Your skin deserves to be well cared for from head to toe, but the skin around your eyes definitely needs special treatment.

“Because the skin around your eyes is especially thin and delicate, it’s one of the first places to show signs of aging,” says board-certified dermatologist and LovelySkin CEO Dr. Joel Schlessinger. “Using the right eye cream can help keep this skin hydrated and stimulate collagen production, which will help lessen fine lines.”

Eye cream differs from your typical face cream or facial moisturizer. Eye creams are formulated specifically for use around the eyes to provide benefits you don’t need elsewhere on your face, such as preventing puffiness and dark circles. Though you may see some of the same active ingredients in eye creams as you do in all-over face moisturizers, the strength of these formulations do not irritate or overwhelm the tender skin around your eyes.

Are you wondering when you should start using eye cream? There’s no need to wait until you start to see signs of aging. However, if you’re already seeing fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes, it’s not too late to add an eye cream to your regimen. Read on to learn more about five of the best eye creams that help with brightening, puffiness, anti-aging and more.

Neocutis Lumiere Firm Illuminating & Tightening Eye Cream

Powered by a combination of Neocutis’ proprietary peptide blend and PSP growth factors, this eye cream smooths crow’s feet, addresses lost firmness and brightens dark circles. It also contains caffeine, which de-puffs those dreaded bags under your eyes. Because this formula is fragrance-free and paraben-free, it is an especially good pick for those with sensitive skin or eyes.

Best for: All skin types

SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Eye Cream Complex

We love this eye cream because it provides short-term and long-term results. First, it contains optical diffusers, which work instantly to make dark circles look less prominent. Second, active ingredients such as blueberry extract and peptides smooth fine lines over time, firm saggy skin and prevent future signs of aging.

Best for: Normal to dry skin types

LovelySkin LUXE Brightening Eye Cream

Developed by Dr. Schlessinger himself, this eye cream improves the appearance of fine lines around the eyes with Persian silk tree extract, which strengthens existing collagen. Hyaluronic acid and SNAP-8 peptides also work together to plump and smooth the skin, making crow’s feet look less noticeable. It also contains light-diffusing particles that make your undereye area look brighter, so apply it in the morning to enjoy the brightening effects all day long.

Best for: All skin types

Obagi ELASTIderm Eye Cream

This multi-benefit eye cream improves skin’s elasticity, making sagging skin appear tighter and firmer. It contains malonic acid, a patent-pending active ingredient exclusive to Obagi that gently exfoliates dead skin cells for a more youthful look. Antioxidants also protect against free radical damage, which helps prevent future signs of aging.

Best for: Normal to dry skin types

SkinMedica TNS Eye Repair

This hydrating eye cream is packed with active ingredients to improve the texture and appearance of the fragile skin around your eyes. Vitamins C and E combine with peptides to smooth fine lines and boost elasticity, while hyaluronic acid draws moisture into the skin for a plumper, more youthful look. It also contains human fibroblast conditioned media, a growth factor that helps stimulate the skin’s collagen production process and regenerate healthy skin cells. If you'd like to know what other customers think of this eye cream, you can read these SkinMedica TNS Eye Repair reviews.

Best for: All skin types

Pro Tip: When applying eye cream, you want to avoid pulling or rubbing the tender skin around your eyes. Instead, try using your ring finger to gently pat or tap the product into your skin.

Did you know that using eye cream can help your concealer go on more smoothly and last longer? Read all about how to pick the right concealer for you on the LovelySkin blog.