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Written by Grove Collaborative

Top 9 best natural eye creams you’ve got to see.

Last Updated: October 29, 2020

When it comes to the delicate skin around your eyes, special care is required, and we’re here to help open your eyes to the best natural eye creams we’ve found.

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Here at Grove Collaborative, we’re big believers in the power of natural products — both for ourselves and for the planet. But we know making the switch can be daunting, especially if you’re accustomed to conventional products and are new to the world of natural, eco-friendly alternatives. That’s why we’ve created Beginner’s Guides to Natural. Each week, we’ll give you a primer on the ins and outs of transitioning to a natural version of a common household item, plus a few of our favorite brands for making the switch. Let’s get to swapping!

The eyes are windows to the soul, so let’s not neglect the window frames. The delicate area surrounding your eyes deserves special focus, because the skin is much thinner and fine lines and tiny blood vessels under the dermis are more visible — hence the mind-boggling selection of eye cream products available. Here, we delve into how eye creams work, whether they’re worth your money, and the top 9 best natural eye creams our customers and staff love.


Between you and eye, let’s take a look …



What is natural eye cream?

The best answer to this question is to look at what’s NOT in natural eye cream. Top toxic offenders in many mass-market eye creams include the following common ingredients:


  • Artificial fragrance
  • Phthalates
  • Parabens
  • Sulfates
  • Triclosan
  • Hydroquinone

Here at Grove, we’re committed to carrying only the finest, most natural products, especially when it comes to your skin—and even more so around your precious eye area. Gentle, eco-mindful, and pure ingredients are the only things that should come near your eyes and skin. You’ll see essences of plants and flowers, vitamins found in natural ingredients, and soothing, non-toxic emollients in natural eye creams. Best of all, our customers love them.

Does eye cream really work?

Eye cream is to facial moisturizer as hot fudge is to chocolate syrup: richer, usually thicker, and totally worth it.


Dermatologists agree, pointing out that eye creams address specific needs for this thinner-skinned, more-delicate area, so they’re often thicker, more emollient, and contain targeted ingredients.


And a 2009 study noted in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology showed actual improvements in the appearance and smoothness of skin around the eyes when topical treatments—especially those containing peptides, antioxidants, caffeine, and retinol—were applied for four weeks compared to no treatments. So overall use of products geared toward the face does prove to be effective at smoothing the skin.

What can I use instead of eye cream? Can I use coconut oil as eye cream?

We see you, DIYers! Whenever we discuss homemade moisturizers, our lifelong love — coconut oil — always makes an appearance. Most DIY eye cream recipes call for a base of coconut oil or shea butter — another skin-loving go-to — since both are super emollient and help create supple, soft skin. Shea butter even contains a bit of natural SPF plus vitamins A and E, and it won’t clog your pores.


These are just some of the ingredients you can add to an ounce of coconut oil or shea butter to whip up a homemade eye cream:

Aloe vera gel

Add: 1 ounce
Why: Soothe, cool, and fight inflammation — and get vitamins A,C, and E.

Vitamin E

Add: one-half teaspoon from punctured vitamin capsules
Why: Firm the skin and reduce signs of aging.

Coffee (caffeine!)

Add: one-half teaspoon brewed, cooled coffee
Why: Brighten skin and reduce inflammation.

Vitamin C powder

Add: just a pinch — too much can cause irritation
Why: Brighten skin and fight visible signs of aging

Add 8-10 drops of one or more essential oils to your DIY cream for added benefits:

  • Almond oil: moisturizes, clears skin, reduces fine lines
  • Avocado oil: nourishes and softens skin
  • Chamomile oil: reduces inflammation, redness, and irritation
  • Evening primrose oil: softens skin, diminishes fine lines and puffiness
  • Frankincense oil: tones, strengthens, and calms skin, reduces inflammation and bacteria
  • Rosehip oil: tightens, reduces age spots, regenerates cells

What is the best natural eye cream? Our top 9

We’ve sifted through the many natural eye creams we carry to arrive at our top 9 best natural eye creams that target common eye-area complaints.

