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The 10 Best Korean Eye Creams to Buy in 2026

The 10 Best Korean Eye Creams to Buy in 2026

The skin around the eyes is the first to show signs of aging and fatigue. Whether you’re trying to keep your skin looking youthful or fade persistent fine lines, Korean eye creams are worth a try. Korean skincare is at the forefront of beauty science, with innovative eye creams made with well-researched, natural, and gentle ingredients. We’ve selected the best of the bunch, to visibly improve every common eye area concern.

How to Choose the Right Korean Eye Cream for You

There are a few factors to consider when choosing an eye cream. You need to consider how much moisture you need, what skin issues you would like to improve, and even what your scent preference is. We cover all of the important details so you can find the best eye cream for you.

Types of Korean Eye Creams

Eye cream is basically a moisturizer for the eye area, but the way it will moisturize depends on how light or heavy it is. A lighter eye cream will usually hydrate with water, while a thicker one will add restorative and protective oil-like ingredients. These are the main types, listed from lightest to heaviest:

  • Gels and gel-creams are transparent or semi-transparent with a cooling effect. They offer a lot of hydration, and are great for delivering active ingredients.
  • Light creams are the most common, offering a balanced mix of hydration and emollience.
  • Creams are a little thicker and more buttery, so while they offer some hydration, they mostly create a protective layer on the skin.
  • Balms are the thickest. They offer no direct hydration but seal existing moisture into the skin.

We’ll point out exactly which category each eye cream falls into in the reviews, and you can also learn by jumping to our detailed section on the types of Korean eye creams.

Effective Ingredients

The most important factor to consider when choosing an eye cream are the specific concerns you’d like it to address. The most common concerns around the eye area are the following:

  • Dryness
  • Dehydration
  • Fine lines and wrinkles
  • Dark circles
  • Puffiness
  • Milia

In the reviews, we’ll let you know exactly which major concerns each eye cream addresses, so you can easily identify the ones that’ll be best for you. We also include an in-depth explanation of how each eye cream works and why.

You can also learn more about why these issues occur around the eye area and which ingredients work to address each concern by reading our detailed guide.

Safety

The skin around the eyes is significantly thinner than the skin elsewhere on the face and body, which makes it more susceptible to damage. Fragrances, in particular, can irritate the skin and cause allergic reactions. This is why it’s important to choose gentle eye creams.

However, if you know that your skin tolerates fragrances just fine, you might like an eye cream with a lovely scent! We’ll let you know about fragrances, strong ingredients, and the likelihood of irritation from each Korean eye cream we review, in the “Gentleness” section.

Airtight Packaging

We prefer products packaged in pumps or tubes. Those containers have smaller openings, so they don’t allow as much air in which protects the stability and efficacy of the product. Jars, though not a deal-breaker, are less hygienic. They expose the cream to air and potential contaminants, which means the product is at a higher risk of spoiling and has to be formulated with stronger preservatives.

Style

Korean brands have some of the most stylish containers around! While we think performance and ingredients are much more important, you can let gorgeous or fun packaging sway you – after all, self-care should be fun!

Is It Cruelty-Free?

For many, it’s very important to only use cruelty-free or strictly vegan products. Korea banned cosmetic testing on animals in 2018, but there are loopholes, and any products sold in China can still undergo post-market testing.

Korean eye creams are often made with animal-derived ingredients, like snail mucin, honey, and even bird saliva. It’s not always clear, so we’ll make it easy for you by mentioning when we know for certain that a product is vegan or cruelty-free.

With all this info in mind, let’s explore the best Korean eye creams on the market today.

@mantombiii

Eye creams work for different purposes, easy to use and easy application. This eye cream is the @mizon_official collagen power firming eye cream. It is designed for sensitive or weak eye. It contains of highly concentrated collagen to lift wrinkles around eyes while improving the elasticity of the skin. It has organic argan oil, adenosine, and hyaluronic acid add a synergy effect in improving skin elasticity, retaining moisture. 💜 #eyecream #koreanskincare #mizonsnail #skincareroutine #skincareproducts

♬ original sound – music vibes2023🎶

Top 10 Best Korean Eye Creams 2026

1. Best Overall Korean Eye Cream Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream

Mizon Snail Repair Eye Cream

Why we like it: This easy favorite offers moisturizing, soothing, anti-wrinkle, and brightening effects. It’s as close to one-size-fits-all as a Korean eye cream can get, and it’s affordable to boot.

