Part of any good Korean beauty routine is applying eye cream. It is the delicate skin around the eyes that show signs of aging first.
Remember that even an amazing Korean moisturizers is not enough to treat that under-eye area properly!
That’s why it’s crucial to choose a Korean anti-aging eye cream that enhances skin elasticity and improves hydration for the eyes in your skincare routine.
Eye creams may be used twice daily, or only at night to help treat dark circles, reduce puffiness, smooth fine lines and promote skin elasticity.
Best selling Korean eye creams often contain unique ingredients like snail mucin, ginseng, bifida or powerful retinal.
On the other hand, amongst ingredients you should avoid is of course alcohol and fragrance which may irritate delicate skin around eyes.
If it seems like a lot of work, wading through all the Korean eye cream reviews and ingredient lists, don’t sweat it: I’ve done the heavy lifting for you.
Here are 8 of the best Korean eye creams, which are perfectly formulated for the sensitive skin around your eyes.
8 Best Korean Anti-Aging Eye Creams – Reviews
I’ve rated each of these K-Beauty eye creams based on what they do best (brighten, reduce dark circles and puffiness, minimize fine lines, etc.), so you can decide which one is best suited for your skin care routine.
Here are 8 best Korean eye creams with only safe and effective ingredients:
1. Beauty Of Joseon Retinal Eye Serum
My verdict: Best Korean anti-aging eye cream
Beauty of Joseon is one of the leading K-beauty brands. Their eye serum with retinal and panax ginseng is my favorite eye cream ever!
It can battle the signs of aging and leave your skin looking more youthful. In my opinion it’s the best K-beauty eye cream to reduce wrinkles and support well-aging.
Why You Will Love It
- Retinal power
This formula is packed with 2% Retinal Liposome.
I was always scared of purging and other side effects of retinol, but thankfully I didn’t have ANY of them with retinAL. In fact, retinal can be actually less irritating!
Let me explain it briefly how it works.
There are 3 forms of vitamin A: retinol, retinal and retinoic acid – our skin uses the latter one. So retinOL requires 2 conversion steps to become retinoic acid, whereas retinAL requires only 1 conversion step. This means it is more potent, but has less chances to irritate our skin.
And did you know that retinAL can work even 11x faster than retinol?!
- No irritation
From day one my skin has been tolerating and enjoying this cream so well that I decided to use it not only for the skin under eyes and eyelids, but basically for my whole face and neck.
- No more dehydration lines
Since I’m using this cream those lines are basically gone. It is really hydrating!
- Firmer skin
When I’m comparing my newest and old videos I can see that my under-eye skin looks less saggy and puffy.
Keep In Mind
Even though retinal tends to be more gentle than retinol, it’s still advisable to start slowly with this cream and see how your skin tolerates it!
2. Skin1004 Probio-Cica Bakuchiol Eye Cream
My verdict: Best Korean eye cream for beginners
For all my friends out there just starting out with Korean eye creams, this Skin1004 Bakuchiol Eye Cream is a perfect beginner product, touching on all types of eye needs.
While it has ingredients that battle wrinkles (bakkuchiol peptides) and provide hydration (like glycerin, Centella, shea butter), it also shines as a brightener for those pesky dark circles (niacinamide).
Why You Will Love It
- Beginner-friendly retinol alternative
If you want to start your aging prevention game, you may have heard that retinoid are the best for that… But they are also quite harsh on the skin.
Bakuchiol is often considered to be gentler alternative, while providing amazing results at the same time!
- Good for sensitive skin
This Korean eye cream works for all skin types, including sensitive skin. Its main ingredient is Centella – which has soothing properties.
- Fights dehydration
If you struggle with dehydrated skin under eyes (like I used to), this is a great solution. This cream is really… CREAMY! And nourishing!
It provides fantastic hydration for the whole day (or night) and helps to get rid of dehydration lines.
Keep In Mind
I don’t like the applicator. I prefer to apply this cream with my fingers.
