7 Best Eye Creams With SPF to Protect Your Most Delicate Skin
If your eye care begins and ends with a glob of dark circle-fighting cream before bed, expand your repertoire with one of the best eye creams with SPF. You may already know from experience that your undereyes and eyelids require a bit more TLC than the skin on the rest of your face because "the skin around the eyes is among the most sensitive on the body," says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. Still, sun protection isn't always top of mind when tackling these little swathes of skin.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall: Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy SPF 35, $79
- Best Tinted Eye Cream: Supergoop Bright-Eyed 100% Mineral Eye Cream SPF 40, $40
- Best 2-in-1 Eye Cream: Coola Day SPF 30 + Night Eye Cream Duo, $46
- Best for Dry Skin: RéVive Sensitif Eye Cream SPF 30 PA +++, $175
- Best Sheer Coverage: PCA Skin Sheer Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 45, $54
- Best All-Over Face Sunscreen: Isdin Eryfotona Actinica Mineral Sunscreen, $46
- Best Brightening: Soleil Toujours Brightening Eye Cream, $68
Let us put it this way: This delicate area "often goes unprotected from the sun because people are not applying sunscreen as close to the eyes as they should," Dr. Zeichner notes. So, that's where the best eye creams with SPF come in. Scroll on for dermatologist favorites and insight into what makes these creams unique.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do I need an eye cream with SPF?
- How should I choose an eye cream with SPF?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best Overall: Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy SPF 35
Why It's Worth It: The Colorscience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy SPF 35 is a top pick for Rhode Island-based board-certified dermatologist Tiffany Jow Libby, MD. It's specially formulated with the delicate eye skin in mind because "the eyelid skin is amongst the thinnest on the body, and it is important to protect it as it may be more susceptible to earlier signs of photodamage and premature aging," Dr. Libby explains. The treatment protects the undereye area from UVA/and UVB damage and environmental stressors with mineral blockers like zinc oxide. We can't forget the discoloration-blurring tint, either. "By being as sheer as it is, it blends outrageously well into un-made-up skin, but that peachiness is just enough to offset bluish-grayness and trick the eye—especially Zoom's," Allure contributor Marci Robin said in her review.
Editor Tip: The cream comes in four shades, ranging from Fair to Deep, offering color-correcting coverage for dark circles.
Key Ingredients: Titanium dioxide, zinc, jojoba, vitamin E | Size: 0.23 oz | Who It's For: People with sensitive undereyes
Best Tinted Eye Cream: Supergoop Bright-Eyed 100% Mineral Eye Cream SPF 40
Why It's Worth It: New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Morgan Rabach, MD, uses Supergoop's Bright-Eyed 100% Mineral Eye Cream SPF 40 daily. "It contains only mineral sunscreen, which is much gentler and less irritating on thin eye skin, and also caffeine, so it helps reduce [the look of] dark undereye circles," Dr. Rabach notes. While a full face of some mineral sunscreens tends to leave a white cast on darker skin tones, it can create a brightening effect when used on the eye area. Caffeine and pomegranate reduce the appearance of dark circles, while green tea and the South African resurrection plant provide long-term moisturization.
Editor Tip: Before you put on the rest of your skin care or start on your base makeup, allow this product to sit on your undereyes for 30 seconds.
Key Ingredients: Zinc, caffeine, wild butterfly ginger flower | Size: 0.5 oz. | Who It's For: People looking for brightening
Best Sheer Coverage: PCA Skin Sheer Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 45
Why It's Worth It: Dr. Zeichner previously recommended PCA Skin's Sheer Tint Eye SPF 30, which has since been reformulated to the Sheer Tint Broad Spectrum SPF 45. This lightweight, mineral-based cream is water-resistant, slightly tinted for sheer coverage (so it can be worn alone or underneath makeup), and features a powerful antioxidant by the name of coenzyme Q10 to fend off free-radical damage. Don't just take it from us: Sheer Tint even has the Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation.
Editor Tip: This is a one-shade-fits-all tint, but if you have very fair skin, you can mix it with a touch of non-tinted SPF for a better color match.
Key Ingredients: Titanium oxide, zinc, jojoba | Size: 1.7 oz | Who It's For: People who want tinted coverage
Best 2-in-1 Eye Cream: Coola Day SPF 30 + Night Eye Cream Duo
Why It's Worth It: Coola eliminates the guesswork and need for an extra skin-care step with its Day SPF + Night Eye Cream Duo. "I like the concept of having two different eye creams packaged together that meet specific needs for AM versus PM," says Dr. Libby. "The vitamin C and SPF in the AM help protect against free radicals and UV, while the night cream has resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that also helps reduce inflammation."
