Dark circles are unpleasing for many. Moreover, they make you look tired, dull, and add a few more years to your appearance. That being said, one of the most common treatments to address dark circles comes in the form of an eye cream. This article will focus particularly on vegan products, ingredients that help reduce the appearance of dark circles, and a review of the best vegan eye cream for dark circles for different skin types.
At a glance:
- Overall best: 100% Pure Caffeine Eye Cream
- Best low-budget: B Beauty The Caffeine Under Eye Cream
- Best splurge: Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream
- Organic: Eminence Wild Plum Eye Cream
What Causes Dark Circles
Dark eye circles (aka periorbital hyperpigmentation) are often described as dark discoloration or under eye shadows. Though not a medical concern, this unpleasant aesthetical issue can be inborn or develop over time.
Some of the most common causes of dark circles are genetics, lack of sleep, stress and anxiety, thinning of skin, aging, sun damage, chronic eye rubbing, eye strain, smoking, alcohol consumption, pure nutritions, dehydration, illness, and allergies.
Depending on the cause of dark circles, they can appear as brown, purple, blue, pink or gray in hue. In general, dark circles appear more prominent near the inner corner of the eye, and often eye puffiness is present as well.
Skin Brightening Ingredients
In addition to invasive treatments, there are several topical agents that have been proven effective in reducing dark eye circles. For example, the following ingredients help reduce the appearance of dark circles, stimulate blood circulation, brighten and even out skin tone.
- Caffeine
- Coffee
- Green tea
- EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate)
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Retinol (vitamin A)
- Peptides
- Cucumber
- Kojic acid
- Azelaic acid
- Albutin
- Bearberry plant extract
- Hyaluronic acid
As true with most topical products, you can’t expect an overnight miracle. In order to see an improvement in the appearance of dark circles, you need to be consistent. Overall, visible results can be achieved if you use eye cream for dark circles (or eye serum) twice a day for at least 2-3 months.
How To Choose Effective Eye Cream
When choosing the best vegan eye cream for dark circles pay attention to the content and active ingredients in the cream. Since eye area has very thin and delicate skin, it requires gentle components. So it is wise to spend a little bit more on eye care products that are vegan, natural, organic and free of skin irritants.
That being said, vegan products are more skin-friendly, tend to contain more natural ingredients, and are better for the environment and planet. In fact, authentic vegan products should not include animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
So in addition to skin brightening ingredients mentioned above, look for skin nourishing components like plant-derived squalane, plant-derived glycerin, natural oils, and botanicals.
Here’s a top 10 list of best vegan eye creams curated by SkinPerception that will satisfy different budgets and various skin types.
Best Vegan Eye Cream For Dark Circles
100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream
This all natural vegan eye cream is packed with three types of caffeine derived from green tea, coffee cherry and green coffee bean. In addition to caffeine, it also includes antioxidants, vitamin E and C, rose hydrosol, and other botanicals that stimulate circulation, brighten dark circles and address eye puffiness. Moreover, this firming eye cream provides anti aging benefits. And if you are a fan of coffee, you’ll love its light coffee bean aroma.
Best vegan eye cream for dark circles for all skin types – all natural.
Drunk Elephant C-Tango Multivitamin Eye Cream
This higher priced vegan and cruelty free eye cream is your best friend for summer time. Not only is it effective in brightening the eye area, but also it protects skin from free radicals, UV light, and helps to address signs of aging and damaged skin. You’ll be impressed with the concentration of skin-good ingredients like antioxidants, ceramides, 5 different forms of vitamin C, vitamin E, 8 peptides that target dark circles and fine lines, oil blend, fruit extracts and cucumber extract among others.
Best vegan eye cream for dark circles for summer time.
B Beauty The Caffeine Under Eye Cream
Budget-conscious users will love this vegan eye cream for its versatility. A generous amount of coffee seed extract in this cream revives and brightens dark circles and under-eye bags. Additionally, this vegan eye cream has also anti aging, anti inflammatory, moisturizing, and firming properties. And even though this moisturizer includes rich organic oils and butters, it’s surprisingly non-greasy, and works great for all skin types including oily.
Best vegan eye cream for dark circles for all skin types – universal.
Eminence Organic Wild Plum Eye Cream
Designed specifically for under eye dark circles, this certified organic and vegan eye cream also addresses overall signs of fatigue and aging. It is packed with potent botanicals like vitamin K, wild plum, green tea, CoQ10, revitalizing biocomplex and age defying ingredients that work together to revive the under eye area. Even though this cream is more expensive, a little goes a long way. And the light berry scent is very pleasant.
Best vegan eye cream for dark circles for all skin types – organic.
Tarte’s Maracuja C-brighter Eye Treatment
What sets up this vegan eye cream apart from the others is that it contains light reflecting particles, which make your dark circles less visible. Some of the nourishing components include maracuja, mango, coconut, vitamin B5 and vitamin E, hyaluronic acid and squalane. Overall, it’s a great multitasking hydrating eye cream with a rich and thick texture. It will benefit the most those with normal, dry, aging and dehydrated skin.
