The best Korean eye creams can combat dark circles, fine lines, and puffiness. While they contain many of the same ingredients you’ll see in the rest of your eye creams (retinol, caffeine, and hyaluronic acid), they’re often blended with ingredients signature to Korean skin care. Two classic examples are ginseng (an anti-inflammatory that can plump fine lines) and snail mucin (for hydration and antiaging). To find the very best Korean eye creams worth adding to your skin care routine, we asked dermatologists, estheticians, celebrity makeup artists, and Glamour editors to share their top picks and then tested them ourselves. We found that Acwell licorice pH Balancing Intensive Eye Cream and Superegg Phyto Bounce Eye Contour Solution worked best for making dark circles look less prominent. Below are the rest of the standouts worth adding to your cart, whether you’re looking for a firming overnight treatment or a refreshing AM eye serum.
The best Korean eye creams, at a glance
Your Korean eye cream questions, answered
What to look for in a Korean eye cream?
Whether or not you’re shopping for Korean beauty brands, the right eye cream depends on your skin type and specific skin needs. “For dark circles, common ingredients include niacinamide and licorice root extract, which are antioxidants that have been shown to brighten the skin,” says Christina Chung, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology in Pennsylvania. Effective de-puffing ingredients include “caffeine to reduce swelling by constricting blood vessels and reducing excess fluid,” as well as “anti-inflammatory ingredients like green tea extract and Cica (Centella asiatica) to reduce inflammation,” she says.
If you’re looking for an anti-aging Korean eye cream, try ingredients known to target lines and wrinkles such as peptides, snail mucin, retinol, bakuchiol, and ginseng, says Dr. Chung. “Ingredients like hyaluronic acid, snail mucin, peptides, and squalane help hydrate the thin eyelid skin and reduce the appearance of lines, while ingredients like bakuchiol, retinol, and ginseng can help stimulate collagen to prevent fine lines.” Just keep in mind that the skin around your eyes is very delicate so you should pat very gently when applying creams.
- Key ingredients: Licorice water, licorice extract, glutathione, blueberry fruit extract, bifida ferment extract, caffeine
- Fragrance-free: Yes
- Fast facts: Lightweight yet hydrating, recommended for all skin types (including sensitive skin), subtle brightening effect
If you’re looking for an eye cream for dark circles, try Acwell Licorice pH Balancing Intensive Eye Cream. While even the most brightening eye creams can’t do the camouflaging of an under-eye concealer, this one can give it a subtle glowy boost. “Licorice is my favorite natural brightener, so it’s a no-brainer to reach for it when I haven’t had enough sleep and I’m trying to brighten my under-eye area,” says Charlotte Cho, licensed esthetician and cofounder of Then I Met You and Soko Glam, who swears by the comfortable texture and brightening formula. You’ll also find both licorice water and licorice extract in the ingredients list, along with caffeine, a popular eye cream ingredient that studies have shown helps brighten and depuff. “I love the light yet creamy texture,” she says. “It absorbs quickly and is extremely hydrating.”
Original video by Glamour tester Sarah Y. Wu
- Key ingredients: Tremella mushroom, peptides, caffeine, adenosine, niacinamide, amino acids, diamond powder
- Fragrance-free: Yes
- Fast facts: Clear gel, immediately brightens, gentle on sensitive skin, layers well under concealer
Superegg Phyto Bounce Eye Contour Solution received glowing reviews from four of our experts, cementing its well-deserved spot on our list. This clear gel contains powerful hydrators like hyaluronic and tremella mushroom, along with caffeine and niacinamide (a popular brightening ingredient). Because it’s so lightweight and smoothing, it layers well under makeup. “I discovered this eye cream from Superegg about a year ago, and I haven’t looked back since,” says Fiona Stiles, a celebrity makeup artist and founder of Reed Clarke. “The fear, especially getting someone ready for a red carpet event, is that eye cream will make their concealer crease or mascara run.” Stiles says that this gel “tightens, cools, and nourishes without manifesting any of my makeup nightmares.” She also uses it on herself before applying concealer and “nothing shifts or creases” throughout the day. “More importantly, I trust it on my clients,” she says.
Cho says this is her favorite formula for sleepy mornings. “When dealing with puffy under eyes, I typically need a lightweight gel textured eye cream that is cooling and will work well with my eye roller tools,” she explains. “This adds immediate cooling relief with a hyaluronic acid boost.” Dr. Chung confirms that the formula is “great for brightening and smoothing, especially for people who have normal to sensitive skin that suffer from dark circles.” While the formula isn’t shimmery, it immediately adds glow to under eyes. “There’s a sprinkle of diamond powder in this formula, which you won’t detect just by looking at it,” says Glamour contributor Sarah Y. Wu. “It’s so subtle that the gel still goes on clear, but it makes my concealer look extra dewy and lit-from-within.”
- Key ingredients: Snail secretion filtrate, peptides
- Fragrance-free: Yes
- Fast facts: Recommended for sensitive skin, lightweight hydration, subtle brightening, has a temporary smoothing effect on fine lines
Snail mucin is one of K-beauty’s most popular ingredients, and you can find it in Korean eye cream, too. “Snail mucin contains a complex mix of glycoproteins, hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, copper peptides and antimicrobial peptides,” says Y. Claire Chang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at UnionDerm in New York City. According to Dr. Chang, the ingredient’s “potential benefits” include “improved hydration, brightening, soothing, and anti-aging,” although she adds that “unfortunately large, randomized controlled trials that specifically evaluate impact of snail mucin on human skin are lacking.” Still, Cosrx Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream remains one of her personal favorite formulas. (The brand makes one of the most popular Korean toners, too.) “It has 72% snail mucin to hydrate, soothe, and brighten the skin,” she says. “It’s also formulated with my favorite brightening ingredient, niacinamide, as well as five types of peptides to increase collagen production.”
