Under Eye Care Guide 2025: Best Creams, Gels, Serums & Patches for Dark Circles and Puffiness

Your undereyes are often the first to show any signs of stress, lack of sleep, ageing or fatigue. In today’s age, marked by long work hours and the hustle culture, dark circles and puffiness are a common phenomenon. These are often easy to treat through lifestyle changes, but some products may help reduce them quickly. With the right under-eye care routine, you can keep this fragile skin hydrated, bright, and youthful.

Before we get to products that can help you, it is imperative to understand why dark circles happen.

• Lack of sleep
• Stress
• Genetics sometimes play a part
• Dehydration contributes to making the skin look dull and aged
• Ageing

Here’s a complete guide to the best under-eye creams, gels, serums, and patches, and how to pick what works for your concern.

Types of Under-Eye Care Products and Which Do You Need?

Under Eye Creams: Best for Everyday Hydration

Under eye creams work best for those looking for solutions for dryness, fine lines, or mild dark circles. Try a lightweight under-eye cream first if you’re a beginner. The under-eye skin is sensitive, so you’d want to avoid anything too drastic.

Look for:

• Vitamin E and Hyaluronic Acid: These are best for hydration.
• Peptides and Retinol: Best known for their anti-ageing properties.
• Caffeine and Niacinamide: help brightening.

Our picks are: Mamaearth Bye Bye Dark Circle Eye Cream With Cucumber in the affordable range, and CLINIQUE All About Eyes Eye in the luxury range.

Under Eye Gels: Best for Puffiness & Tired Eyes

Cooling and lightweight, gels work great in Indian summers, in the hot and humid weather. The gels are also the right consistency for those with oily skin.

Read: A Complete Guide To Under Eye Skincare!

Our picks for under-eye gels:

• The DOT & KEY Pomegranate Retinol + Caffeine Eye Cream is a hydrating gel that comes with a lovely applicator.
• The Body Shop Unisex Edelweiss Eye Serum Concentrate is priced higher, but comes with great reviews.

Under Eye Serums: Best for Intense Dark Circles & Pigmentation

For those with serious dark circles, serums work best, due to their higher concentration of ingredients.

They are potent and work quicker, but you may need to try a few out to find the one best suited for your skin.

Our picks:

• With caffeine and hyaluronic acid, the L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Eye Serum is a favourite in the affordable range.
• Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Serum is a reputed product in the luxury range that has been tried and tested to deliver results.

Patches and eye masks are quick fixes that deliver temporary results and are best if you need to reduce puffiness before an event or occasion.

Keep gels and patches in the fridge for an added cooling effect. While lifestyle changes may help most with under-eye concerns, some products, when used regularly, are sure to help with skin looking fresh, youthful, and well-rested.