(Picture: Beauty Kitchen, Utopia, The Ordinary, Nip+Fab, Neal’s Yard, The Body Shop)

We’ve covered cleansers and moisturisers already in our vegan skincare guides, and now it’s time for eye creams.

Most of us live quite busy lives and could probably do with a bit (or a lot) more sleep, so it’s nice to have a little pot on your dressing table that makes you feel like it’s doing something magical for your eyes.

Whether it’s reducing puffiness, smoothing wrinkles, or making your under eye area more illuminated, there’s an eye cream out there for you.

It can be hard sifting through ingredients to find vegan products, so we sniffed out 11 vegan eye creams and put them to the test.




1. Seahorse plankton eye lift and lumination serum, Beauty Kitchen, £19.99 for 30ml

(Picture: Beauty Kitchen)

‘I’m not an eye cream person because I’m cheap and also because I don’t want to admit that I’m getting old.

‘But having stared in the mirror enough to know that years of squinting at bus stops (yes, I need glasses) has given me crinkles around the eyes, I must accept that a special cream for my eye area is necessary.

‘This one is great – it feels super hydrating without leaving a greasy film, and doesn’t feel too tight like other anti-ageing ones I’ve tried.

‘I keep it in the fridge then dab it on before bed and in the morning to make the process feel more luxurious.

‘I haven’t noticed fewer wrinkles, but I do feel like I look less haggard after minimal sleep.’

Is Beauty Kitchen 100% vegan? No, some products contain beeswax. Find a list here.

2. Frankincense Intense eye cream, Neal’s Yard, £45

‘This feels nicer to put on than my usual eye cream – it’s creamy and not too heavy. It makes my eye area feel moisturised but not greasy.

‘It relieves my puffiness and inflammation in the morning, and is great to put on after you’ve been rushing around at the gym as it’s cooling and feels like a mini treatment.

‘It’s got that typical Neal’s Yard essential oils smell, all herbal and calming. Smells delicious.’

Is Neal’s Yard 100% vegan? No, beeswax is in some products. Find out more here.

3. Instant firming eye serum, Utopia, £27 for 15ml

‘Utopia is a range designed for mature skin, which I fit into as I’m in my 60s now.

‘This eye serum definitely helps to not make my eyes look baggy and tired, and it really does feel like it’s tightening the skin.

‘It’s lovely and cooling on the eye area.’

Is Utopia 100% vegan? Yes.

4. Age defence eye roll-on, Bulldog, £10 for 15ml

‘This is really good. I normally shy away from anti-ageing type products thinking they don’t really work, but this one was amazing.

‘I noticed a difference after one day/night worth of use. It really did leave me looking less tired.’

Is Bulldog 100% vegan? Yes.

5. B Restored 3D eye cream, Superdrug, £10.99 for 15ml

‘This feels nice and light, rather than one of those thick, heavy eye creams.

‘It’s aimed at people in their late 40s, which I am, so it has some crow’s feet to contend with.



‘While I can’t say it’s made much of a dent in them, I’m not convinced a product could, anyway.

‘It does make my under eye area feel more hydrated though.’

Is B 100% vegan? Yes.

6. Peptide eye serum, Bea, £39 for 15ml

‘This made my eye area feel a lot fresher, especially in the morning when I wake up with puffy eyes after not enough sleep.

‘It feels nice and cool when you put it on and it feels like it’s making my dark circles get better.’

Is Bea 100% vegan? No, some products contain animal derivatives.

7. Vitamin E nourishing eye cream, Superdrug, £2.99 for 15ml

‘I’ve never used an eye cream but as I’m getting older maybe it’s time to invest in the bad boys.

‘This one was a bit like a primer which I use instead of foundation/concealer on most days. I put it under my eyes before I went to bed because I get dark circles often.

‘In the morning, I feel like it was less puffy and dark, I don’t know if that’s a self fulfilling prophecy or what but I think I’d use it in the future.’

Is Superdrug 100% vegan? No, some products do contain animal derivatives.

8. No needle fix eye cream, Nip + Fab, £14.95 for 15ml

‘The “no needle” thing isn’t a lie, your eyes area really does feel a lot tighter after putting this on – whether it makes a visible difference, who know? But it feels good.

‘It’s a lovely one to put on in the morning when your eyes feel a bit baggy, and I like that it’s in a little pump bottle as it makes it more hygienic.


‘My eyes do feel a lot more hydrated after using it, and less puffy too.’

Is Nip+Fab 100% vegan? No, some of their products contain animal derivatives, and a list can be found here.

9. Pure hydration eye cream, Waitrose, £5 for 15ml

‘The Waitrose pure hydration eye cream is a nice option for someone looking for a light and refreshing option that won’t cost them a fortune, given it only costs £5 for 15ml.

‘But, having said that, it didn’t affect my skin in any particular way at all during the week I used it. It was more of an add-on to an already existing skin regime, and would sit well as such, rather than becoming a regular staple.

‘The product gets plus points though, as it’s free from parabens. And it smells nice too, with ingredients including apricot and shea butter.’

Is Waitrose 100% vegan? No, other products contain animal derivatives.

10. Drops of Youth bouncy eye mask, The Body Shop, £18 for 20ml

(Picture: The Body Shop)

‘An eye mask? An EYE mask? Yes sir, a little beauty mask for your yes. Super adorable.

‘So you can use this as a regular eye cream to combat signs of fatigue (I like to keep it in the fridge for extra cooling) and it’s got this bouncy, gel-like texture.

‘You can also wear overnight as an eye treatment, which is probably just a marketing ploy to get beauty addicts excited, but it got me.

‘I love gimmicks like this, as it can be added to your nightly self-care routine to help you feel all pampered before bed, and convince yourself that you do indeed look less tired in the morning.’


Is The Body Shop 100% vegan? No, some of their products contain animal by-products like beeswax.

11. Caffeine solution 5% EGCG, The Ordinary, £5.80 for 30ml

(Picture: The Ordinary)

‘This liquid worked wonders for the puffiness under my eyes, and I noticed a difference after a week or so I reckon.

‘I was using it twice a day but it started to irritate my eyes a bit, so I cut down to just using it in the morning, and then using a cream at night, so maybe be careful if you have sensitive skin, or ease it in gradually.

‘You could probably also use it under a normal eye cream.’

Is The Ordinary 100% vegan? Yes.

Animal-derived ingredients to look out for Beeswax – used as an emollient in skincare products. Honey – from bees, obviously. Often used for its naturally antibacterial properties. Chitin – a polysaccharide that was first discovered in the cell walls of mushrooms, but now more commonly comes from the exoskeletons of crustaceans, insects and arachnids. Basically, it’s ground-up crab shells. Collagen – a major structural protein found in animal connective tissue. It usually comes from cows, pigs or fish. Elastin – a protein found in animal artery walls, intestines, lungs and skin. Lanolin – animal fat extracted from sheep’s wool. Stearin/stearic acid – derived from the fat of cows, sheep or pigs. Often a by-product of animal agriculture. Information from The Vegan Society

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