Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream
Give your eye area a well-rested glow with this ultra-conditioning energizing serum. Its formula includes vitamin C and a chain of peptides to brighten, hydrate and reduce the appearance of dark circles.
This lightweight gel is infused with three forms of vitamin C to prevent hyperpigmentation and help skin look firm, plus caffeine and peptide to restrict blood vessels and minimize puffiness and fine lines.
1. e.l.f. Cucumber Brightening Eye Cream
A rich eye cream that nourishes and deeply moisturizes the delicate skin around the eyes while minimizing dark circles. Contains skin-nourishing ingredients like jojoba and vitamin E along with cucumber extract. Also free of phthalates, parabens, nonylphenol ethoxylates, triclosan, and hydroquinone.
This hydrating formula with shea butter and hyaluronic acid is an excellent choice for dry, mature skin that has begun to show fine lines. This fragrance-free eye cream also contains peptides, which work to reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness.
This one is a favorite among many of our experts, including medical aesthetician Sofie Pavitt (who counts Rio Viera-Newton as one of her clients). It’s gentle enough for those with sensitive skin and works to brighten dark circles while reducing puffiness and smoothing out fine lines. It also helps to diminish brown spots and uneven skin tone. Plus, it contains retinol to help fight signs of aging and amino peptides for an extra boost. Plus, it’s a great option for those with sensitive skin because it is fragrance-free and doesn’t contain any alcohol or parabens.
2. Garnier SkinActive Brightening Eye Cream
This cream is a two-in-one treatment: a gel serum depuffs the skin around your eyes and a rich cream moisturizes overnight. It’s formulated with vitamin C, which helps brighten the complexion, plus peptides to firm and hyaluronic acid to plump fine lines. It also contains tranexamic acid, which reduces the appearance of dark spots and prevents new ones from forming.
One of the first eye creams to hit shelves in the summer, this gel-serum is Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream a must for anyone struggling with dark circles. It contains a stabilized form of vitamin C to help fade discoloration, and it’s also enriched with shea butter to smooth and hydrate the delicate area.
The cream’s packaging is also adorable—the compact has a built-in mirror and doubles as a makeup applicator. And, it’s a certified cruelty free product under the Leaping Bunny Program and is produced in Garnier’s carbon neutral factory.
3. Herbal Dynamics Beauty Vitamin K Contouring Eye Cream
This rich cream gives suppleness to the delicate eye area and minimizes visible signs of aging. Vitamin K and eyebright extract tighten and diminish the look of dark circles, while hyaluronic acid and a blend of softening oils provide instant smoothing.
Its nongreasy formula is lightweight, but moisturizing enough for daytime use. It contains hyaluronic acid to plump fine lines, and a blend of botanicals—including arnica montana and bisabolol—to soothe the delicate skin around the eyes. It also features peptides to brighten and reduce the appearance of puffiness and discoloration, and is free from oil, parabens, and phthalates.
Russak explains that the encapsulated vitamin K in this product works to help dark circles fade by improving circulation and supporting the body’s natural healing process. This cream also contains other antioxidants—including vitamin C and peptides—to promote brighter-looking skin, plus horse chestnut to improve blood flow and chamomile to soothe irritation. It also has retinol to improve the penetration of vitamin K. Use it morning and night.
4. Bobbi Brown Eye Primer
Vitamin C eye creams are having a serious moment. Six new releases have hit shelves over the last few weeks, and they each use the antioxidant-rich ingredient in a different way.
This nourishing formula takes cues from Bobbi Brown’s #1 moisturizing primer and delivers the multivitamin moisture of an eye cream with the concealer-ready prep of a primer. The hydrating cream contains vitamin C, which improves skin texture and brightens dark circles, plus a blend of vitamins B3, B5, B6, B9, and B12 that nourish the delicate eye Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream area. Sodium hyaluronate hydrates deeply, softening the look of fine lines, and shea butter nourishes to give skin a smooth finish.
A revamp of one of OleHenriksen’s best-selling products, this serum is a game changer for anyone dealing with hyperpigmentation around the eyes. It uses 10 percent guava-derived vitamin C to brighten, while gold and niacinamide fade discoloration. The hydrating cream also includes free radical-fighting ferulic acid, caffeine to reduce puffiness, and peptides to tighten the appearance of skin. The emollient-rich formula also includes squalane, which boosts hydration and sheen, as well as bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate, which blurs the appearance of pores.
5. Summer Fridays Brightening Eye Cream
Known to be the most effective skin-brightening ingredient, Vitamin C has been found to help reduce the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation. It also helps stimulate the production of collagen, which can firm the skin. Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 is another ingredient in the product that helps reduce the appearance of fine lines, while caffeine acts as a natural de-puffing agent.
Lastly, there’s glycerin which is often used as a moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated. Glycerin can also help improve the skin barrier, which is important because it helps protect against irritants and bacteria, as well as toxins and viruses.
Summer Fridays launched in 2018 with just one very Instagrammable product (their Jet Lag Mask), but they’ve grown into a full-fledged skincare brand now available at Sephora, Selfridges, and NET-A-PORTER. We tapped founders Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Ireland to get their take on their latest launch, the Light Aura Vitamin C + Peptide Eye Cream. Powered by a super-potent Vitamin C and peptide blend, it visibly brightens the entire eye area and promotes firmer, smoother-looking skin. Its intensely moisturizing formula also includes de-puffing caffeine, soothing allantoin and vitamin E, and natural optics to add soft illumination on all skin tones.
