We’ve talked about facial serums and night creams, but many women use a special eye cream too. If you’re one of those women, drop those potentially toxic eye creams that you’re using and make room in your makeup drawer for the best organic eye cream instead!
We’ve found 6 of our favorites and broken them down below!
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Reasons to Use Eye Cream
Is eye cream really necessary? What makes it any different from other face creams and lotions?
Eye cream is specifically formulated to be gentle on the skin skin around your eyes. It’s often thinner and slightly less formulated because that area of your skin absorbs things better.
But why, specifically, should you use an eye cream?
They reduce fine lines and wrinkles. The moisturizing properties of eye creams can give your skin that extra boost of hydration that it needs. You probably know that dry skin can lead to wrinkles, so applying an eye cream on a regular basis can reduce your chance of getting a large amount of wrinkles, and it can also reduce the appearance of the fine lines that you may already have.
They brighten dark circles. Dark circles are often genetic (or simply caused by a lack of sleep), but many eye creams contain hyaluronic acid or glycerin, which are hydrating ingredients that can brighten your skin. In turn, your dark circles may get lighter and may reduce their appearance all together.
They reduce puffiness. Some eye creams contain caffeine, so it’s like giving your skin a cup of coffee. Caffeine has been shown to increase circulation, which can reduce puffiness and overall brighten your eye area. This makes you look less tired, even if you’ve had very little sleep the night before. (Looking at you, new parents!)
The Best Organic Eye Cream Brands for 2021
Overall Winner – The Best Organic Eye Cream for 2021
Honey Girl Organics Face & Eye Cream
This face and eye cream from Honey Girl Organics takes our top spot thanks to the incredible reviews and squeaky-clean ingredients list.
We love that it performs double-duty for you too! That means you don’t have to spend as much money buying multiple products for your face and eyes separately, but it’s still super gentle on the skin around your eye area.
Not only is Honey Girl’s formula super rich and moisturizing, but it’s nourishing and promotes healthy skin too.
Though the container may look small, it’s concentrated, so a little goes a long way, and it can last up to 6 months! Please be aware though that Honey Girl Organics does not use chemical emulsifiers in this product, so it may separate after a while. All you have to do is stir it around a bit, and it will be as good as new!
Best Organic Eye Cream for Dark Circles
100% Pure Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream
100% Pure is one of our favorite brands, and they actually have a few eye creams to choose from. This caffeinated eye cream, however, is the perfect match for dark circles.
The hydrating properties can reduce the appearance of fine lines and dark circles, and the caffeine from coffee and green tea reduces puffiness as well, so your eyes will look bright and shining when you wake up!
This product contains aloe too, which is anti-inflammatory and can help with dryness and skin ailments like acne.
A little caveat here – some research suggests that aloe may be carcinogenic. This is only if it is ingested though. Aloe vera is still very beneficial for your skin!
Best Organic Eye Cream for Puffiness
Beauty by Earth Coffee Bean Eye Cream
If you wake up with puffy eyes in the mornings, this wonderful caffeinated eye cream from Beauty by Earth will help your eyes look bright.
As the name suggests, it’s caffeinated with coffee beans. The caffeine and antioxidants found in coffee beans can reduce puffiness, lessen the appearance of dark circles, and can also act as an anti-aging agent.
This formula also has natural ingredients that will help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Please note that the product contains jasmine oil, which can be a skin irritant for some people. We recommend using the product on a small area of skin before applying it to your face.
Best Organic Eye Cream for Your 30s
Nourish Organic Eye Treatment | Avocado & Argan
We love Nourish’s Organic Eye Treatment! This one is perfect to use in your 30s, when you’re looking to reduce a small amount of fine lines and prevent future wrinkles.
This product hydrates and smooths dry skin and reduces puffiness all over.
Made with avocado and argan oils, this eye treatment is deeply nourishing and hydrates and restores your skin.
It’s also one of the least expensive organic eye creams on our list, so you can save a little money too!
Best Organic Anti-Aging Eye Cream
100% Pure Super Fruit Oil Nourishing Eye Cream
This is the second product from 100% Pure to make it onto our list!
This formula is incredibly nourishing and moisturizing, thanks to the super fruits, and it contains a variety of antioxidants that renew and refresh your skin.
When you’re lookin for an anti-aging formula, you also want a product that promotes elasticity and reduces fine lines and wrinkles. This does all of the above!
