With travel restrictions lightening up, I’ve had the opportunity to travel a lot more recently. While I’m grateful for it, a lot of my travel has been for business, which means a lot of late nights and jet lag.
Inevitably, I started developing dark circles and bags under my eyes. Simply put – it wasn’t cute.
So, I decided that it was time to start looking for a high-quality vegan eye cream to get rid of my unsightly “raccoon eyes.” I experimented with a number of highly-rated brands before I finally landed on a favorite.
In today’s post, I’m going to show you some of the best vegan eye cream brands that I tried, along with a brief description of my experience with it. I’ll also show you my favorite vegan eye cream that worked the best with my fair skin.
Keep on reading to learn more!
Why You Should Switch To Vegan Eye Cream
Compared to other cosmetics like mascara or nail polish, eye cream is typical “less risky,” as animal-derived products aren’t typically found in eye cream formulas. That being said, there’s always the risk that at least one or two animal by-products might be in your eye cream…
More importantly, the biggest reason to switch to vegan eye cream is that it’s 100% cruelty-free!
Unfortunately, many of the advancements in modern cosmetology have come at the expense of the pain and death of millions of captive animals.
There are entire factories that are full of thousands of animals, like dogs, rabbits, pigs, monkeys, and other innocent animals that are born into captivity and experimented on until they die or are killed.
By switching to vegan eye cream, you’re playing a small role in preventing further animal testing. No animal should have to suffer at the expense of human beauty.
Non-Vegan Additives In Mainstream Eye Cream
Here’s a quick list of some of the most common animal by-products found in mainstream eye creams:
| Animal Ingredients In Eye Cream | Where They Come From |
| Lactose | Cow’s milk |
| Beeswax | Stolen from beehives |
| Collagen | Obtained from animal skin and bones |
| Stearic acid | Obtained from beef fat |
Is There Vegan Eye Cream With Retinol?
Yes! Retinol is a common ingredient used in both vegan and non-vegan eye creams alike. Thankfully, retinol is 100% vegan, as it’s just concentrated vitamin A. It helps reduce the appearance of dark spots and can even help heal scars.
Simplified Skin has an amazing vegan eye cream that I’ve reviewed below!
The Best Vegan Eye Cream Brands To Try In 2024: Listed
Although all eye creams will make your eyes look better, each eye cream is usually designed for a specific purpose. For example, some eye creams are designed to reduce the severity of dark circles. Others are designed to provide hydration and brighten your eyes.
If you’re starting to notice wrinkles, a vegan anti-aging eye cream might be a good way to reduce the wrinkles as well. So before you make a final decision, just remember to choose the right vegan eye cream for your purposes.
Now, take a look at the best vegan eye cream brands!
1) Kona Peptide Hawaiian Vegan Eye Cream (link)
- Rating: 9/10
Kona Peptide Hawaiian Vegan Eye Cream is designed to reduce puffiness and the appearance of tiredness around your eyes. This was one of the first vegan eye creams that I tried, as this was my main problem. All of the jetlags just left me with this “exhausted” look on my face.
I really liked this particular cream. It’s made with coffee extract, and the little bit of caffeine helps to stimulate the skin and make it look more vibrant. Additionally, it contains a blend of kukui nut oil spirulina, which provides deep hydration and moisturization.
The more moisturized you keep the circles around your eyes, the slower wrinkles will develop. So, it also doubles as an anti-aging eye cream as well.
Overall, it’s a great eye for pretty much anybody over twenty-one, which is when I first started suffering from bags under my eyes! It applies light and is quickly absorbed too, so it won’t interfere with your morning makeup routine.
What I Love About It:
- Contains a blend of natural Hawaiian botanicals.
- Contains a small amount of caffeine to boost skin vibrance.
- Very moisturizing.
- Good for mild wrinkles.
What’s Not-So-Great:
- It was a little more expensive than I usually prefer.
2) Neocutis Lumière Firm Illuminating and Tightening Eye Cream (link)
- Rating: 10/10
Neocutis Lumière Firm Illuminating and Tightening Eye Cream is an incredible eye cream. It’s not quite as natural as I usually prefer, but the state-of-the-art blend of deep moisturizers is all vegan-friendly and the product isn’t tested on animals.
This particular cream is designed to combat deeper wrinkles and sagging skin under the eyes. Personally, it’s a little bit stronger than what I need right now. However, if you’re developing deeper wrinkles, then this Neocutis eye cream could be the perfect anti-aging solution you need.
It is rather expensive. But it’s got great reviews across the board and I thought that it was a very high-quality product. So, if wrinkles are your main problem, this could definitely be worth it!
What I Love About It:
- Good for deep wrinkles.
- Ultra-hydrating.
- Vegan ingredients and cruelty-free manufacturing.
What’s Not-So-Great:
- It was very expensive.
3) Fleur & Bee Anti-Aging Vegan Eye Cream (link)
- Rating: 8/10
If you’re suffering from a bit of mild puffiness or dark circles under your eyes, then Fleur & Bee’s Anti-Aging Vegan Eye Cream is an affordable solution designed to brighten your eyes.
Like the Kona eye cream I reviewed above, this cream has a bit of caffeine to brighten dark spots. It also contains a blend of vitamin B3, vitamin E, matrixyl (a powerful anti-aging additive), and squalane (a deeply hydrating oil that mimics your skin’s natural oil).
Overall, it’s an affordable, moisturizing eye cream that can handle moderate wrinkles!
What I Love About It:
- Contains matrixyl, a powerful anti-aging additive.
- Contains caffeine and vitamin B3.
- Good for moderate wrinkles.
- Good for dark spots.
- Affordable.
What’s Not-So-Great:
- It doesn’t have very many all-natural ingredients.
4) Simplified Skin Retinol Moisturizer Cream (link)
- Rating: 9/10
Simplified Skin Retinol Moisturizer Cream isn’t just a great eye cream; it’s designed for your whole face! Not only is it 100% vegan, but it contains retinol, a powerful anti-aging additive that can brighten your skin, stimulate skin cell regeneration, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
It also contains shea butter, vitamin E oil, vitamin B5, green tea extract, and jojoba seed oil. The base is made from water and aloe vera gel, so it’s incredibly soothing and cooling when applied to your skin. For the quality of ingredients, it’s a very affordable product that I use almost every day.
What I Love About It:
- Great for your eyes and your whole face.
- Affordable.
- Contains 2.5% active retinol.
- Contains vitamin E oil and vitamin B5.
What’s Not-So-Great:
- There aren’t many clinically-proven synthetic moisturizers, which can be more powerful.
What’s The Best Vegan Anti-Aging Eye Cream?
If you’re starting to develop severe wrinkles and your eyes look chronically tired, then I think the Neocutis Lumière eye cream is best. The powerful anti-wrinkle and anti-aging additives make it one of the most potent solutions on the market.
The Verdict – What’s The Best Vegan Eye Cream For Everyday Use?
Seeing as I’m still in my early thirties, I don’t need anything too crazy. I just wanted something to brighten my eyes up and reduce the bagginess from lack of sleep.
For those purposes, I’d say the best vegan eye cream is the Kona Peptide Hawaiian Vegan Eye Cream. I love the natural caffeine and the deep moisturization it provides. Plus it goes on super-smooth!
Another great way to reduce the effects of aging on your skin is to take a vegan collagen booster, which triggers your body to produce more of its own natural collagen. Keep on reading to find out my favorite vegan collagen-boosting supplements next!
