Ugh, aging. It’s great that we’re slowing easing out of the acne phase. It blows that we’re running headfirst into the wrinkles phase. But, if you catch on early, you can help prevent having your eyes look like wrinkly old sacks on your face. The best time to start using an eye cream is actually now—like, in your 20s and 30s—if you want to prevent the look of lines and bags and dark circles later. Just add it to your already 18-step routine. It’ll be fine. The good thing is that when it comes to eye cream, you don’t need to empty your life savings to get good sh*t. There are tons of drugstore brands that’ll get the job done since we’re like, v poor right now. Look for creams and serums that’ll help de-puff, smooth, moisturize, and plump, depending what your issue is. Here are a few drugstore eye creams we like that are literally under $25.
1. Burt’s Bees Sensitive Eye Cream
Aloe is my fav when the sun has done me wrong (v rude), and it works well on your eyes, too. Typical of Burt’s Bees, this eye cream has natural extracts that will make you feel one with nature. It’s also hypoallergenic, so it probably won’t bother your precious eyes.
2. Olay Eyes Ultimate Eye Cream
Nicole Kidman keeps telling me that Olay is amazing, and I’ll be damned if I won’t listen to that eternally 30-year-old betch (like, I’m sure they don’t just keep putting soft lenses on her so she appears younger, right?). Sorcery or not, Olay is a formula that’s been worshipped for decades, and its eye cream stands up to the best of the department store brands. The cream actually has a teeeeny tiny bit of concealer in it along with vitamins and niacinamide, which help with circles over time. So, count this one in as the daytime eye savior.
3. CeraVe Eye Repair Cream
CeraVe is one of the only drugstore brands I could find when I was in Le France, so, therefore, everything CeraVe does is très amazing. The formula is made with CeraVe’s combo of ceramides and hyaluronic acid with some other cool stuff I can’t pronounce. The best part? It doesn’t have any fragrances and is non-comedogenic so it’s perfect if you have sensitive skin.
4. Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller
Throw this sh*t in the fridge and apply when you watch something sad or are dealing with a late season allergy that’s f*cking your life up and now your eyes are puffy and omg I feel like Rocky after battling Apollo Creed. Anyway, this Garnier roller ball acts like a teeny massage for your eye and the gel, which has caffeine in it, can de-puff in a few minutes.
5. RoC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Eye Cream
Using retinol, a known fighter of wrinkles, this eye cream combats sagging. It also contains hyaluronic acid, so you’ll be fighting crow’s feet from two angles.
6. Aveeno Absolutely Ageless Eye Cream
I hate Jennifer Aniston, but I love Aveeno, which makes me feel all sorts of conflicted. Anyway, blackberry and dill extract plus a few other natural ingredients make the Aveeno eye cream a great choice to help strengthen the elastin around your eye before it gets droopy and gross.
7. Yes To Grapefruit Brightening Dark Circle Eye Cream
The Yes To line is great for hippie girls who don’t shower yet still somehow have amazing skin (wtf, teach me your ways). The grapefruit line helps a lot with dark circles, thanks to fruit acids that will brighten your skin in a natural highlighter sort of way.
8. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream
Neutrogena rules, and this gel cream is pumped full of hyaluronic acid, which I promise is not as scary as it sounds. Basically, it’s a gel formula that sinks into your skin and hydrates your eyes without it feeling like you just rubbed Vaseline into your corneas. Praise be.
Images: Remy_Loz, Unsplash; Giphy (1); Amazon (8)
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