Believe me, I have spent a lot, too much, on eye creams that promise to help me look wide awake. It’s almost too easy to get caught up in luxurious and/or new brands with celebrity spokespeople and an army of marketing behind them, but after trying about a dozen different ones this year already, I’ve learned expensive does not necessarily mean better. Case in point: a $30 formula from tried-and-true (and Sarah Jessica Parker–loved) drugstore brand, RoC Skincare. In fact, their Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream ($30) sells every 30 seconds.
The best-selling eye elixir is powered by pure RoC retinol—the vitamin A–derivative responsible for dramatic youth-enhancing results, like less wrinkles and increased skin elasticity—and minerals to address the three most common signs of eye aging: puffiness, dark circles and wrinkles. With just a pea-sized amount applied to the under-eyes twice a day, the non-greasy cream visibly brightens and depuffs eyes in just four weeks. With continued use the appearance of fine lines is reduced by 50 percent in 12 weeks, per the brand. We also have to talk about the packaging: It’s housed in an aluminum tube to block out oxygen and help maintain retinol’s potency and efficacy.
Over 19,000 Amazon shoppers give RoC’s Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream a perfect five-out-of-five rating. And while I love to comb through reviews of my similarly-aged 30-something peers, the the biggest praise for RoC’s eye cream comes from customers 50 and older—a testament to its youth-enhancing powers.
One customer in their 50s said, “[I] recently developed dark circles with bags under my eyes… I’m actually stunned at how much it helps.” A second 50-something who’s been using it for a “long time” shared, “no one ever guesses my age, so it must be doing something.” Another RoC user of “20 years” who is “turning 60 next year” said “people still think I am only in my mid 40’s.” A 70-year-old fan uses it “twice a day to keep the wrinkles away” before adding they think it makes skin look “decades younger.”