Best vegan eye cream for dark circles for dry skin type.
Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream
Ideal for tired eyes, this made in U.K. vegan eye cream works particularly well for dark circles and puffy eyes. Moreover, it provides instant hydration, nourishment, and protects the skin around the eye area. The formula of this cream includes cutting-edge bioactives like cucumber oil, hyaluronic acid, witch hazel, cloudberry, chamomile, rosehip and jojoba seed oil, and other 100% natural botanicals. Also, it’s safe for sensitive skin.
Best vegan eye cream for dark circles for all skin types.
Skinfix Barrier+Triple Lipid Boost Brightening Eye Cream
In addition to targeting dark circles and puffiness, this vegan eye cream also deeply hydrates eye skin. It includes four potent active ingredients – 3% triple lipid complex, 5% alfalfa seed complex, 3% seaweed hyaluronate blend, and 4% fermented prebiotic yeast. Moreover, this potent cream also has anti aging and moisturizing components like jojoba oil, macadamia seed oil and squalane that nourish the under eye area. Bonus feature – it’s ophthalmologist and dermatologist tested!
Best vegan eye cream for dark circles for aging and dehydrated skin.
Caffeine solution 5% EGCG, The Ordinary
Even though this is a serum treatment and not an eye cream, it’s designed specifically for targeting dark circles and eye puffiness. It is extremely effective as the key ingredient here is a very high concentration of caffeine (5%), highly-purified epigallocatechin gallatyl glucoside (EGCG), and hyaluronic acid. The formula of this eye product is lightweight, resembling a crossover of serum and oil, and a little goes a long way.
Best vegan eye solution for dark circles on a budget.
Nuria Defend Triple Action Eye Cream
This budget friendly vegan eye cream comes with a built-in flat applicator tip that is convenient for massaging and awakening the eye area. Some of the brightening and skin restoring agents include ginseng root, mulberry root, peptides, vitamin A, C and E, squalane, hyaluronic acid and cucumber extract. Overall, it’s a great cocktail for dark circles, eye bags, and eye puffiness.
Best vegan eye cream for dark circles with massage applicator tip.
LilyAna Naturals Eye Cream
If you are looking for a multitasking vegan eye cream on a low budget then this might be a good option for you. In addition to targeting loss of firmness, fine lines and crow’s feet, this anti aging moisturizer also brightens dark circles and softens puffiness. And you’ll love its clean ingredients like aloe vera, rose seed and coconut oil, and powerful botanicals that are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. And it conveniently comes in three different sizes!
Best vegan eye cream for dark circles – low budget.
Related: Best eye massager tools to try now!
Other Methods To Reduce Dark Circles
Once you have chosen the best vegan eye cream for dark circles, there are few more things you can do to improve the appearance of your under eye area. Overall, the best results can be achieved by combining different types of targeted treatments.
- Use daily brightening eye cream or serum which contain ingredients that target dark circles. For example, look for ingredients like caffeine, coffee, green tea, or vitamin C.
- Include hydrating skin care products with hyaluronic acid, squalane, and nourishing oils.
- Do targeted eye treatment like under eye patches or under-eye mask a few times a week.
- Try using skincare tools like eye massagers or gua sha, which help stimulate blood circulation or diminish the appearance of dark circles.
- Apply cold compress.
- Use sunscreen daily to prevent sun damage.
- Wear sunglasses with UV protection to protect your eyes and skin around.
- Build healthy habits. Small changes to your daily routine can have a big impact on the appearance of your dark circles and overall health as well. Consider cutting down on caffeine, reduce alcohol consumption, eat healthy, stop rubbing your eyes, and try sleeping on your back.
Other professional treatments proven to be effective in diminishing the appearance of dark circles include IPL, radiofrequency, Q-switched lasers, pulsed dye lasers, chemical peels, microneedling, ablative laser resurfacing, fractionated laser resurfacing, and hyaluronic acid fillers.
Sources:
“Beauty without bunnies FAQs”. Peta.org
Mac-Mary, S. et al. “Identification of three key factors contributing to the aetiology of dark circles by clinical and instrumental assessments of the infraorbital region.” Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, Vol. 12, Dec. 2019.
Park, K. Y. et al. “Treatments of infra-orbital dark circles by various etiologies.” Annals of Dermatology, Vol. 30-5, Aug. 2018.
Pilkington, S. et al. “The Tricky Tear Trough: A Review of Topical Cosmeceuticals for Periorbital Skin Rejuvenation.” Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, Sep. 2015.
Sarkar, R. et al. “Periorbital Hyperpigmentation: A Comprehensive Review.” Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, Jan. 2016.
Vrcek, I. et al. “Infraorbital dark circles: a review of the pathogenesis, evaluation and treatment.” Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, Vol. 9-2, Apr – Jun 2016.