3. Thank You Farmer Baku-Vita Intensive Eye Serum
My verdict: Fantastic retinol alternative
Another solid option! This one is packed with bakuchiol – often seen as plant alternative of retinol that is more gentle for eye area.
It can not only benefit your eyes, but can work for your entire face, as well.
This is the one of the best Korean eye creams that you can use anywhere on your face.
Why You Will Love It
- Skin brightening
Thanks to niacinamide and vitamin C it reduces hyper-pigmentation. Perfect for dealing with dark circles.
- Treats fine lines and wrinkles
It features bakuchiol and peptides for battling the signs of aging while moisturizing with glycerin and panthenol.
- Use it anywhere
You can also use it anywhere on your face, its not limited to your eyes only. And, your entire face can benefit: get supple skin and brighter eyes with this intensive eye cream.
Keep In Mind
Little goes A LONG WAY! You literally only need one drop for both eyes. If you apply too much the serum will take ages to absorb.
4. Manyo Bifida Biome Concentrate Eye Cream
My verdict: Most moisturizing K-beauty eye cream
Manyo cream stands out as a moisturizing eye bomb. What’s more, lots of users say it’s a fantastic Korean eye cream for milia (although there are no scientific research to confirm that).
Why You Will Love It
- Incredibly moisturizing
It’s probably the most moisturizing eye cream I ever tried. I used it during really harsh winter and it helped me to treat my dehydrated skin.
- Lifts skin
With Bifida Ferment Lysate and probiotics it increases skin’s elasticity supports skin barrier, and this way reduces the visibility of wrinkles.
Keep In Mind
Remember that products with fermented ingredients are not suitable for fungal acne.
5. AXIS-Y Vegan Collagen Eye Serum
My verdict: Best Korean eye cream for puffiness
If you’re after an eye cream that can do double-duty, look for this AXIS-Y Korean eye cream. Yes it works on skin hydration and elasticity, but it also help to de-duff undereye bags!.
Why You Will Love It
- Convenient applicator
Reduce your puffy eyes by gently massaging in this cream with the built-in applicator (small metal ball). There’s no better way to start a day than with a mini spa and massage!
- Great for skin’s elasticity
With collagen, hyaluronic acid and bunch of peptides it boosts skin elasticity to slow down sagging and signs of aging.
- Anti-aging properties
Niacinamide and peptides all work to reduce skin pigmentation, wrinkles and give you a youthful glow.
Keep In Mind
It feels slightly tacky in the beginning, before fully absorbing.
6. Dr. Ceuracle Royal Vita Propolis Capsule Eye Cream
My verdict: Best Korean eye cream for dry skin and bags
![[Dr.Ceuracle] Royal Vita Propolis Capsule Eye Cream](https://youarebeautie.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Dr.Ceuracle-Royal-Vita-Propolis-Capsule-Eye-Cream.jpg "Dr. Ceuracle Royal Vita Propolis Capsule Eye Cream")
This stuff wins in not one, but two categories! The roller design helps to eliminate puffiness, and the gentle formula features royal jelly, which also makes this one of the most moisturizing Korean eye creams you can get.
Why You Will Love it
- Improves your skin barrier
Swap tired eyes and dry patches for plumper, brighter eyes. The hydrating royal jelly helps to restore the moisture barrier and heal damaged tissues with regular use.
- Smoothes fine lines
One of the active ingredients is Propolis Extract, which is very high in antioxidants and can reduce the signs of aging: minimizes fine lines and increases skin firmness.
- Treats eye bags
According to many women, this is the best Korean eye cream for puffiness.
While the sea buckthorn oil (which has anti-inflammatory properties) helps naturally reduce puffiness, the included luxurious golden applicator also helps smooth puffy eyes.
Natural Vitamin E and C in the formula help to brighten dark circles and leave you looking fabulous.
- Lightweight eye cream
Despite how moisturizing it is, its actually non-sticky and suitable for all skin types, even oily and combination skin types.
