The best drugstore eye creams that offer high-end results

The world of budget beauty, not to mention the best drugstore eye creams and moisturizers, in particular, have come leaps and bounds in the past few years. Not a month goes by without the emergence of a new affordable skincare brand, whose impressively cost-effective range provides stiff competition to more expensive counterparts. Trying the latest ingredients—ones that have beauty insiders buzzing—needn’t break the bank any longer. 

Nowhere is this more evident than when browsing the roster of the best eye cream out there today. Boasting intelligent formulations designed to help with everything from smoothing fine lines and wrinkles to puffy eyes and even (in some cases) those tricky dark circles, the quality of these products is as surprising as their price tags. 

With so many choices on offer though, you could well suffer from a case of shopper’s overwhelm. We’ve gone out and done the research about which affordable eye creams, which all clock in under $25, are worth adding to cart.

The best drugstore eye creams, according to our beauty experts

Ceramides, a blend of lipids found naturally in the skin, are the hero ingredient of this particular eye cream. Boasting three different varieties, this product should help strengthen your skin barrier’s defenses. Why is that important? The skin barrier— that is, the uppermost layer of your skin—is key in protecting against the damaging effects of UV, pollution, and environmental wear and tear.

However, this top layer weakens as we age (and can be compromised further by diet, stress, and using the wrong products) meaning we can experience more dryness and irritation. That’s far from ideal for the thin, delicate skin around the eyes. CeraVe’s protective formula looks to replenish supplies of lipids, while plumping hyaluronic acid, moisturizing glycerin, and brightening niacinamide work on smoothing out and puffy eyes and dark circles. It’s also fragrance-free, making it ideal for a range of different skin types particularly reactive or sensitive skin. If you're on the lookout for the best eye cream for dark circles that won't break the bank, this is an ideal bet.

If using the best mascaras for sensitive eyes is your jam, or are prone to allergies, hay fever, or skin flare-ups under your eyes or on your eyelids, this one’s for you. Formulated to relieve tightness and irritation and reduce sensitivity, it features a calming cocktail of anti-inflammatory neurosensine, niacinamide, nourishing shea butter, and the brand’s signature Thermal Spring Water. We also found that it felt light and absorbed well on our eyelids (crucial before applying eyeshadow!).

Those whose allergy itch spot is their eyes as well as those who wear contacts will appreciate its featherlight, soothing texture. Furthermore, this eye cream—along with the rest of the Toleriane range—has been given the seal of approval from Allergy UK. Impressive credentials.

Want a product that can handle—or even, dare we say it, reverse—the effects of harsh weather conditions like too much time in the sun without your trusty sunglasses, or late nights staring at the computer screen? This tried-and-tested eye cream from everyone's fave childhood drugstore brand Neutrogena sorted the above scenarios and, addressing those generalized "tired eye" symptoms, and as a result, became a fixture in our SOS beauty kits. 

A gel-cream hybrid (always a plus!) that feels refreshing and lightweight yet works just as hard as its creamier counterparts, it boasts of a hydrating formula thanks to always-a-winner hyaluronic acid and glycerin. We put it through its paces during a late-night Netflix true crime binge and woke up looking surprisingly refreshed with minimal to no dark circles, despite the three hours of sleep we got.

For years, No7 has been at the forefront of high-performance, low-cost beauty, and this eye cream is a brilliant example of its continued excellence in the field. This has the brand's most concentrated version of their Matrixyl 3000 Plus technology—a peptide (mini-protein) complex that helps stimulate collagen production and makes skin appear firmer—lies at the heart of Protect & Perfect Eye Cream, giving it more fighting power against deep lines and wrinkles. What’s more, it also contains antioxidants such as vitamin C, which not only protect against environmental aggressors, but also help even skin tone. 

Hypoallergenic and suitable for sensitive skin, a pea-sized amount of the cream went a long way. A few days in and we did see some brightening effects, and some users did report visible smoothening and plumping after two weeks of use. Some say it was a bit on the less effective side when it came to reducing puffiness, but for those looking for a little lift and softening of deep-seated lines, you might have just met your match. 

If you’re already a fan of the face serum in the Mineral 89 range, you’ll love Vichy's complementary Mineral 89 eye product, which offers the same hydrating benefits (courtesy of the brand’s 89% Vichy Volcanic Water and hyaluronic acid). Where the eye cream differs is in the additions of pure caffeine extract (to brighten and tighten) and a collagen boosting peptide, derived from algae that helps both decongest and ‘thicken’ skin. This works to increase the space between veins and skin, thus reducing the appearance of dark circles. Its water-like texture means it slides on like a dream, too. 

After a few days of use, we found that our eye areas were noticeably softer and more "awake," without tell-tale fatigue shadowing even after a late night out. The gel texture is also a huge pro for those who want a lighter formula for wearing under makeup or for warmer months.

When it comes to ingredients that slow down the aging process, retinol is widely regarded as the gold standard. Why? Well, it does it all: retinol stimulates the production of the skin’s building blocks (collagen and hyaluronic acid), prevents pigmentation and increases cell turnover. Such benefits usually come at a price, so this affordable product from The Inkey List really is a unique find. 

Formulated with heavyweight hydrators such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin to help reduce the chances of excessive dryness, it smoothens, brightens, and firms. Note: If you’re new to retinol eye products, or your skin tends to sit on the more sensitive side of the spectrum, do ensure you patch test first as some users did report some reactivity. However, all in all a pretty effective anti-aging eye cream, as we did notice brighter, smoother skin on the undereye area after a few uses. As for how effective it is against hyperpigmentation, we think that might take a longer trial period; but at less than $10, we think this a pretty sustainable experiment.

Touted as a treatment for the eye area, Derma-E Anti-Wrinkle definitely feels more like a watery serum than a heavy cream—meaning if you're #TeamLightweight, this is definitely up your alley. Skeptics might raise eyebrows on its efficacy against deep lines given its nearly water-like consistency, but rest assured a week's use of this dark horse gave us more wide-awake, zero puffy peepers with no dehydration lines than anything we've tried in the past month. 

It's fairly gentle as far as eye retinols go, therefore we appreciate it being a gateway product for those starting to dip their toes into the world of retinoids. Another plus? We love how it immediately gave us smoother, less tired-looking eyes on plane travel, jetlag be damned. One caveat though is how its lip gloss-like applicator tends to dispense more product than intended, so store upright or twist the cap tight and proper to prevent runs and unwanted spillage.