Housekeeping Seal Star Roc eye cream, which has been proven to combat the three concerns with its potent combination of smoothing line-making retinol along with vitamin B5. The study showed the most popular users had their eye-area wrinkles reduced by 50% over twelve weeks.
No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Eye Cream
No7’s Eye Cream, a GH Seal Star, shows an improvement in three of the most prominent signs of aging in the eye: wrinkles, loss of firmness, wrinkles, and uneven skin appearance. It contains active ingredients such as peptides, retinol, vitamin C, and Hyaluronic Acid. Research has shown that users noticed improvement within about two weeks. “I have been using this for about one week, and it has already started fading my crow’s feet and tightening the drooping skin under my eyes,” one Ulta reviewer said.
SkinBetter Science EyeMax AlphaRet Overnight Cream
Dr. Yeh recommends SkinBetter Science’s night-time retinol eye cream that she utilizes in her skincare routine. “It has the equivalent of a prescription-strength retinoid combined with alpha-hydroxy acids and antioxidants, which gives additional anti-aging benefits and protection from daily environmental exposure,” she explains. “It is also very moisturizing, which goes a long way in improving the appearance of the under eyes.” GH Beauty Editor Dori Price is a massive fan of the product. “I love how nourishing this eye cream is — it sinks right in and plumps up my skin,” she claims. ”
L’Oreal Paris Age Perfect Eye Renewal
It is formulated with retinol and softening botanical oils and caffeine that depuffs; the light yet potent L’Oreal Paris cream tackled multiple eye issues during GH Beauty Lab testing without irritating or irritating delicate skin. We discovered that it was hydrating, firm, and smoothed wrinkles and crow’s feet and also reduced the appearance of bags and dark shadows but didn’t cause irritation or redness. “I have susceptible skin, and most products irritate, but this didn’t at all,” one of the testers told us. “I’ve tried product after product and have never had an eye cream work as effectively as this one.”
La Roche-Posay Redermic R Anti-Aging Retinol Eye Cream
Help reduce bags of pressure with this La Roche-Posay eye cream. When tested on GH Beauty Lab testing, it scored high for reducing wrinkles and puffiness and softening skin. Our Lab test subjects had no eye or skin irritations and reported that it was absorbed quickly. “It offers an instant pick-me-up: The cream made my eyes appear well-rested and younger-looking,” an individual consumer tester said. Another user noted less puffiness under her eyes.