Mixed into your cleansing, serum-ing, moisturizing and SPF-ing routine should be a good eye cream to make you look awake.

While some believe eye creams play dress-up as miniature moisturizers, the small but mighty formula is designed specifically for the delicate skin on your under-eyes. (Related: best dark spot correctors).

Specifically, an eye cream should be applied after your serum, according to Dr. Libby Rhee, and it’s a superstar product for brightening, depuffing and disguising the less than eight hours of sleep you had last night.

Along with vitamin C serums, an effective, skin-smoothing eye cream can help skin look more refreshed than ever. Trust me, my bathroom’s product cart speaks for itself; for my dry and sensitive skin, my undereye area has never been more hydrated and refreshed.

I have been testing eye creams for nearly two years, so you can rest assured the 26 top picks below are New York Post Shopping-approved and ones we recommend IRL.

Plus, we spoke with a dermatologist to help answer some eye cream questions in our in-depth FAQ section.

Click to jump to a specific type of eye cream:

Biopelle’s Tensage Stem Cell Eye Cream is a splurge, but a good one at that. Its fresh and cool-whipped consistency is exactly how I expect an eye cream to be and left my skin brighter, more hydrated and tauter when applied once daily.

Though we have others in this edit that are also effective, Biopelle’s formula is second to none and a great investment, as the bottle will last for quite a while.

Clinique can be found at virtually any department store counter, so I was excited to get my hands on the brand’s All About Eyes Rich Cream. It’s one of the best for depuffing and moisturizing, specifically, and worked exceptionally well on my sensitive skin.

If you’re on the hunt for an eye cream that feels like butter, look no further than Wonderskin’s Purevoc All-Day Glow Eye Cream.

Notably, it contains high and low-weight molecular hyaluronic acids that are a powerband at moisturizing, niacinamide to help treat dark spots and fine lines and a PrimaHyal Ultrafiller to make the skin plumper and more supple.

Another superstar brightener is, by nobody’s surprise, Ole Henriksen’s Banana Bright+ Eye Crème, which is a re-imagined formula with a years-lasting cult-following. With vitamin C and collagen, it gave my skin a luscious boost and instantly absorbed without an oily finish.

I’ve been a fan of Origins’ face masks for years, so when I heard the brand had a Vitamin C & Niacinamide Eye Cream, I was already hooked. The formula was the most effective at making my skin look awake, much ado to including two powerhouse ingredients for a dermatologist-approved regimen.

CeraVe is one of my much-loved drugstore brands, particularly because all of its formulations are dermatologist-tested and contain essential skin-boosting ceramides.

Its Eye Repair Cream is no different, and it was pleasingly lightweight and easy to blend.

This edit of the best eye creams would be incomplete without a mention of Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Eye Cream. As one of our favorite brands for vitamin C serums, its eye cream is just as fantastic, and I just couldn’t help noticing how nourishing it left my skin the next morning.

Plus, it contains purslane, a potent ingredient that helps target signs of aging and reduces the appearance of dark circles and puffiness — totally worth the splurge in our book.

For another splurge, Tata Harper’s Superkind Fragrance-Free Bio-Barrier Eye Creme is a new, multi-benefit serum that’s vegan, exceptional for dryness and dark spots and contains a tri-algae complex for freshening up the skin.

Not only is the packaging five-star worthy, but its natural-feeling, lush formula felt like magic in my hands.

We’re big fans of Pillow Talk and virtually any of its natural glow formulations, and its Magic Eye Rescue Cream with Retinol achieves that same your-skin-but-better look.

With retinol (a.k.a. the powerhouse anti-aging ingredient) and stem cell extracts for a subtle tightening effect, it’s one of the best retinol-containing eye cream tested. Not to mention, it’s obvious C.T. had a keen eye for ingredients with this formula.

Dr. Barbara Sturm blessed my under eyes again with the Super Anti-Aging Eye Cream. With a thicker consistency than its original formula, it contains high-end ingredients like biomimetic lipids (to support skin-barrier function), Persian silk tree extract (to reduce puffiness and blur undereye shadows) and marine plankton (to smooth the skin).

It’s almost identical to the brand’s original formula but, because of its vigilant blend of mature-skin ingredients, it’s worth the extra coin for women in their 30s and beyond.

Murad’s Renewing Eye Cream was one of the best I tested for smoothing our fine lines — which, makes sense, as the formula receives rave reviews about diminishing the appearance of crow’s feet.

What I enjoyed about Murad’s formula is how it contains peptides that I felt working upon consistent use. Just keep in mind that a little goes a long way.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare has one of the best names in the biz, and its Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum is incredibly firming — especially for its formulation labeled as a serum instead of a cream.

Namely, it wasn’t goopy like other thick formulas I’ve tried in the past. And, when the firming eye cream is mixed with the star of the anti-aging show, retinol, you can’t beat it for wrinkles.

With a gel-like bounce, Youth to the People’s Dream Eye Cream with Vitamin C and Ceramides worked well on my dry and sensitive skin. But, I immediately thought of those with oily skin because of its universally hydrating feel and gel-like bounce.

Plus, it was one of the best for naturally hydrating, thanks to its inclusion of hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and ceramides — the triage of skin-soothing ingredients.

