Depending on where you stand on eye creams—essential for some, redundant with a good face moisturizer for others—even the best eye serums might seem superfluous. But these potent formulas are anything but. Unlike rich, nourishing creams, eye serums (like face serums before them) “are typically thinner, absorb more quickly, and deliver a higher concentration of active ingredients,” says Mamina Turegano, MD, a triple-board-certified dermatologist in New Orleans. That allows them to go above and beyond mere moisture, helping to target specific concerns like puffiness, dark circles, and fine lines.
The proof is in the proverbial pudding, which focuses less on moisturizing benefits and instead highlights active ingredients like peptides, growth factors, caffeine, and brightening agents. That can make them a game-changer for those experiencing (or expecting) signs of aging around the eyes. “I often recommend an eye serum for patients who have specific treatment targets or those who find traditional eye creams too rich, particularly those with oily or acne-prone skin,” says Y. Claire Chang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
Vogue’s Favorite Eye Serums
- Best Overall: Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum, $17
- Best for Dryness: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum, $25
- Best Lightweight: SkinCeuticals AOX+ Eye Gel, $110
- Best Drugstore: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Eye Serum, $45
If the eye cream debate raises the question of whether you can simply use your face serum around the eyes, the answer is: Sure, but you might be missing out. “Face serums often have active ingredients but may not be as specific to the eye area’s unique needs,” says Mina Amin, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Los Angeles. Moreover, she says, the skin around the eyes is thinner and more sensitive, so it merits a dedicated formula—especially when you’re working with potent ingredients.
Eye creams can be targeted, which in turn means that the best eye serum for you depends on whether you want to address dark circles, puffiness, or budding crow’s feet. Scroll ahead to discover what the experts recommend.
Best Overall: Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum
British Vogue’s senior beauty commerce writer, Ellie Davis, tests the Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum
Beauty of Joseon
Revive Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: There’s no shortage of excellent formulations among Korean skin-care products, but few have matched the efficacy and results of this eye serum. It’s long been a favorite of Dr. Chang for its pairing of retinal and ginseng “in a gentle formula that helps improve fine lines while minimizing irritation,” she says, noting that it’s a good introduction for those who want to start using retinol around the eyes. (Retinal is a more potent cousin to retinol; it’s thought to be gentler too.) She also gives it bonus points for its “lightweight, lotion-like formulation,” she says. However, because it contains a retinoid, it’s better used only at night.
- Key Ingredients: Ginseng, retinal, peptides, macadamia seed oil
- Best for: Those with milia, fine lines, or uneven skin texture
- Size: 30 ml
Best for Dryness: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum
The Ordinary
Multi-Peptide Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: Don’t be fooled: This unassuming bottle houses a strategic (and elegant) combination of ingredients designed to brighten and tighten the eye area. The blend of peptides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide work to “hydrate, brighten, and reduce appearance of fine lines,” says Chang, who counts it among her favorites. It’s ideal if you aren’t seeking heavy-duty actives just yet or want to try eye serums before investing in an even more powerful formula.
- Editor’s Experience: “I’ve loved this eye serum long before I really understood its real benefits. Despite my ignorance to the beauty of peptides, I realized its efficacy quickly. I found that it quelled dryness and puffiness after a single use; and at such an affordable price point, I had no reason not to come back to it again and again.” —Kiana Murden, beauty shopping editor
- Key Ingredients: Green tea extract, niacinamide, peptides, caffeine
- Best for: Those seeking benefits on a budget
- Size: 15 ml
Best Lightweight: SkinCeuticals AOX+ Eye Gel
SkinCeuticals
AOX+ Eye Gel
- Why We Love It: SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Cream consistently ranks among the best eye creams, but if you don’t have mature skin, consider this gel-based formulation instead. It’s essentially an eye-minded version of the brand’s beloved CE Ferulic face serum, pairing vitamin C with phloretin and ferulic acid (two potent antioxidants with a synergistic effect). Also within is caffeine to offset dark circles. Together, they brighten, smooth, and depuff the eye area—all while protecting it from future damage.
- Editor’s Experience: “I’ve begun developing milia around my eyes with age, which is why I keep coming back to this gel. It’s kept dark circles and hyperpigmentation at bay—no small feat, since I’m currently managing a four-month-old and a toddler—without leading to new bumps. I love that the gel sinks in instantly, the metal tube is travel-friendly, and it doesn’t have a discernible scent.” —Deanna Pai, contributor
- Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, phloretin, ferulic acid, caffeine
- Best for: Dark circles and undereye bags
- Size: 15 ml
Best Drugstore: La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Eye Serum
La Roche-Posay
Hyalu B5 Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: You might be familiar with the brand’s hyaluronic acid serum—it looks practically identical—but this comes with a rollerball applicator that makes it easy to apply around the eye area. The formula within is similarly thoughtful: “It’s hydrating yet weightless, like giving your undereyes a tall glass of water,” says Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New Haven, Connecticut. “The hyaluronic acid visibly plumps fine lines, while vitamin B5 soothes and repairs, making it perfect for tired eyes or those who wake up puffy.” She likes that it layers well under concealer to deliver a long-lasting, crease-free finish.
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, caffeine, niacinamide, hepes
- Best for: Dry or sensitive skin
- Size: 15 ml
Best for Puffiness: Chanel N°1 De Chanel Revitalizing Eye Serum
Vogue’s Kiana Murden uses Chanel’s N°1 De Chanel Revitalizing Eye Serum.
