Best Ingredients for Dark Circles

The first thing to look for in the battle against dark circles is the same thing we use to jumpstart tired brains in the morning: caffeine. “You lose collagen and elastin under your eyes as you age,” says Klein. “Since that skin is thin to begin with, the blood vessels show up more and more. Caffeine shrinks the blood vessels to help make that blue color less noticeable.”

Helping to prevent future breakdown of elastin and collagen is also important. All the dermatologists we talked to said that antioxidants were the way to go. We used this dictionary from skincare expert, Paula Begoun, which ranks different antioxidants on their effectiveness in skincare products. We only considered antioxidants with “good” or “best” rankings.

Sunscreen was another must. Not only does it protect skin from sun damage, but also the right kind can help brighten up dark circles right away. “Morning creams with zinc oxide, natural minerals, or other optical diffusers will help conceal dark circles and provide sun protection, so they have dual purpose,” says Klein. We call that a win-win.

Other nice-to-haves we prioritized: niacinamide, which is known for lightening up dark spots on skin; mica, a natural mineral that reflects light for immediate under-eye brightening; and peptides, which help rebuild collagen to make those blood vessels less noticeable (and, unlike retinoids, are fine to use in the daytime).

We also cut any eye creams that included retinoids. While using retinoids at night to rebuild collagen can help your dark circles be less apparent over time, for an immediate effect, the eye creams without these ingredients are your best bet.