Editor Tip: Like all of Coola's formulas, both creams in this 2-in-1 are noncomedogenic, meaning they won't clog your pores.
Key Ingredients: Avobenzone, vitamin C, resveratrol | Size: 0.8 oz | Who It's For: People looking for multiple benefits
Best Brightening: Soleil Toujours Brightening Eye Cream
Why It's Worth It: Soleil Toujours' Brightening Eye Cream is a tinted, color-correcting mineral sunscreen spiked with skin tone-evening niacinamide and a proprietary blend of vitamin C, vitamin E, red algae, and bisabolol for a dose of antioxidant goodness. While protecting your undereyes from UV rays (hi, SPF 30), the formula softens the look of fine lines using hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and peptides.
Editor Tip: You can use any product left behind on the applicator to highlight the brow bone, cheekbones, brow bone, and other high points on your face.
Key Ingredients: Red algae, bisabolol, allantoin, niacinamide | Size: 0.5 oz | Who It's For: People looking to soften fine lines
Best for Dry Skin: RéVive Sensitif Eye Cream SPF 30 PA +++
Why It's Worth It: RéVive's Sensitif Eye Cream SPF 30 PA +++ sets you up for success in terms of shielding your skin from UVA and UVB rays. This luxurious cream, which is dispensed via a cooling metal applicator, only includes the good stuff. Shea butter and avocado intensely moisturize the eye area; vitamin E and ginger root protect against free radicals and blue light damage; caffeine and prebiotics brighten and reduce sensitivity; and niacinamide helps soften the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Editor Tip: While this product qualifies as a splurge, a little goes a long way. The brand suggests applying as little as less than one pump to the undereyes.
Key Ingredients: Zinc, niacinamide, argan oil | Size: 0.5 oz. | Who It's For: People with a dry and/or dull eye area
Best All-Over Face Sunscreen: Isdin Eryfotona Actinica Mineral Sunscreen
Why It's Worth It: Isdin's Eryfotona Actinica Mineral Sunscreen is an untinted, fast-absorbing formula powered by zinc that helps repair existing sun damage. The reparative properties are thanks to the photolyase enzyme derived from plankton, an organism that spends a ton of time in the sun. The photolyase enzyme repairs DNA by reversing UV light damage, especially a type of damage called cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs). The protection and reversal is a double-action approach to keep your skin healthier and looking younger.
The formula is gentle enough for undereyes but can also be used on the entire face. "Most sunscreens are made for the entire face, including around the eye, so you can definitely use them there," Dr. Rabach reminds Allure readers.
Editor Tip: This sunscreen's nongreasy texture makes it a great choice for people with oily skin. Just give it a good shake before applying two finger-length doses to your neck and face.
Key Ingredients: Zinc, photolyase enzyme, vitamin E | Size: 1.7 oz | Who It's For: People looking for a non-greasy option
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need an eye cream with SPF?
Delicate undereye skin is more prone to signs of aging such as sun damage, burning, fine lines, and wrinkles than other parts of the skin, which is why the area benefits from special attention. Similar to how we swap out a daytime moisturizer with SPF for a more decadent night cream before bed, it's helpful to apply the same logic to eye creams—one with SPF to protect skin during the day and another to soothe and replenish at night. Used in tandem with your daily sunscreen, these eye creams with SPF help protect the delicate skin around your eyes from sun damage and the resulting crow's feet and dark spots.
Still, according to Dr. Rabach, most facial sunscreens are made for the entire face, including around the eye. She notes that if you have especially sensitive skin and have experienced any bit of a burning sensation around the eye when using a traditional face SPF, it's best to stick with a formula made especially for the eye area—as those tend to include gentler ingredients.
How should I choose an eye cream with SPF?
Choosing the correct eye cream with SPF can be tricky, particularly if you have sensitive skin. "As a Mohs surgeon, I see many patients come in with skin cancer on the eyelids and around the eyes, so if you have sensitive skin, stick with mineral SPFs in this area," says Dr. Linny. She adds that sunglasses and hats are also great options for UV protection around the eyes. As always, when in doubt, check in with your board-certified dermatologist.
Meet the experts
- Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and the director of the cosmetic and clinical research department of dermatology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City
- Tiffany Jow Libby, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Rhode Island
- Morgan Rabach, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of eye creams with SPF, we considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: product ingredients, efficacy, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from board-certified dermatologists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we've solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it's never been tested on curls? We're proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
More on sun protection:
- Your Ultimate Guide to Sunscreen Application, According to Dermatologists
- 19 Best Sunscreens to Protect Your Complexion Year-Round
- 14 Best Moisturizers With SPF That'll Plump and Protect Skin
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