Eye creams are one of the most profitable skincare categories per gram. They're also the category where the ingredient lists most often match a brand's regular moisturiser at three times the price.
What the under-eye area actually needs
Skin around the eye is thinner (about 0.5mm vs 2mm on the cheek), has fewer sebaceous glands, and is more prone to fluid pooling overnight. It needs: gentle hydration, barrier support, no fragrance, no harsh actives. A well-formulated face moisturiser without fragrance covers all of that.
Specific eye-area concerns — dark circles, fine lines, puffiness — have specific solutions, but those solutions are mostly available as serums or treatments, not as 'eye creams'.
Where dedicated eye products earn their place
Retinol or retinoid for crow's feet
An eye-specific retinol (lower concentration in a richer vehicle) reduces the irritation risk vs. face retinol applied near the eye. RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream is the pharmacy benchmark.
Caffeine for puffiness
Topical caffeine causes mild vasoconstriction and reduces morning puffiness. The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG works for this, costs under a tenner.
Vitamin K for blue/purple shadowing
Limited but real evidence for vitamin K reducing the bluish tint of pooled blood under thin skin. Niche eye-specific products like Drunk Elephant C-Tango use it.
What dark circles actually are (mostly)
Three causes get mislabelled as 'dark circles': hyperpigmentation (brown), vascular pooling (purple/blue), and structural shadowing (greyish from sunken tear trough). Topicals only help the first two. Structural shadowing needs filler or surgery, not skincare. Pulling the under-eye down gently in the mirror — if the darkness goes away, it's structural.
The minimum effective eye routine
Morning: pea-sized amount of a gentle, fragrance-free moisturiser patted under the eye. Evening: same, or alternate with a low-strength retinol if you tolerate it. SPF every morning extending under the eye — most cosmetic dark-circle worsening over years is UV-driven.
If your moisturiser is fragrance-free and gentle, you can almost certainly use it under the eye and skip the dedicated product. Spend the difference on better sunscreen — it does more for under-eye appearance than any cream.