Editor’s Rating:

Type of eye cream: Light cream

Fragrance: Fragrance-free

Best for: Dehydration, sensitivity, dryness, anti-aging, and mild hyperpigmentation.

Packaging and Style: It’s available in a 0.5 oz squeeze tube or 0.8 oz jar. While the price per oz is slightly better with the jar, we prefer the cleaner and more convenient tube.

Vegan or cruelty-free: This eye cream is cruelty-free and vegetarian, but not vegan because of the presence of snail mucin.

Effects: The primary effect of this eye cream is to hydrate and strengthen the eye area, but it goes above and beyond.

It’s made with snail filtrate which deserves a special mention because it makes up 80% of this cream. Despite how weird it sounds, it’s actually incredible, offering skin moisturizing, protecting, and even healing effects, which makes it great for soothing irritated skin. It’s been proven to help reduce the depth of wrinkles, likely by plumping up the skin with water. This plumping effect can also help slightly reduce the visibility of dark circles caused by thin under eye skin.

While it loads the skin up with water, it’s low on emollients, so it’s great for dehydrated skin but won’t always be enough for dry skin. For an eye cream that works great for dry skin, consider Etude House Moistfull Collagen Eye Cream.

There are other anti-aging ingredients in this mix that deserve a mention, like antioxidant niacinamide which is also known to help with hyperpigmentation, adenosine which reduces wrinkles with long-term use, and a copper peptide that’s been shown to help reduce fine lines by stimulating collagen synthesis.

Gentleness: We feel comfortable recommending this eye cream for sensitive skin. It’s free of fragrances, and even the anti-aging ingredients are unlikely to irritate. Snail mucin even has its own skin-soothing effects! As a bonus, if your skin is prone to developing milia, this eye cream is a safe choice because it’s light and sinks in quickly.

Pros

  • Lightweight and thoroughly hydrating
  • Suitable even for very sensitive skin
  • Non-aggressive ingredients give anti-aging effects without causing irritation
  • Mid-end price is totally affordable

Cons

  • Might not be moisturizing enough for very dry skin

2. Best for Damaged Skin: Benton Fermentation Eye Cream

Benton Fermentation Eye Cream

Why we like it: This thick and moisturizing cream-balm hybrid is a good remedy for extreme dryness and barrier repair. It can also smooth fine lines and wrinkles with ingredients that have both short term and long term effects.

Editor’s Rating:

Type of eye cream: Balm-cream hybrid

Fragrance: Fragrance-free

Best for: Extreme dryness, compromised skin barrier, sensitivity, and anti-aging.

Packaging and Style: Black tube that holds 1 oz.

Vegan or cruelty-free: PETA-certified cruelty-free

Effects:

This thick eye cream is especially good for repairing very dry skin or a compromised skin barrier. It’s made with a few ferment filtrates known for their ability to improve skin barrier function, which is important for reducing dryness and sensitivity. However, if you have fungal acne or a similar condition, stay away since yeasts can make things worse.

Ceramide NP and macadamia seed oil also help reduce dryness and improve the skin barrier, while allantoin increases the skin-soothing effects.

This cream is also helpful when it comes to anti-aging. It contains adenosine and sh-Oligopeptide-1, which stimulate collagen production to firm up the undereye area and fade wrinkles.

One drawback to this eye cream is that the thick texture does occasionally cause milia. It also has low water content so it isn’t hydrating enough on its own. We recommend using it on top of a light product like the Missha Eye Treatment for added hydration. It’s worth mentioning that despite the thick texture, it doesn’t leave a greasy residue on the eyes.

Gentleness: There are no harsh ingredients to be found here, but instead there are many soothing agents, so this eye cream is safe for sensitive skin.

Pros

  • Barrier-repairing and soothing
  • Thick and moisturizing which is great for dry skin
  • Contains effective wrinkle-fading ingredients
  • Squeeze tube keeps the eye cream fresh for a long time

Cons

  • Not hydrating enough on its own
  • Can worsen fungal skin conditions
  • Low-moderate risk of milia

3. Best for Dry Skin Etude House Moistfull Collagen Eye Cream

Etude House Moistfull Collagen Eye Cream

Why we like it: Simple eye cream that offers instant hydration and, as a result, quick plumping effects that reduce the look of fine lines. Over time, it can help maintain the youthful appearance of the skin in a non-aggressive way.

Editor’s Rating:

Type of eye cream: Light cream

Fragrance: Mild, allergen-free

Best for: Dehydration, dryness, and preventative anti-aging.