Keep In Mind
For even more de-puffing power, pop the golden applicator in the fridge and use its cooling effects to reduce inflammation while smoothing wrinkles.
7. Benton Fermentation Eye Cream
My verdict: One of the best Korean eye cream for well-aging
It’s packed with fermented ingredients (Galactomyces, Bifida & more) which are popular in Korea, plus copper peptide and collagen for hydration and anti-aging benefits. The product has been dermatologically tested and is easy to apply.
Why You Will Love It
- Fermented ingredients
While the names can sound strange, these are great for your skin.
Bifida ferment lysate is a yogurt compound that is nourishing and hydrating for the skin.
This K-beauty best-selling eye cream also contains Galactomyces ferment filtrate – that can work magic for reducing signs of aging! It is a fermented yeast that is full of vitamins and helps improve skin elasticity (read more about galactomyces and its benefits for skin in my article here).
- Brightening effect
The formula contains beta-glucan that help smooth out the skin around the eyes and make it appear brighter, too.
- Works on fine lines
It contains a few types of peptides, including copper peptide, which help to slow down signs of aging line fine lines and wrinkles.
- Affordable eye cream
If you’re just starting off with K-beauty, you may have already noticed that many Korean brand products are more affordable than their Western counterparts.
This awesome eye cream is a great value and the best Korean eye cream for beginners.
Keep In Mind
The cream is pretty thick, if you plan to use it as part of your morning routine, give a few minutes for it to fully absorb before applying makeup.
8. COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream
My verdict: Best Korean eye cream for wrinkles
If you want to target your wrinkles and protect skin from the signs of aging, then this COSRX Snail Peptide cream is going to be your best friend.
It is the eyes that usually show the first visible signs of wrinkles, so you want something that will give you results.
Yes, there is snail mucin (73%, actually) in this eye cream.
Once you get over the initial cringe, hear me out: snail mucin has been used not only in Korean eye creams and Korean skincare for the past 30+ years, it is an ancient remedy used in Roman times and still a folk remedy in modern-day Italy, too.
Snail mucin has been shown to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
I suggest you to use it as a night cream, giving it plenty of time to work its magic around your under eye area.
Why You Will Love it
- Highly concentrated eye cream
73% Snail mucin and 2% Niacinamide make this a power-packed eye cream to target fine lines and wrinkles.
- Contains Copper Peptides
Which are wonderful for stimulating collagen production, which has natural anti-aging effects.
Keep In Mind
Don’t expect the “wow” effect over night.
Moreover, it didn’t do anything to my bags under eyes, so if puffiness is you problem maybe choose a different option!
Final Decision: What Is The Best K-Beauty Eye Cream?
Considering the effectiveness, anti-aging properties, safety of ingredients and ease of application, from all of these best Korean eye creams, my absolute favorite is this Benton Fermented Eye Cream.
It prevent premature aging, brightens skin and reduces the puff under eyes.
Simply the best eye cream for all-around!
How To Choose Korean Eye Cream For Dark Circles
If dark circles are your nemisis, then look for these specific ingredients in an eye cream to tackle the appearance of dark circles:
Vitamin C (brightens skin)
Niacinamide
Caffeine (increases blood flow and brightens)
Bakuchiol
How To Choose Korean Eye Cream For Puffiness
For those facing puffiness around the under eye area, the best ingredients to choose in an eye cream are:
Vitamin K (contributes to increased blood flow)
Fermented ingredients (like those in the Benton Eye Cream)
Peptides and Copper Peptides which tighten the skin
Caffeine
How To Choose Korean Eye Cream For Wrinkles
The best Korean eye creams for wrinkles and fine lines contain ingredients that promote collagen production and keep skin hydrated. Some of them include:
Retinol (not recommended during pregnancy)
Ceramides
Bakuchiol
Peptides with amino acids that promote collagen production
Snail mucin
Hyaluronic acid
Vitamin E
Best Korean Anti-Aging Eye Cream – FAQ
Did you know that around the eyes is usually where the first signs of wrinkles and fine lines appear?
Even if you aren’t ready to think about using anti-aging products on your face, you may want to consider protecting the delicate skin around your eyes with Korean eye creams to prevent those fine lines and wrinkles from forming.
Do You Really Need An Eye Cream?
Using an eye cream is all about personal preference, but keep in mind that the delicate and sensitive skin around the eyes if very different from the skin of say, the forehead or chin.
When you select products for your face, you may be choosing a cream only based on skin concerns for your overall face, ones which may be to harsh for the delicate skin around your eyes.
This is why eye creams that target specific issues for the under eye area (like puffiness or treating dark circles) can help to give you a more youthful appearance.
Can I Use A Face Moisturizer Under My Eyes?
Check the ingredients of your regular moisturizer to ensure that everything is suitable to use around the sensitive skin of the eyes.
Avoid alcohols that can lead to dehydrated skin, or scented (even if natural ingredients or essential oils make up the fragrance), since that can cause irritation.
When Should I Start Applying Eye Cream?
You can start using eye cream now, there is no age requirement to start caring for your delicate eye area or to treat dark circles.
Your eyes will reap the benefits of intense hydration, reduced hyperpigmentation the sooner you start.
How To Use A Korean Eye Cream
In Korean skincare, eye creams are applied as one of the final steps, after cleansing, toning, applying moisturizer and serums. You can apply eye cream before using sunscreen or make-up.
Use only a small amount of product, and using your fingertips, gently tap it into the under eye area. Do not rub.
If the cream is very thick, allow a few minutes to fully absorb into the lower eyelid before applying makeup.
How Often Should I Apply Eye Creams?
You should apply eye cream twice a day, morning and evening for best results. As with anything, regular use will provide the best results.
Eye Cream Vs. Gel Vs. Balm – What’s The Difference?
The terms ‘cream’, ‘gel’ and ‘balm’ aren’t just catchy names used as marketing tools, they actually mean different things. The name used tells you something about the formulation of ingredients.
Balms: Balms are composed mostly of fats and oils and sometimes wax to hold it all together. That is why sometimes balms come as a solid and melt at skin temperature. They provide an intense amount of moisture and are the best choice for damaged skin or dry skin during winter months.
Creams: Creams are lighter than balms, being made with water in the recipes. You may find recipes that are 50% water, 50% oils. These are more easily absorbed and great for all skin types.
Gels: Gels are the lightest of all, being water-based. They are fast-absorbing and ideal for oily skin.
What Do Koreans Use As Eye Cream?
Koreans use eye creams with Sea buckthorn oil, ginseng, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, centella, copper peptides, and yes – snail mucin to reduce puffiness, brighten dark circles and prevent wrinkles.
While snail mucin may seem really weird, it is very humanely derived. Snails move across a mesh floor where the mucin is easily collected, and the snails remain unharmed.
Tips For Taking Care Of Your Skin Around Eyes
Don’t rub your eyes roughly. The skin around the eye is very delicate and this could lead to wrinkles faster.
Tap product into the skin around the lower eyelids and give a few minutes for it to naturally absorb.
If your are dealing with swelling under the eyes, look into an eye roller that can reduce puffiness. You can also find eye rollers with a cooling effect, too.
Use products that protect the skin and prevents dryness, this can do wonders for keeping wrinkles and fine lines at bay.
Try eye patches that are infused with soothing ingredients, specifically for eye skin.
Get enough sleep. Don’t only depend on products to reduce under eye bags, if lack of sleep is the true culprit, deal with the problem and get some more Z’s.
The purpose of this article is informative and entertaining. It’s not a substitute for medical consultation or medical care. The author of this article does not accept any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, from any information or advice contained here. Safety should be your priority.
All pictures in this article with YouAreBeautie logo belong to YouAreBeautie.com and were taken by the owner of this website. All these images are copyright-protected. Sources of other pictures:
Pictures of Dr. Ceuracle Royal Vita Cream belong to Dr. Ceuracle Brand. Source: http://en.leegeehaam.com/