Best Natural Eye Cream for Sensitive Skin
Puristry Yerba Mate Eye Cream
If you tend to get a lot of breakouts or otherwise have sensitive skin, this eye cream from Puristry is for you!
The natural and organic ingredients brighten your skin without any potential allergens. The ingredient list is super short too, which is always a plus for us!
It’s caffeinated with the yerba mate plant, which helps depuff and brighten your skin.
It’s formulated specifically for use anytime of day, so lather it on in the morning before your makeup routine, or dab it on at night to let it soak in while you get your beauty rest.
Best Drugstore Eye Cream
e.l.f. Holy Hydration Face Cream
While this eye cream isn’t organic, I wanted to make sure to put one on this list that was more easily accessible in a pinch.
e.l.f.’s Holy Hydration Face Cream is under $15, and you can easily find it at Target, Ulta, or your local drug or grocery store.
Formulated with hyaluronic acid (for ultimate hydration) and peptides (to promote collagen production), this eye cream will give you soft and dewy skin and brighten the areas around your eyes before you start your day.
While it’s not the cleanest formula out there, this eye cream is free from all of our “no-no” ingredients (which we talk more about below), and it’s also 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Why You Should Use Natural or Organic Eye Cream
Many eye creams use a cocktail of chemical ingredients that can do more harm than good. This is why it’s better to use natural or organic eye cream. It’s not always easy to break down and decipher the ingredients list when you’re looking at a new skin product though, so here are the top ingredients you should avoid.
Eye Cream Chemicals to Avoid
Parabens. Parabens are a super popular set of preservatives that are used in a variety of different skincare and beauty products. Unfortunately, they’re potentially quite harmful to our bodies though. This is because they have the tendency to mimic estrogen, which can affect hormone production and may lead to breast cancer and reproductive issues.
Phthalates. Phthalates are used as a binding agent in many skincare products. They’ve received a lot of exposure lately though because they may have some pretty detrimental health effects. When you use products containing phthalates for an extended period of time, they may increase your risk of developing asthma or ADHD. They’ve also been linked to breast cancer, obesity, diabetes, and reproductive issues.
Fragrance. We talk about fragrance a lot. In fact, it’s on nearly every list we’ve created. That’s because, honestly, we don’t know what it is. And there’s no way to find out. The word “fragrance” is a protected term by the FDA because it’s considered a trade secret. That means companies are not required to disclose the ingredients that they use in them. Many fragrances contain phthalates and harmful dyes. When you see “fragrance” or “parfum” on a list of eye cream ingredients, read it as “chemical cocktail” instead.
Phenoxyethanol. You won’t see this one on a ton of lists, but we steer clear of it as much as possible. Phenoxyethanol is a stabilizer or preservative that’s used in a lot of “natural” products. It can be very dangerous if swallowed or inhaled (but we know you’re probably not doing either of those things with your skincare products). Unfortunately, it’s potentially harmful when absorbed through your skin as well. It can cause allergic reactions, kidney and liver damage, and may affect the central nervous system as well.
Retinol (Vitamin A). Retinol is a popular ingredient in many skincare products, especially eye creams. This is because it’s believed to be an anti-aging ingredient. Unfortunately, retinol, a.k.a. Vitamin A, is one of the vitamins that you can overdose on (along with Vitamin D, E, and K). You may think that’s not a big deal because the products contain such a small amount of it, but we already get a ton of vitamin A through our diets. Additionally, some research has shown that retinol combined with sunlight can form free radicals that damage DNA and speed up the growth of tumors, leading to skin cancer. It may also cause liver damage and birth defects (so you shouldn’t use it if you’re pregnant).
Easy DIY Alternatives to Eye Cream
Sometimes you just need a quick Fix, and you’re out of eye cream. While you wait for your order to come in, these easy DIY alternatives will work wonders too.
Coffee. Combine ground coffee and coconut oil in a bowl, and place the mixture on your dark circles for about 15 minutes. Then simply wash it off. If your eyes are extra-puffy, you may want to try chilling the mixture in the fridge before applying. The coolness will help reduce any redness and swelling.
Green Tea. Grab a couple of tea bags and brew as usual. Once they’ve steeped for the proper amount of time, squeeze out any excess liquid and stick them in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Once they’re chilled, you can lay back and place them on your eyes for 15-20 minutes.
Oils. Some oils that you have in your kitchen can be great for puffiness and dark circles too. Check out these easy recipes that contain avocado oil, olive oil, and more!
If you found this guide helpful, you may also want to check out our articles about night creams and face serums!