Packaging and Style: Peachy jar that holds 0.95 oz.

Vegan or cruelty-free: Sadly, no on both counts. Collagen is animal-derived, and Etude House is not considered cruelty-free.

Effects: This super-hydrating eye cream is aptly named. However, it’s also touted as anti-aging, and while it is preventative, we don’t think it’s the best one to choose if you already have mature skin.

The main ingredient here is hydrolyzed collagen, which makes up around 65% of the formula. It’s a powerful hydrating agent that pulls moisture into the skin, plumping it up instantly to reduce the appearance of fine lines. It also has protective effects as an antioxidant, to prevent premature aging.

There’s a misconception that topical collagen can replenish natural collagen levels in the skin to give a long-term firming effect, but there’s no research corroborating that. Collagen’s true power comes from the ability to protect and hydrate.

The other ingredients here, like glycerin, and meadowfoam seed oil are simple moisturizing agents, while baobab oil and extract also have antioxidant effects to prevent wrinkle-formation.

Gentleness: There are no harsh active ingredients in this eye cream, and according to Etude House, the fragrance currently used in the formula is considered allergen-free. Indeed, irritation with this product is rare. Because it’s so lightweight it’s also a safe choice for those with milia-prone skin.

Pros

  • Deeply moisturizing but with a light texture
  • Antioxidants from hydrolyzed collagen and plant extracts prevent premature aging
  • Has a pleasant fragrance that is unlikely to irritate the skin

Cons

  • This mild formula won’t give transformative results
  • Jar packaging isn’t convenient
  • Not cruelty-free or vegan/vegetarian-friendly

4. For Sensitive Skin Mizon Collagen Power Firming Eye Cream

Mizon Collagen Power Firming Eye Cream

Why we like it: Mizon continues to impress with a rich, occlusive eye cream for very dry skin that still offers plenty of hydration and anti-aging effects.

Editor’s Rating:

Type of eye cream: Cream

Fragrance: Fragrance-free

Best for: Dryness, dehydration, sensitivity, and anti-aging.

Packaging and Style: Purple 0.8 oz jar, includes a small spatula for dispensing product.

Vegan or cruelty-free: Cruelty-free but not vegan because of marine collagen.

Effects: This creamy eye product is a wonderful choice for very dry skin and it also counters dehydration. While collagen might be the “star ingredient,” it shows up after other moisture-attracting agents like glycerin and butylene glycol. This is fine by us – we’re not that impressed by collagen, and we love all humectants equally!

This is a silicone-heavy formula, which is why it’s so good for dry skin. The silicones create an impenetrable barrier over the skin and prevent moisture-loss throughout the night. This is also awesome in dry climates. While silicones are generally very safe, their occlusive ability might contribute to the formation of milia.

It offers a similar anti-wrinkle effect to the Snail Repair Eye Cream, thanks to a similar use of adenosine and peptides. There are also a few antioxidant-rich botanical oils and extracts, for protection from external sources of aging. If the Snail Repair was too light for you, this one is definitely worth a try.

Gentleness: This eye cream doesn’t contain any irritants, but it is very creamy and may cause milia.

Pros

  • Rich formula relieves dry skin and counters dehydration
  • Mild, gentle, and fragrance free to suit even extremely sensitive skin
  • Includes effective anti-aging ingredients

Cons

  • Can cause milia

5. Best Budget Korean Eye Cream Elizavecca Gold CF-Nest White Bomb Eye Cream

Elizavecca Gold CF-Nest White Bomb Eye Cream

Why we like it: A playful product with moisturizing and plumping effects. It helps temporarily reduce the look of dark circles and fine lines. It’s not a long-term fix, but it can prevent early signs of skin aging at a low price point.

Editor’s Rating:

Type of eye cream: Thick cream

Fragrance: Fragrance-free

Best for: Dryness, dehydration, dark circles, and age-prevention.

Packaging and Style: Hilarious tube printed with pig cartoon that holds 1 oz.

Vegan or cruelty-free: Product isn’t vegan and while Elizavecca claims to be cruelty-free, we couldn’t find evidence corroborating the claim.

Effects: We’d recommend this eye cream for a younger crowd with dry skin, because of how it works and because of its low price.

The star ingredient here is swift nest extract, which is basically bird saliva. Don’t get grossed out – it’s actually a prized ingredient in traditional eastern medicine that contains >Epidermal Growth Factor which might have anti-aging effects on the skin. However, there isn’t quite enough research for us to totally buy into Elizavecca’s claims about it.

