8 Drugstore Eye Creams for Every Skin Need
Updated: Mar. 06, 2023
We rounded up the best budget-friendly eye creams—including ones that brighten dark circles and others that smooth fine lines—all available at Canadian drugstores.
The skin around our eyes is particularly thin, delicate and sensitive, says Dr. Victoria Taraska, a board-certified dermatologist in Winnipeg. Meaning, products that are good for your face may not be good for your eye area. That’s where an eye cream comes in—and there are plenty of budget-friendly options available in Canada.
“The drugstore is a great area to start looking for eye creams,” says Taraska. She suggests looking for ones made with ingredients that can address your specific concerns, like dryness, dark circles or fine lines. For example, products that contain hydrating agents like hyaluronic acid and ceramides are great for those with dry skin. Ones that contain retinol can help minimize fine lines.
Not sure which one’s best for you? Read on for eight of the best drugstore eye creams.
Best Drugstore Eye Cream to Reduce Puffiness: CeraVe Eye Repair Cream
Skin contains fatty acids called ceramides, which help keep it smooth, but we lose them as we age. Luckily, a cream that contains synthetic ceramides can help create that smooth surface. CeraVe’s Eye Repair cream contains three types of ceramides, as well as hyaluronic acid and niacinamide for peak hydration. What’s more: It also contains a marine and botanical complex, which helps reduce puffiness and dark circles, brightening the eye area over time.
CeraVe Eye Repair Cream, $30, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Best Drugstore Eye Cream for Dry Skin: Cetaphil Optimal Hydration Eye Serum
Dry skin can accelerate the signs of aging, especially around the eyes. Cetaphil’s eye serum is made with hyaluronic acid, to deliver deep hydration, and is infused with blue daisy plant, which releases moisture to keep skin hydrated for up to 48 hours. It’s great for tired eyes and sensitive skin—it combats skin itchiness, roughness and redness.
Cetaphil Optimal Hydration Eye Serum, $26, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Best Drugstore Eye Cream with Retinol: RoC Retinol Correxion® Line Smoothing Eye Cream
Retinol is beloved by derms for its ability to stimulate the production of collagen and elastins found in the skin’s top layer and increase cell growth, which effectively reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation changes like brown spots or dark circles. RoC’s award-winning retinol eye cream is proven to make the eye area look 10 years younger—a bold claim backed up by testing and glowing reviews. Just be careful when adding retinol to your skincare routine. Read the packaging, start slow, and be sure to wear sunscreen.
RoC Retinol Correxion® Line Smoothing Eye Cream, $40, well.ca
Best Drugstore Eye Cream to Reduce Dark Circles: La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Eyes
Dark circles can appear brown-, grey- or blue-tinged depending on your skin tone, caused by tiredness, stress, age and genetics. La Roche-Posay’s popular Pigmentclar formula is made with light-reflecting pigments to visibly brighten the area, PhE-resorcinol to improve skin’s elasticity and caffeine to reduce puffiness. Plus, its cooling wand applicator soothes skin and helps you look and feel more awake.
La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Eyes, $51, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Best Drugstore Eye Cream for Lifting and Tightening: L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Eye Cream
You can’t go wrong with Canada’s number one eye cream, L’Oréal Pari’s Rebvitalift. Its soft, rich formula contains “pro-retinol,” a gentler type of retinol that can help reduce fine lines, as well as an herb called centella asiatica, which is a powerful antioxidant that hydrates, combats puffiness and tightens loose skin.
L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Eye Cream, $28, walmart.ca
Best Drugstore Eye Cream for Fine Lines and Wrinkles: Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair
Neutrogena is a leader in retinol expertise with over 20 patents and studies—so it’s no surprise the brand’s Rapid Wrinkle Repair retinol eye cream is a bestseller. It helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and dark circles and contains hyaluronic acid to boost hydration.
Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair, $41, shoppersdrugmart.ca
Best Drugstore Eye Cream for Sensitive Skin: Burt’s Bees Sensitive Eye Cream
Burt’s Bees’ sensitive eye cream is 98.9 percent natural, containing ingredients that hydrate and soothe skin like cotton and rice extract, coconut and sunflower seed oils, aloe and shea butter. It’s clinically proven to reduce puffiness without causing irritation and is approved by dermatologists.
Burt’s Bees Sensitive Eye Cream, $25, well.ca
Best All-Around Drugstore Eye Cream: Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Transforming Eye Cream
Our pick for the best drugstore eye cream is Olay’s Total Effects, which is packed with ingredients to tackle many signs of aging. It nourishes skin to reduce puffiness, wrinkles and dark circles while tightening pores and firming skin around the eyes. It’s oil-free, dermatologist-tested and good for all skin types.
Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Transforming Eye Cream, $35, shoppersdrugmart.ca
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