Best Retinoid Eye Creams to Prevent Under Eye Wrinkles
As a skin expert, I am asked regularly which are the best retinoid eye creams to tackle lines and wrinkles. I still find people nervous about using retinols, retinals, and granactive retinoids around the eyes. To help, I have created a list of the best retinoid eye creams for different ages, from beginners to advanced users.
There comes a stage in our lives when we have tried most eye creams, and the hydrating and brightening eye creams are just ok and nothing seems to be making a difference to the lines and wrinkles around the eye area. The skin around the eyes is creasing way too easily and leaving lines; under the eyes, it appears darker, and the whole eye area doesn’t appear rested even if you have had 8 hours of sleep.
Why does the eye area age so quickly?
The skin around the eyes is a lot thinner than the rest of the face and therefore more susceptible to skin creasing and skin damage, especially to collagen and elastin due to less oil being produced. The eye area is prone to dehydration and dryness, all contributing to lines and wrinkles.
The skin under the eyes has less oil being produced, and there is less soft tissue and muscle around the eye area and no bone to give support to the underlying tissues.
What can I do about the loss of firmness around my eyes?
Collagen is a natural fibre found in your skin that gives the skin structure, firmness, and smoothness. As we age, the volume of collagen fibres that provide your skin with support and density decline. This can be through natural aging, environmental and inflammation damage. To make a difference around the eyes you need to increase your collagen production, and to do that, you need to stimulate the fibroblasts cells. These are your collagen-making cells that need a prod and waking up.
What’s the best ingredient around the eyes to tackle lines and wrinkles?
There is only a few ingredients that you know will work on collagen and one of the most well-documented and researched ingredients is retinoids, the family name for the all Vitamin A derivatives like retinol, retinal, granactive retinoid and retinyl palmitate. This ingredient is clinically proven to stimulate collagen production, smooth lines and wrinkles and increases firmness.
How do I introduce retinoids into my skincare routine?
When it comes to introducing retinoids into your skincare routine, slow and steady will always win the race. I recommend you apply it after your evening cleanse and start by applying it once the first week and then the second week twice, making sure this is spread out over the week. For example, Sunday and Wednesday are great ways to increase the nightly usage. Then the third week, three times, and so on, always remembering to cleanse your skin in the morning and apply sunscreen.
Best Under £30
ROC RETINOL CORREXION® Line Smoothing Eye Cream
A Gentle Yet Effective Start to Retinol Around the Eyes
This eye cream genuinely impressed me. The texture is silky, lightweight, and glides effortlessly under the eyes without any pulling or dragging. It’s a brilliant entry-level retinol option for anyone starting to target fine lines, puffiness, and dark circles.
It hosts a gorgeous blend of hydrating ingredients including glycerin and panthenol, which cushion the skin and help offset any potential dryness or irritation from the retinol. The result; a soothing yet effective formula that leaves the under-eye area feeling smooth, nourished, and cared for.
Clinically proven to deliver brighter, smoother skin in just 4 weeks, and noticeable wrinkle reduction in 12 weeks, it’s a serious contender if you're looking to introduce a retinol-based eye treatment. While the brand suggests using it both morning and night, I recommend starting with evening use, especially if you’re new to retinol or have sensitive skin.
Best £40 And Under
Dr Sam’s Flawless Nightly Eye Serum
I discovered through my fascination with retinoids that Dr. Sam eye serum contains a granactive retinoid that works slightly differently from other retinoids like retinal and retinol, and this is what intrigued me to purchase it and try and see for myself the results. It is safe to say I was impressed, as it made it here, and you know that I only ever recommend products that work. Like the Medik8, the difference in the morning is the wow factor, and for me, it's a true sign that it’s working and making a difference. If you have dry skin and the skin around your eyes needs lots of moisture, I think you would prefer this over Medik8 Crystal Ceramide Eye. The combination of niacinamide, shea butter, and squalane leaves the skin really moisturised, smoothed, and comfortable.
Best Under £50
Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye
I have used Crystal Retinal on my face for several years now and I was delighted when Medik8 released in 2023 the eye version. When you wake up and see the skin around the eyes creased then it is the time for you take the next step, retinal. Retinal is 11 times faster than retinol so when you want all the help you can get retinal for me will always be a retinoid I will recommend. There are three strengths I recommend if you haven't used retinoids before starting at Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3, the aim isn’t always to go up the ladder to higher strengths and there will be a sweet spot so don’t see it as a necessity to finish and progress to the next strength. I love the combination of the double encapsulated (the ultimate way to ensure no oxygen will interfere with the performance) retinal, hyaluronic acid, antioxidant, skin soothers and lots of ingredients to bring instant moisture and replenishment.
Summer Fridays Jet Lag™ Overnight Eye Serum
Undeniably the most hydrating of all the retinoid eye formulas I’ve tried!
From the very first application, it delivers instant moisture and comfort, making it a standout for those who want the benefits of retinol without compromising on hydration.
Formulated with glycerin and liquorice root extract, these two key ingredients work together to deeply hydrate, soothe, and calm the skin. This thoughtful combination helps buffer the retinoid, creating a smooth, supportive pathway that minimises the risk of irritation or dryness. An eye treatment that tackles fine lines and wrinkles, while keeping the skin comfortably replenished. If you're looking for a retinoid eye treatment that’s as nurturing as it is effective, this one is perfect.
It is more moisturising than Medik8 however its metabolic pathway is one step further removed; it's a retinol rather than a retinal, which makes means it will take slightly longer to see results.
Best Under £60
Drunk Elephant A-Shaba Complex™ Eye Serum
This is a great eye serum for your early 30s, and it’s a great place to start to help prevent and smooth the appearance of lines. It is beautifully moisturising and perfect for the delicate eye area, and it is packed with peptides and a low dose of retinol (0.1%) to help kick-start and support collagen production. It’s a gentle eye serum that includes caffeine to help with dark circles and a brilliant level of antioxidants to protect the skin from being damaged by environmental aggressions that will attack the skin cells, especially the collagen. If your lines are starting to wave hello and it's dark circles you want to tackle, start here.
Best Under £90
Murad Retinol Youth Eye Serum
This was my first retinol eye serum and to say I loved it is an understatement. It is gentle and helped me gain confidence in the world of retinoids and their effectiveness. The clinicals are impressive as are the before and afters, this formula can help boost collagen production whilst intensively moisturising. If you have never used retinoids around the eyes I would recommend you start here no matter your age or how deep your lines are.
Best Under £100
Medik8 R-Retinoate Day & Night Serum
If you want the best, the one that will achieve the best results, and the product that will create the simplest routine, r-Retinoate eye serum is the one for you. A combination of two powerful forms of vitamin A, retinol and retinoic acid, was created to outperform retinol and be photostable, meaning it doesn’t break down in sunlight like traditional forms of vitamin A. This means you can use it confidently both morning and night and get the brilliant results that retinoids are famous for in the morning, noon, and night. If you also want to tackle dark circles, dehydration lines, and wrinkles 24hrs a day, r-Retinoate is the best one for you.
Thank You For Reading
I hope you found these recommendations helpful. If you choose to shop using the links I’ve shared, thank you—it genuinely makes a difference. As a small, independent business, your support helps brands discover my work and allows me to keep creating honest, helpful content and running this website.
Happy shopping, and thank you again for being here!
Fiona x
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