Crow's Feet: How to Soften Lines Around the Eyes

Shop the brands in this guide: Medicube Australia · Beauty of Joseon Australia · COSRX Australia · Torriden Australia · Haruharu Wonder Australia · All brands A to Z

You can't erase crow's feet with skincare, but you can make them look noticeably softer. The most effective approach is daily SPF50+ around the eyes, a retinoid eye product (retinal, retinol or a gentler bakuchiol alternative) a few nights a week, and plenty of hydration with peptides to keep the delicate eye area plump and smooth. Start slowly, stay consistent, and give it time.

What causes crow's feet?

Crow's feet are the fine lines that fan out from the outer corners of your eyes. They're a completely normal part of having an expressive face. A few things make them appear earlier or look deeper:

• Repeated expressions – smiling, laughing and squinting fold the skin in the same place thousands of times a day.
• Sun exposure – UV is one of the biggest drivers of visible skin ageing, and Australia's UV levels are among the highest in the world. Squinting in bright light doesn't help either.
• Thin, delicate skin – the skin around the eyes is thinner than elsewhere on the face and has fewer oil glands, so it dries out and shows lines more easily.
• Dehydration – dry skin makes fine lines look more obvious, which is why crow's feet often look worse in air-conditioned offices or after a long flight.
• Natural changes over time – skin gradually loses firmness and bounce as we get older.

Step 1: Protect the eye area from the sun

If you only do one thing, make it this. Apply a broad-spectrum SPF50+ sunscreen right up to the orbital bone (gently, without dragging) every morning, and wear UV-protective sunglasses and a broad-brimmed hat outdoors. Sunglasses do double duty: they block UV and stop you squinting. Our guide Daily Face Sunscreen Is Your Best Anti-Ageing Product explains why.

Step 2: Use a retinoid eye product

Vitamin A derivatives are among the most researched skincare ingredients for the look of fine lines. Eye-specific formulas tend to be gentler than face serums, which matters for this sensitive area.

Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng + Retinal

The Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum: Ginseng + Retinal is formulated specifically to target fine lines, wrinkles and loss of elasticity around the eyes – Beauty of Joseon calls out crow's feet by name. It combines Korean ginseng root extract with retinal, a vitamin A derivative, plus niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. The lightweight formula absorbs quickly.

Torriden Cellmazing Firming Eye Cream

The Torriden Cellmazing Firming Eye Cream uses a 5D Collagen Complex, 4R Retinol Complex and 10D Hyaluronic Acid Complex to firm, plump and help reduce the look of eye wrinkles. It has a close-fitting, elastic, weightless finish without sticky residue and is tested for sensitive skin.

How to introduce a retinoid around the eyes

• Start two or three nights a week and build up as your skin tolerates it.
• Use a rice-grain amount for both eyes and tap it along the orbital bone, not on the eyelid or right at the lash line.
• Apply moisturiser afterwards if your skin feels dry.
• Always wear sunscreen the next morning.
• Avoid retinoids if you're pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding, and ask your GP or dermatologist if unsure.

Unsure which type of vitamin A to choose? Read Retinal vs Retinol: The Skincare Ingredient Guide You Need.

Step 3: Try a gentler bakuchiol option if retinoids don't suit you

If your eye area is easily irritated, bakuchiol is a plant-based alternative many people find more comfortable. The Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream is a vegan eye cream with 5,000ppm plant-derived bakuchiol and 2,000ppm fermented black rice for moisture, plus bamboo shoot extract, cica and natto gum. It addresses wrinkles and dark circles, has a milky, light texture that absorbs without stickiness, and has completed a hypoallergenic skin test.

Step 4: Hydrate and plump with peptides

Well-hydrated skin reflects light better, so lines look softer straight away. Peptide eye creams are a great morning option because they don't make skin more sun-sensitive the way some actives can.

The Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Eye Cream combines niacinamide, peptides, retinol and salmon PDRN with intensive hydration. Medicube reports that firmness around the eye area improved by 2.87% and moisture by 22.5% after one week of use. Its light, non-sticky texture absorbs quickly.

The COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream is another favourite, with 72% snail secretion filtrate, five peptides and niacinamide to target fine lines, puffiness and dark circles while keeping the area hydrated and firm.

A simple routine for crow's feet

1. Morning: gentle cleanse → hydrating toner → peptide eye cream (such as COSRX) → moisturiser → SPF50+ up to the orbital bone → sunglasses outdoors.
2. Evening (2–3 nights a week to start): cleanse → toner → retinal or retinol eye product (Beauty of Joseon, Torriden or Medicube) → moisturiser.
3. Other evenings: a hydrating or bakuchiol eye cream such as Haruharu Wonder.

Browse all of our options in the Korean eye creams collection or our anti-wrinkle skincare range.

Application tips that make a difference

• Use your ring finger. It naturally applies the least pressure.
• Tap, don't rub. Dragging delicate skin isn't helpful.
• Less is more. Eye products spread as you tap; too much can migrate into the eyes.
• Be patient. Give any new eye product several weeks of consistent use before judging results.
• Patch test first, especially with retinoids.

When to see a professional

Skincare can soften the look of fine lines, but it won't give the same results as in-clinic procedures. If you'd like to explore those, or if you notice sudden changes, irritation that doesn't settle, or swelling around the eyes, see your GP or dermatologist.

FAQ

At what age do crow's feet start?

It varies widely. Many people notice fine lines when smiling in their 20s or 30s, and lines that stay when the face is relaxed later on. Sun exposure plays a big role.

Can I use my face retinol around my eyes?

Some people can, but face serums are often stronger than the eye area needs. An eye-specific formula is usually more comfortable.

Do eye creams actually work on crow's feet?

They can soften the look of fine lines over time, particularly formulas with retinoids or peptides, combined with daily sun protection and good hydration.

Should I use eye cream in the morning or at night?

Both. Use hydrating or peptide formulas in the morning and retinoid formulas at night.