I Thought Eye Cream Was Skippable Until I Discovered This Firming Formula

I have always been a little bit lazy when it comes to using eye cream. Admittedly, this is slightly ridiculous coming from a beauty editor who has a pretty strict morning and evening skincare routine, yet eye cream has somehow remained the one step that I’ve never been good at sticking to. Several minutes spent layering up serums, moisturisers and spot treatments? Absolutely. But when it comes to applying skincare specifically around my eyes, I’ve historically been much more of a “when I remember” kind of person.

That’s not to say I haven’t tried, of course. In my twenties, I’d keep cooling, metal-tipped eye creams in the fridge with the aim of de-puffing tired eyes after regular late nights and early commutes into the office with a hangover. Then, in my early thirties, motherhood hit and with it a period of rather relentless sleep deprivation. I very quickly turned my journalistic efforts towards finding the best brightening formulas, or anything that vaguely promised to make my look slightly less exhausted. Now that I’m 37, though, I’m finding that what I want from an eye cream has changed again.

These days I’m not particularly bothered about erasing every trace of a late night. (Most likely because they’re few and far between.) Instead, I’ve started noticing those first little signs of ageing around my eyes. I don’t have lots of obvious fine lines yet, but there’s definitely a scattering of them, and the skin itself looks and feels thinner and less plump than it did a few years ago. It’s subtle, but when you spend a lot of your working life looking at your own face in the mirror, you do notice these things.

So when The Ordinary Lacto-PDRN 4% + B9 Eye Cream started appearing all over my social feeds with rave reviews about its smoothing and tightening benefits , I was intrigued—especially considering the £8.70 price tag. Would this finally be the eye cream that got me to commit?

The Ordinary Lacto-PDRN 4% + B9 Eye Cream, Reviewed

The Formula

When reading through the list of claims that The Ordinary Lacto-PDRN 4% + B9 Eye Cream makes, I was immediately struck by how suited it felt to the stage of life I'm currently in. Rather than focusing on de-puffing or brightening, this eye cream has the improvement of skin texture at its core. Now that I'm in my late 30s, I'm absolutely more interested in keeping the skin around my eyes looking smooth and hydrated, and this cream aims to tighten, firm and visibly lift both the under-eyes and eyelids.

The headline ingredient is Lacto-PDRN, a biotech-derived, vegan alternative to salmon-derived PDRN, which The Ordinary says helps support the skin’s natural repair processes and improve the appearance of fine lines, firmness and elasticity over time. It's paired with folic acid (vitamin B9) to support hydration and skin texture and film-forming technology, which is the magic that gives that immediate smoothing and tightening effect.

It's this unique combination that feels quite exciting to me right now. Whilst I’m not dealing with deeply etched wrinkles yet, I am starting to notice that my under-eye skin looks thinner, less plump and a little more crepey than it used to. The changing texture is particularly noticeable when I'm wearing concealer or powders, as they can start to cling beneath my eyes, so I was particularly keen to see how this eye cream would perform under makeup.

The Application

I’ve tested the eye cream both morning and evening, applying a small amount around both my under-eye area and over my eyelids after cleansing and before the rest of my moisturiser. The Ordinary recommends a pea-sized amount for the entire eye area, which I think is about right.

The texture is a lightweight gel-cream that feels nourishing without being especially rich or greasy, which matters to me because I often end up with milia beneath my eyes when using heavy eye creams. It spreads effortlessly and, crucially, layers beautifully beneath any concealer or powder I put on top. The brand says its formula is designed to be worn under makeup without pilling, and I’ve definitely found that to be the case.

The first thing I noticed, though, was actually the smoothing effect, which happens almost immediately. Within mere seconds, my under-eye area looked fresher and slightly more plump, and the more uneven texture seemed less noticeable once the cream had settled. There’s a subtle tightening effect too, which I think is that film-forming technology doing its thing—and I noticed it most prominently on my eyelids, which are quite hooded and can look slightly droopy. As of right now, the longer-term results are more difficult to judge, but after a couple of weeks of use, my eye area definitely feels softer and more hydrated.

Plus, for any other sensitive-eyed people, I also really appreciate that it hasn’t irritated my eyes at all—especially as someone prone to watery, irritable eyes when testing new products.

Before and After

Before

After

The Verdict

Has The Ordinary Lacto-PDRN 4% + B9 Eye Cream suddenly turned me into someone who is religious about eye cream? Whilst I think I'll always be a commitment phobe when it comes to adding extra steps to my routine, I can absolutely see this eye cream becoming a staple in my morning routine. For evenings, I can see myself still skipping it, but the fact that this has such immediate results in terms of smoothing, firming and lifting means it almost becomes a makeup priming step for me.

What I like most is that it's perfect for where my skin is right now. I don’t need an aggressively de-puffing formula in the way I did in my twenties, and while I still appreciate a brightening product, my priorities have very much shifted towards hydration, firmness and keeping those early fine lines looking as soft as possible. Of course, I’m realistic that no eye cream is going to reverse ageing, but this one is perfect for offering a subtle improvement to the texture under and around my eyes.

Plus, bonus points must be given to the price point. At £8.70, it's a really low-commitment way to not only invest in an eye cream, but also to try the rather buzzy PDRN category without spending a fortune. I’m still not going to pretend that I find applying an eye cream every day particularly exciting, but this has definitely convinced me why people bother.

Shop The Ordinary Lacto-PDRN 4% + B9 Eye Cream

HOW WE TESTED

Having worked as a beauty editor for over a decade, I have tested hundreds of eye creams—despite rarely adding one to my regular rotation. I have been testing The Ordinary Lacto-PDRN 4% + B9 Eye Cream for around a month to see how well it smooths, hydrates and firms both the under-eyes and overall eye area both immediately and over time.

WHY TRUST US

At Who What Wear UK, we know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our editors have tested thousands of products over the years—spanning skincare, makeup, hair and nails—and work closely with trusted experts including dermatologists, makeup artists and leading industry insiders to ensure every guide is well-researched, inclusive and relevant to you.

We focus on formulas that deliver, whether they’re affordable favourites or luxury investments. Our product selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how and what we’d truly recommend to a friend.