I’m Alpyn Beauty’s No. 1 fan — trust me, it’s known by everyone, including the brand — and its Line-Filling Eye Cream with Bakuchiol and Caffeine is the cleanest and most feel-good formula I’ve used.

What I love about all of Alpyn Beauty’s products is how fresh it leaves my skin. If you add this eye cream to your regimen, you won’t want to stop using it.

For more, read our in-depth Alpyn Beauty review.

OK, the Alpha-H Firming Eye Cream is the real deal and one of the most reached-for eye creams in my skincare cart (yes, I have one of those). Namely, its smooth formula coupled with its easy-glide applicator is top-notch.

It’s also super lightweight and gentle, all while being cruelty-free, a true ‘clean’ product and one that’s safe for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Plus, its made with locally sourced botanicals and is especially perfect for sensitive skin.

Yes, one of the most acclaimed clean makeup brands has ventured into skincare, and I’m not complaining about it. Similar to the Alpha-H eye cream in regard to application, it’s unique in that it’s a plant-based retinol alternative that’s 100% clean, fragrance-free and visibly brightened my under-eye area. Now that’s pretty stellar.

With some celebrity brands, it’s easy to think they’re not worth the hype, but Kylie Skin’s Eye Cream will prove you wrong.

Pretty pink packaging aside, it’s a no-frills formula that still differed from my daily moisturizer. And, it’s a wonderful budget eye cream worth checking out if you’re new to the whole eye cream ritual.

Much like the brand’s cleanser, Fenty Skin’s Flash Nap Instant Revival Priming Eye-Gel Cream is thoughtless to apply, incredible to touch and reliable in your makeup bag that you’ll want to restock on.

Not only was I obsessed with the brand’s Cookies N Clean Clay Face Mask (note: read our full review) but the simplicity of this eye cream formula really amped up my day-to-day routine.

With a formula more like an eye treatment, REN Clean Skincare’s Brightening Dark Circle Eye Cream was a standout for seeing results overnight in terms of moisturizing and looking more awake.

With hyaluronic acid as the main ingredient, it’s a dermatologist’s dream, too.

All of Tatcha’s products have worked well on my skin. Specifically, the brand’s The Silk Peony Melting Eye Cream truly felt like silk (truly, it’s a douse of hydration), noticeably diminished the puffiness on the outer corners of my eyes and revitalized my skin into brand-new freshness.

For $62, it’s a win.

Let’s talk about an eye cream that is so beautifully lightweight and delicate you actually feel it working. Caudalie’s Resveratrol Lift Firming Eye-Gel Cream has a smooth feel and. a bouncy, rejuvenating spread when applying that’s absolutely add-to-cart worthy.

Holy hydration. Belif’s Moisturizing Eye Balm feels like it was taken purely out of fresh water and transported onto my face.

Containing Comfrey Leaf and Tiger Grass for a smooth appearance, it was the most refreshing eye cream I tested with intense moisture and a bouncy after-feel.

Glow Recipe’s Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask actually melted under my eyes in an avocado spread on toast kind of way. It feels like lightweight butter on your eyes, smells subtly refreshing and contains retinol for anti-aging and alleviating skin damage.

With a gentle formula, Kiehl’s Since 1851’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado visibly brightened my under eyes and soaked into my skin without giving it a greasy feel. And, the addition of shea butter is a moisture-ridden bonus.

Youth to the People’s Superfood Hydrate + Firm Eye Cream works exceptionally well on the oiler areas of the face, much ado to this formulation serving oil-free ingredients. With the brand’s proprietary superfoods blend of kale, spinach, green tea, alfalfa and vitamins C + E, it’s also quite soothing.

JLO Beauty’s That Fresh Take Eye Cream with Peptides is the hidden gem among eye creams. It made my entire skin look balanced and well-fed, thanks to its creamy formula and, of course, the peptides to tackle fine lines and dark spots head-on.

Not to mention, my mom keeps stealing it from my bathroom!

Ahead, Naissan O. Wesley, MD, an aesthetic and surgical dermatologist, gave us the 411 on all things related to eye cream.

“An eye cream is a cream that’s specifically designed to give support and address issues of the delicate eyelid skin,” Wesley told The Post. Like any other skincare grab, eye creams come in an array of options — differing in formulation, skin concern target area and ingredients.

“I like to look for eye creams that actually have good data behind their results, otherwise any cream could be substituted as an eye cream,” Dr. Wesley added. “Eyelid skin is thin and often more sensitive compared to the skin on the rest of our face and body, so I would look for creams that are non-comedogenic (meaning they’ve been tested so they won’t clog pores and cause little cysts called milia) and hypoallergenic.”

“Most eye creams may be applied day and night,” Dr. Wesley said. “However, those that include sunscreen ingredients in them may be more appropriate for daytime use.

Dr. Wesley recommends “eye creams with peptides, growth factors, or other non-irritating ingredients (such as ceramides) that help support and build collagen are helpful for eyelid skin.”

“For those who are looking for an effect to aid with puffiness, dark circles, or a tightening effect, caffeine as an ingredient can sometimes be helpful.”

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