This cream is very moisturizing, with both water-attracting ingredients and moisturizing emollients. It contains protective antioxidants from a wide range of plants as well as niacinamide to help slow down skin aging and counter hyperpigmentation.

Because it’s heavy, it doesn’t sink into the skin completely, so it’s better for dry skin, especially in the evening.

Gentleness:

Despite being fairly mild and fragrance-free, some of the plant extracts in this eye cream do occasionally irritate the eye area. For a better option for sensitive skin, consider Mizon Snail Repair. It’s also not a fit for milia-prone skin.

Pros

  • Effectively moisturizing for dry skin
  • Wards off early signs of aging by protecting the eye area
  • Very budget friendly

Cons

  • Doesn’t sink into skin completely
  • No transformative long-term effects
  • Can cause milia

6. Best for Anti-Aging PURITO Centella Green Level Eye Cream

PURITO Centella Green Level Eye Cream

Why we like it: This balanced eye cream will work for most skin types, and has some very potent anti-aging effects. It features the powerfully soothing centella asiatica, but unfortunately also contains a fragrance.

Editor’s Rating:

Type of eye cream: Light cream

Fragrance: Lavender and bergamot

Best for: Dryness, dehydration, and anti-aging.

Packaging and Style: 1 oz squeeze tube.

Vegan or cruelty-free: Vegan and cruelty-free.

Effects: Purito is one of the most exciting K-beauty brands right now, and with this eye cream they delivered a good product with an unfortunate drawback that keeps it from being amazing.

When it comes to moisturization, this eye cream delivers a balanced mix of emollience and hydration. It’s suitable for all skin types, and leaves the skin looking slightly dewy.

The key ingredient in this formula is called centella asiatica, and it’s worth getting excited about. This plant extract has >antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, which is especially nice for red or sensitive skin. The cream includes both centella extract and isolated centella compounds that are even more potently soothing.

It also contains a high amount of wrinkle-fighting and collagen-boosting peptides. While those ingredients are present in other products on this list, this eye cream contains the highest amount of them, so we think it’s the best choice for fading wrinkles.

Gentleness: Now the drawbacks. It’s unfortunate that an eye cream made with so many great soothing agents also includes lavender and bergamot essential oils, which have the potential to cause contact dermatitis. If Purito had left out the fragrance, this would have been one of our top choices, especially for sensitive skin. Instead, Mizon Collagen Power is a safer option for more sensitive users.

Pros

  • Balanced moisturization for both dryness and dehydration
  • High amount of collagen-boosting, wrinkle-fading peptides
  • Centella asiatica provides soothing effects

Cons

  • Soothing ingredients are negated by presence of irritating fragrances

7. SkinFood Royal Honey Essential Eye Cream

SkinFood Royal Honey Essential Eye Cream

Why we like it: This popular eye cream relies on honey-based ingredients to moisturize, and also includes ingredients with respectable anti-aging benefits.

Editor’s Rating:

Type of eye cream: Cream

Fragrance: Mild honey scent

Best for: Dryness, dehydration, and mild anti-aging.

Packaging and Style: Honey-themed 1 oz tube.

Vegan or cruelty-free: Not vegan or cruelty-free.

Effects: There is a lot of good about this popular Korean eye cream, but also a few things that give us pause. It’s a richly moisturizing, anti-aging product that includes honey extract, propolis, and royal jelly, which contribute to its honey-based product story. Honey and its extracts are known for being hydrating, soothing, and even anti-bacterial, although propolis, specifically, has the potential to irritate the skin. It also includes oils and emollients that keep moisture in the skin.

Unfortunately, this long ingredient list also includes a lot of fillers, which makes us second-guess the quantities of the more interesting ingredients like adenosine and peptides, which show up at the end of the list. Normally, fillers serve to make a formula silkier, but in this instance the texture is a little sticky.

Gentleness: In addition to propolis, this eye cream also includes a fragrance, so it does have the potential to irritate. It’s also thick enough to potentially cause milia.

Pros

  • Effectively hydrating and moisturizing
  • Small amounts of adenosine and peptides for mild anti-aging
  • Comes in hygienic squeeze tube

Cons

  • Fragrance and propolis can irritate the skin
  • A lot of fillers
  • May cause milia

8. Best Premium Korean Eye Cream Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask

Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask

Why we like it: Our high-end pick is a luxurious eye gel with a super hydrating formula that will work for dry skin. It contains a range of anti-aging, soothing, and depuffing ingredients.

Editor’s Rating: