Korean eye creams are your best bet if you want help getting that youthful and less puyat look since they have various ingredients that address fine lines, puffiness, and hyperpigmentation in your eye area, and some of them have gentle formulations to cater to more skin types. The skin around the eyes is known to be thinner and more sensitive; thus, signs of premature aging are most visible in that zone of your face.
Eye creams made by Korean brands are known for achieving results, and there are quite a number of them out in the market. To help narrow down your options, we've come up with a list of the 10 best Korean eye creams. Plus, we've also prepared a buying guide with comments from Dr. Katrina Erika Habaluyas Luz to aid you to choose the best products for your needs.
Dr. Katrina Habaluyas Luz is the face behind Ask Your Derma. She is a board-certified dermatologist in Metro Manila. She is also an educator and digital creator on all things skin, hair, and nails. She is a Diplomate of the Philippine Dermatological Society and offers online video consultations. You can also catch her on her Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channel.
Our recommendation articles are carefully researched and crafted by the mybest Philippines team of writers and editors. To stay true to our company’s mission and vision to help users’ selection process easier, we also collaborate with experts from various fields to ensure that our content stays factual and useful.
Experts featured in this article only reviewed the content of our buying guide. They had no part in the selection or ranking of products or services listed.
The products and services listed are ranked independently by the editorial team based on the points mentioned in our thoroughly researched buying guide (as of 01-16-2023).
Here are some points to consider:
For more detailed information, read through our buying guide below.
The ingredients that your eye cream contains determine its ability to help your eye area look more fresh and youthful. Here are some common ingredients you'll find in Korean eye creams.
These vitamins are ideal to have in your eye cream, especially if you want them to help with achieving younger-looking skin because vitamins A, C, and E all have anti-aging properties. Furthermore, vitamin A has antioxidant components that protect and strengthen your cells from free radical damage.
Meanwhile, vitamin C helps with collagen production and repairing skin. Vitamin E, on the other hand, softens and protects your skin from numerous elements, such as the harmful UV rays from the sun. Overall, these vitamins will strengthen your skin and keep it soft, smooth, and healthy for a longer period of time.
Neuropeptides, also known as Argireline, are used in many products as an anti-aging component that reduces fine lines and wrinkles. They are often referred to as “natural botox” since they limit neurotransmitters’ abilities to activate movement in your facial muscles. This mechanism lessens the appearance of wrinkles.
They have also been shown to promote collagen production, which keeps your skin firm and smooth and improves skin texture. Since neuropeptides don’t penetrate the skin much, they are also considered relatively safe ingredients with no known side effects or irritating properties.
Hyaluronic acid is a humectant that locks in moisture on the surface of your skin to keep it nice and hydrated. Since it can bind up to 1000 times of its weight in water, it is a good ingredient to help with skin elasticity and anti-aging.
It can also help heal wounds and treat eczema and facial redness, making it a calming ingredient that is useful to have in your arsenal of skincare products. It’s also suitable for oily or acne-prone skin types because it’s non-comedogenic, which means that it won’t clog your pores.
Centella Asiatica is a popular ingredient in Korean skincare products for its antioxidant benefits and hydrating properties. It can soothe inflamed or clogged skin and revitalizes the skin’s barrier to protect it from further damage.
Compared to other ingredients, it’s naturally derived from a perennial herb here in Asia, so it’s bound to be gentler on the skin than other ingredients. This makes it ideal to use for those who have sensitive skin in general and for the eye area since it’s a particularly delicate part of the face.
Snail mucin, or mucus from snails, is often used in Korean skincare as a nourishing ingredient. It can help smooth wrinkles, heal damaged skin faster, and reduce acne scars, which is why you're bound to find it in many products such as face creams, moisturizers, and gel masks.
Aside from its healing properties, it’s also a great hydrator for your skin and helps maintain its elasticity, giving you a more youthful look! This ingredient is great for addressing fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation. Ginseng is another ingredient that can provide similar benefits.
The skin around your eyes is already very delicate, so if you have sensitive skin, it’s best to go for a mild eye cream without any irritants like alcohol, fragrances, or parabens. This is so you can make sure that your skin won’t get irritated, and you won’t get any adverse reactions.
Double-check the description to see whether or not the product contains anything that can irritate your skin. It would be good to opt for products with more natural ingredients like Centella Asiatica and green tea, which many Korean brands use. It's also a good idea to consult with your dermatologist before using a new eye cream, especially if you take any medication.
From ₱963
This eye cream contains three big ingredients in Korean skincare: snail mucin, peptides, and hyaluronic acid. These ingredients bring about many great benefits, including moisturizing your skin and smoothing out fine lines, brightening dark circles, and locking in hydration.
It comes in a vacuum pump, ensuring that you will be able to use every drop of product without any waste. It's also paraben-free and hypoallergenic, so it's suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin. Many users have vouched for this product, with one commending it for lessening her puffy eyes and dark circles.
From ₱600
This eye cream contains snail mucin, Korea's infamous ingredient that hydrates your skin and diminishes fine lines and wrinkles. Together with hyaluronic acid (in its salt form, sodium hyaluronate), this product locks in moisture, diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, and lightens your under-eye area.
This product gives you visibly refreshed eyes in just a few days, which is why many customers love it. They often refer to this product as their holy grail in brightening the dark circles under their eyes and preventing the signs of premature aging in that area. If you want to look more alert and youthful, we highly recommend this for you.
This eye cream is hailed as Korea's No. 1 since it is a gentle and hypoallergenic product that has numerous benefits. Formulated with hyaluronic acid, it plumps up your skin, helping prevent dullness and sagging. It has over 91% natural ingredients, too, so it isn't likely to irritate your skin.
This product improves your skin's resiliency and replenishes its moisture through nourishing ingredients like hirsute raspberry sepal extract and rice extract. It also features an ultra-fine microemulsion system that stabilizes the ingredients so that they can penetrate your skin deeply. With all of these benefits in one tube, you can use this eye cream all over your face, too!
From ₱2,525
With a formulation that includes hyaluronic acid, avocado protein extract, and date seed extract, this eye cream is more than able to treat puffy eyes and illuminate and refresh the eye area. It is useful for those struggling with dry skin and early signs of aging, as it also contains peptides that visibly improve the hydration and firmness of your skin over time.
This eye cream is also free from fragrances, parabens, and sulfates, so those with sensitive skin can likely use this without any problems. It's packaged in a bottle with a pump mechanism, too, which ensures that you won't waste any product. This makes it cost-effective and convenient to take around, especially if you're fond of traveling.
From ₱6,857
Concentrated ginseng is used in K-beauty as a powerful anti-aging ingredient for a good reason. Ginseng boosts the circulation of the small blood vessels in your skin in the eye area, and this, in turn, ramps up collagen production. It makes the area around your eyes look firmer, smoother, and it gives your skin more resilience as well.
This product's melting Elastic Emulsion technology leaves a smooth finish that keeps your delicate eye skin soft and moisturized. Many users say that it's worth the high price tag because the results are definitely visible. They can truly see this eye cream's brightening effects that make them look fresh and awake all day. If you're looking to splurge, this one is worth the investment!
With Jeju green tea as its active ingredient, this eye cream is a gentle option, perfect for those with dry patches of skin in their eye area. It deeply hydrates your skin for a stronger moisture barrier using Dual Moisture-Rising Technology.
Thanks to its antioxidant properties, your skin is protected from damage caused by free radicals. And even though it's ultra-hydrating, reviewers say that it's lightweight, so this is an ideal product for people who don't like using heavy creams. Another advantage is the pleasant scent that is a hit with many users as well.
Too many late nights can leave your under-eyes looking dark and tired. Give them a boost with this eye cream chock-full of nourishing ingredients like peptides, ginger, and acerola and acai berry extract. These components have antioxidant effects that can protect your skin from different types of damage.
Aside from this, it uses Glyco Miracle Technology to boost skin firmness and vitality, perfect for rejuvenating tired eyes. This eye cream is recommended for those who are in their late 20s to 30s as part of their anti-aging regimen. Who says soft, plump, and youthful skin is just for Korean stars?
If you're looking for something moisturizing to help your skin stay soft and supple, this eye cream is for you. Formulated with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, it will leave your undereye area looking brighter and refreshed because of the intense hydration that it provides. No matter what time it is, you're bound to look awake, alert, and ready for the day!
Users love this eye cream, especially those with dry skin, since its thick consistency works well for this skin type. They also saw visible results quickly; their dark marks were much lighter, and they had less wrinkles after using this cream. If you're struggling with these same issues, you might want to give this product a try.
From ₱579
This product boasts its Centella Asiatica content, which has calming, soothing, and healing properties. It also contains four kinds of peptides and hyaluronic acid that hydrate your skin and combat the "sunken" look of tired eyes. The result is a boost in elasticity and reduction of fine lines and wrinkles.
Aside from that, this product doesn't contain any silicones, parabens, ethanol, PEG, mineral oil, and synthetic fragrance. This makes it a good choice for all skin types, even for those with particularly sensitive skin. It's vegan and cruelty-free as well, so if you follow that lifestyle, you will be able to benefit from this eye cream, too.
Do you want an eye cream that works hard and lasts long? This product might be the one for you. Enriched with super collagen and tocopherol (a specific form of vitamin E), it aims to provide hydration that lasts up to 12 hours. Its vitamin E component also helps to repair damage and even out your skin tone, giving you beautiful, bright eyes.
The gel-like texture penetrates your skin deeply and is absorbed quickly without leaving any greasy residue or heavy feeling. It's meant to be used as the last step of your skincare routine, but if you will be using this in the daytime, make sure to layer on some sunscreen on top of it before going out.
Although we've already laid down the basics of eye creams, we're certain that you still have some more questions in mind. Fret not as Dr. Katrina answers some of the most asked questions about eye creams.
Before starting an eye cream, make sure to patch test the product first! Make sure you wait at least 48 hours after applying it to make sure that you don't develop any reaction. Once you're ready to go, be gentle in applying the eye creamーjust dab it, and spread it gently.
In general, if you're a first-timer, best to start slow such as 2-3x/week to limit the chances of you developing a reaction. If you don't encounter any problems, then you can work your way up the frequency ladder.
This really would depend on the particular product. Make sure to read the ingredient list.
It depends! It depends on the active ingredient incorporated into the eye cream. The benefits of certain ingredients can be maximized if they are applied at certain times of the day. For example, vitamin C is best used in the AM to fully reap its anti-oxidant properties and its ability to ward off UV-induced sun damage.
Choose an eye cream that suits your personality and lifestyle. There are interesting packaging nowadays for eye creams from bottles with a small bulb applicator to roll-ons, take your pick! Just make sure to apply it to the eye area gently!
There's no doubt that Korean skincare is highly regarded worldwide, with Korean stars all having enviable smooth and youthful skin. If you want to try more Korean skincare products to give your face some extra TLC, check out our articles below for the best products to get.
Author: Bianca Angela Dela Cruz
Editor: R. Umlas
Reviewed by: Dermatologist, Dr. Katrina Erika Habaluyas Luz
Our buying guide was carefully researched and crafted by the mybest team of writers and editors, in collaboration with the expert featured in this article. We used the buying guide as a basis for choosing and ranking the product recommendations, and we looked at reviews and ratings from different E-commerce sites like Lazada, Shopee, and more.
When you purchase products mentioned in the article, part of the sales may be returned to mybest.
The descriptions of each product is referenced from the content available from the manufacturer, e-commerce sites etc.
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