It's a general tendency to think that the more money you spend on your nightly routine, the more effective it is. This especially holds true when it comes to eye creams, which come in tinier jars than your face cream with an even bigger price tag. But there are plenty of drugstore options to choose from once you know what ingredients to look for in order to find the best affordable eye creams.
The active ingredients in your eye cream of choice will largely be determined by any skin care concerns you have. If you want a no-fuss nightly cream that will keep your skin moisturized, look for gentle hydrators like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. You can also help combat puffiness and dark circles when allergies kick in or you haven't been able to catch up on sleep with ingredients like caffeine to constrict the blood vessels and vitamin C to brighten.
You can also look for an eye cream with retinol. While you may be familiar with retinol products when it comes to facial moisturizers, an eye cream with retinol will also work to improve skin (just in a smaller concentration so as not to irritate the delicate skin under your eyes). Because retinol increases cell turnover, it can help with everything from improving discoloration and dark circles to plumping the skin by supporting collagen production. And, of course, for daytime use, try an eye cream that has SPF to keep your eyes protected from sun damage while also keeping them hydrated.