Given its hefty price tag, you might think your beloved moisturizer is capable of doing double-duty as an eye cream. A little-known fact: Daily facial moisturizers usually include active ingredients that are too concentrated for the delicate eye area, where skin is thinner, more susceptible to environmental damage, and more apt to show signs of age. So if you want to depuff, erase dark circles, and prevent eye-area wrinkles, you’ll need to find an eye cream that delivers. Murad Environmental Shield Lighten and Brighten Eye Treatment ($75; murad.com), one of the newest products in the brand’s lineup, promises to stimulate natural collagen production, maintain tissue firmness, and neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals with the help of hydroquinone, a powerful skin lightener. According to the company, the treatment dramatically reduces dark circles by an average of 59 percent after eight weeks.

After reading the bold claims, I have to admit, I was wary—until I saw results firsthand in half the estimated time. After patting the treatment lightly under my eyes twice a day for four weeks with my ring finger (the weakest of the five digits and thus the gentlest), I started to see major changes. Not only were my dark circles less cringeworthy; the skin around my eyes was firmer and incredibly soft. Bear in mind, however, that overexposure to the sun can cause hydroquinone to have the opposite effect and actually darken skin, so during the day, the treatment should be followed with a broad-spectrum sunscreen eye cream, such as Murad Environmental Shield Essential-C Eye Cream SPF 15 ($60). —Courtney Sauve