Shereene IdrissBoard Certified Derm, Founder and Chief Nerd

Rating the BEST and WORST Dark Circle Under-Eye Solutions

24 Apr 2026 · 2 min

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1:32

In this segment, dermatologist Shereene Idriss evaluates a range of under‑eye treatments for dark circles, assigning each a letter grade and explaining the science behind the rating. She dismisses abrasive DIY coffee scrubs as too harsh for delicate eye skin, recommending a gentler cold‑soaked caffeinated tea bag. She notes that plain under‑eye patches are mediocre unless paired with actives, which can boost their efficacy. Retinol eye creams earn a solid B for stimulating collagen and reducing fine lines. PRP/PRF (autologous blood‑derived growth factor injections) receive a conditional B, effective only for responders. Brightening serums containing arbutin or kojic acid achieve an A for skin lightening. Vitamin K creams get a B for reducing redness linked to allergies. She advises against basic hydrating creams, urging purpose‑driven formulas. Finally, fat stem‑cell treatments are crowned A+++ for simultaneously enhancing tissue density, brightening color, and smoothing fine lines.

Chapters

Dark circle under-eye tearless DIY coffee scrub might sound good in theory, but the reality is they're way too abrasive for the delicate eye skin. Instead, I would opt for cold-soaked caffeinated tea bag. Under-eye patches— B. Under-eye patches on their own are meh, but if you combine it with actives, they can make those actives work better and smarter for you. Retinol eye cream— retinol is a tried and true ingredient that's not only going to help to thicken the collagen density around your eyes, minimizing the appearance of any sort of shadowing and vasculature, but it's also going to help to minimize look of fine lines. PRP. C. Not everybody responds to PRP or PRF, which is your own blood with growth factors that can help to stimulate your own tissue, making it appear slightly denser and firmer and minimizing the look of blood vessels. But if you do respond, I'll give it a B. Brightening face serum. This is an A because you want to look for ingredients with arbutin and kojic acid that are going to help to brighten your skin and double win the skin around your eyes. Vitamin K eye cream. This one's a B, especially if you have a lot of redness around your eyes, you suffer from seasonal allergies. Vitamin K can help to reduce the look of redness, which can contribute to your eyes looking darker than they are. Hydrating eye cream. Why use a basic-ass hydrating eye cream when you're suffering from dark circles? Use an eye cream with a purpose. Fat stem cells. A+++. If there was above an A, you'd be an honor roll student for life, because this is the one tried and true treatment that can not only help with your tissue density, but it can also help with the color of your skin, brightening the area, thickening the area and improving the look of fine lines.