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In the best of the best Korean eye creams seen below, peptides are often paired with effective and similarly revitalizing ingredients, such as retinoids, niacinamide, and ceramides. Together, they can offer gentle eye care while bringing visible brightening, smoothing, and moisturizing benefits. These days, the most effective formulas include those from long-beloved brands, like Cosrx and Laneige—as well as up-and-comers such as Beauty of Joseon and Tirtir. Scroll ahead for the best Korean eye creams to add to your routine.
Best Korean Eye Cream Overall: Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Cream Ginseng + Retinal
Why It’s Worth It: One of the buzziest K-beauty products, full-stop, is Beauty of Joseon’s Revive Eye Cream Ginseng + Retinal counts board-certified dermatologist Hee Jin Koh, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New Jersey, and cosmetic chemist Ramón Pagán as fans. “I love the ultra-nourishing and soothing formula with the added (gentle) kick of retinal,” Pagán tells Allure.
As a refresher, ginseng has anti-inflammatory properties that can help with puffiness. Retinal, on the other hand, appears in the form of liposomes for better penetration and delivery of the vitamin A derivative, according to Dr. Koh. Retinal also “only requires a one-step conversion to the active form of retinoid acid, unlike retinol which requires a two-step conversion,” she adds. In other words, it’s more effective and less irritating.
Key ingredients: ginseng, retinal, niacinamide | Who it’s for: all skin types, so long as you can tolerate retinoids | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Retinoid: Dr. Different Vitalift-A Eye & Neck
Why it’s worth it: Retinal puts the A in Dr. Different’s Vitalift-A Eye & Neck to help smooth crow’s feet and fortify crepey skin. A blend of emollient-rich squalane and anti-inflammatory shea butter buffers the gentle 0.02% concentration of retinal to ensure the eye cream doesn’t create more problems than it solves—like the flaking and irritation that typically comes with introducing a new retinoid into your skin-care routine. Just be sure to follow this with sunscreen in the morning, as retinoids leave skin more sensitive to UV rays.
Key ingredients: retinal, squalane, shea butter | Who it’s for: all skin types, including retinol beginners | Fragrance-free: yes
Best Retinol Alternative: Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream
Why it’s worth it: Soko Glam cofounder Charlotte Cho loves the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream, which is infused with the antioxidant-dense fermented black rice beloved by K-beauty fans and TikTok denizens alike. (Its popularity is due in no small part to the brand’s best-selling Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner.) The formula also contains bakuchiol, which helps boost skin cell turnover—as retinoids do—without its irritating side effects. Cho reaches for this lightweight, fragrance-free eye cream because it doesn’t cause her to develop milia around her eyes.