Target: puffiness/bags under the eyes

Pai Echium & Argan Gentle Eye Cream

Why we love it: The echium plant is full of nutrients like fatty acids and Omega 3 and 6, which help regenerate cells. This, along with argan, oil is super moisturizing. Rosehip oil helps reduce puffiness and inflammation.


Tree to Tub Anti-Aging Eye Cream with Retinol & Hyaluronic Acid

Why we love it: Hyaluronic acid is music to our ears when it comes to locking in moisture, and retinol is the magic anti-aging miracle long known to regenerate cells. Ginseng, green tea, and botanicals de-puff, soothe, and freshen the skin.


Rooted Beauty Purifying De-Puffing Eye Gel

Why we love it: Rooted Beauty’s signature 7 antioxidant, healing root extracts — plus green tea, apple, and a long list of other fruit and flower extracts — help wake up the area around your eyes, lessening the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. If you like the coolness of gel, this one’s for you.


Acure Radically Rejuvenating Eye Cream

Why we love it: Evening primrose, chamomile, and calendula all soothe and lessen puffiness. This eye cream is full of super moisturizing oils of flowers and plants to hydrate and smooth skin.


Mad Hippie Eye Cream

Why we love it: Ingredients including vitamin E, vitamin C, and peptides that address puffiness and signs of aging, along with white tea and a boat load of natural moisturizers make this a great go-to eye cream.

Target: dark circles

Indie Lee I-Waken Eye Serum

Why we love it: It’s clinically proven to improve dark circles and to moisturize. Horse chestnut, arnica, witch hazel, and other natural ingredients in a lightweight serum make a real difference to skin’s texture.


Beauty by Earth Coffee Bean Awakening Eye Cream

Why we love it: Coffee seed extract is the superpower here — customers swear by it, and the other natural ingredients in this eye cream, like pineapple, cranberry, and aloe, brighten and soothe skin.


Bulldog Men’s Age Defense Eye Roll-On

Why we love it: While men’s skin is about 25% thicker than women’s, Bulldog skin products are so well made and safe that they’re interchangeable among genders (Amen!). This fave of both men and women features a powerhouse of rosemary, echinacea, and vitamin E to brighten, nourish, and soothe the skin while reducing the appearance of dark circles.


Harlow Skin Co. Eye Repair Elixir

Why we love it: Even the word “elixir” suggests a magical potion, and we’re believers. With a simple yet concentrated mix of borage, coffee, cumin, and avocado oils that provide key vitamins A, C, and E, Harlow’s Eye Repair requires just one drop to brighten, lighten, and hydrate your skin.


Rooted Beauty Sensitive Brightening Eye Cream

Why we love it: Rooted Beauty made our list twice, so take your pick between the one mentioned earlier, and this one specifically designed for sensitive skin with dark circles. Rooted’s patented R7 mix of nourishing root extracts — plus soothing aloe and vitamin E — keep skin supple, while the addition of mica adds a light-reflecting shimmer that helps address dark circles under the eyes.

Grove Beauty Tip

Pat, don’t pull!

Apply eye cream (or anything else you’re putting on the eye area) with the soft pad of your middle or ring fingertip. Always avoid pulling the skin around or on the eyes, and keep that window frame to your soul looking lovely.

Shop natural eye cream

Looking for more sustainable skin care swaps and other eco-friendly switches you can make at home? Grove has you covered. From timely topics such as our handwashing and hand sanitizer breakdown to evergreen primers like our simple ways to reduce your plastic use at home, our handy guides are here to answer your most pressing questions. And let us know how if you have any menstrual cup questions (or share your own tips for making the switch using #grovehome) by following Grove Collaborative on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

If you're ready to make the switch to natural eye cream or other eco- and body-friendly products, explore Grove Collaborative's skin care selection.

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