Chanel
N°1 De Chanel Revitalizing Eye Serum
Best for Crow’s-feet: Dr. Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Eye Serum
Dr. Dennis Gross
Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: For those seeking to smooth crow’s-feet, it doesn’t get much more effective than retinol. And this particular formula “combines retinol, ferulic acid, and niacinamide to target fine lines, dullness, and puffiness,” Turegano says. “It’s strong but still lightweight and doesn’t feel heavy around the eyes.” It also contains rambutan and bakuchiol—two plant-derived ingredients that work similarly to retinol but with less irritation—to bolster its effects.
- Key Ingredients: Retinol, ferulic acid, rambutan, bakuchiol
- Best for: All signs of aging
- Size: 15 ml
Best for Dark Circles: Sulwhasoo First Care Activating Eye Serum
Sulwhasoo
First Care Activating Eye Serum
- Why We Love It: Sulwhasoo’s First Care Activating Serum has legions of fans, and for good reason: The beloved Korean serum (powered by ginseng and madecassoside, derived from cica) gets regularly updated every few years to maximize its soothing, skin barrier-supportive power. This eye serum applies a similarly powerful yet supremely gentle approach to the eye area, using the brand’s fermented ginseng, caffeine, vitamin C, and peptides to firm and smooth around the orbital bone. Together, they target the three sources of dark circles: shadowing, inflammation, and discoloration.
- Editor’s Experience: “As a big Sulwhasoo fan, I had big expectations for this eye serum and it certainly delivered. The texture is sublime; honestly sort of similar to the aforementioned First Care face serum. But what I shockingly love most is the applicator that helps smooth the product along my undereye for a gentle depuffing massage.” —K.M.
- Key Ingredients: Ginseng, niacinamide, caffeine, peptides
- Best for: Dark circles
- Size: 20 ml
Best for Multiple Signs of Aging: Clarins Double Serum Eye Brightening + Depuffing Anti-Aging Concentrate
Clarins
Double Serum Eye Concentrate
- Why We Love It: The eye-focused counterpart to Clarins’s beloved (and bestselling) Double Serum, this formula—like the original—combines two separate serums to address a host of eye concerns, including a spectrum of dark circles (including blue, brown, and purple tones) as well as puffiness, fine lines, and crepiness. The two-phase product is inspired by skin’s own ratio of water to oil, thereby allowing it to better absorb into skin—where the lineup of ingredients, including marjoram extract, turmeric, and squalane, helps to boost elasticity, reinforce the skin barrier, and fade hyperpigmentation.
- Editor’s Experience: “Without weighing my skin down, this is one of the most hydrating eye serums I’ve used in a while. I really love the way it makes my undereye feel. Clarins always delivers on sensorial texture—in true French fashion—so I totally should’ve expected that. It’ll be a staple in my regimen for months to come.” —K.M.
- Key Ingredients: Turmeric, marjoram extract, vitamin E, squalane, niacinamide
- Best for: All signs of aging
- Size: 0.7 oz.
Everything You Need to Know
An eye serum is a lightweight and highly concentrated skin-care product that’s specifically formulated for the delicate skin around the eyes. They “typically contain higher concentrations of active ingredients compared to regular eye creams or face creams,” Amin says. “The skin around the eyes is thinner and more sensitive, so it can absorb and respond better to these potent ingredients.”
Because they’re so lightweight, they absorb quickly and layer seamlessly under other skin-care products; for that reason, an eye serum “is great to use in the morning if you have to apply other skin-care products and makeup on top,” Chang says. She recommends seeking out ingredients that target your specific concern; for instance, try peptides or retinoids for fine lines, niacinamide and vitamin C for dark circles, and caffeine for puffiness.
What to Look for in an Eye Serum
As with an eye cream, it helps to focus on the ingredients in your eye serum—as well as what’s not in the formula. Here’s what to consider:
- Ingredients: According to Gohara, it’s worth seeking out peptides (to support collagen), hyaluronic acid (to plump fine lines), caffeine (to deflate puffiness), and antioxidants like vitamin C or niacinamide (to brighten). However, the best active for you ultimately comes down to your individual concerns, so you can pick and choose accordingly.
- Fragrance: Consider opting for fragrance-free formulas. “Your eye area is the thinnest skin on your face, and you wouldn’t want to irritate it with unnecessary extras,” says Gohara.
- Ophthalmologist-Tested: Gohara also recommends looking for this label, which indicates that the formula has been vetted by an ophthalmologist to ensure it’s safe for the eye area.
How to Apply an Eye Serum
First, tap your eye serum into skin using your ring finger instead of rubbing or massaging it in. “It applies the perfect light pressure without tugging at delicate skin,” says Gohara.
Also, she recommends using a serum first and topping it with a cream if your skin needs extra moisture. “The serum sinks in fast, delivering active ingredients deep into the skin, while the cream locks everything in with nourishing moisture,” she says.
What’s the difference between an eye serum and eye cream?
There’s always a time and a place for eye cream. “Eye creams tend to focus on hydration and barrier support, often containing emollients and occlusives,” Chang says. Meanwhile, eye serums have a lighter texture, sink in more quickly, and may offer a greater variety or higher quantities of active ingredients than their richer counterparts, she says, that may make them better able to target issues like fine lines or puffiness.
Your eye serum should go before your eye cream—or in lieu of it. And in general, an eye cream can be especially helpful when you’re experiencing certain undereye issues. “If you’re dealing with milia, skin tags, or general undereye congestion—hello, pregnancy hormones and menopause—a serum is your smoother, lighter option,” says Gohara. “Creams can sometimes trap too much moisture or oil, creating those little white bumps.” Instead, serums can offer hydration without heaviness, making it ideal for this delicate area.
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—from board-certified dermatologists to celebrity aestheticians—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to eye serums, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredients, texture, applicator, ophthalmologist testing, and the skin-care concerns they address. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
