The best Korean eye creams for a brighter, youthful eye area

The best Korean eye creams are chock-full of ingredients meant to promote bright, youthful, supple skin that also seems to defy age, just like a lot of other beauty innovations we've come to know and love over the years from the East Asian beauty hub.

From 10-step regimens with the best Korean skincare products to the best Korean mascaras and viral trends like slugging, Korean skincare has been at the forefront of some of the past decade’s most fascinating and in-demand beauty trends. Known for its innovative, results-focused formulations, the fun-meets-functional realm of K-Beauty has seen its popularity soar in recent years. Products have proven time and again that they don’t just offer style (in the form of their playful packaging); they're packed with substance too, as formulations with science-backed ingredients really do take center stage. 

One such example is K-Beauty’s take on eye creams. With a bevy of glowing reviews laying testament to their fatigue-fighting prowess, these products make up a good proportion of the best eye cream offerings on the market right now. Boasting highly targeted cocktails to suit a range of different concerns and budgets, read on to find out which buzzworthy ones are a perfect fit for your skincare routine.

The best Korean eye creams, as chosen by our experts

As much of a treat to look at as it is to use, shoppers have been particularly impressed by this eye mask’s ability to relieve puffy eyes, as well as brighten and smooth fine lines. Nourishing yet hard-working, it contains vitamins E and C as well as the nourishing avocado oil and extract it’s named for. 

In addition, on top of skin barrier-boosting niacinamide and decongesting caffeine, you’ll find the star of the show—encapsulated retinol. This slow-release version of the wonder product lessens risk of irritation and ensures you get a consistent (and potent) dose of actives during your skincare night routine. 

The morning after a late night burning the candle at both ends (or sipping one too many margaritas), our skin often needs a jumpstart. Judging by its reviews, this pink-bottled product packs a punch in that department: Combining firming peptides, illuminating date seed extract, and a veritable salad of fruit extracts all in a light gel texture, this refreshing and hydrating cream is like an energy-filled breakfast smoothie for the eyes. Best for giving eyes a refreshing jolt of brightness and staving away puffiness, it's our go-to pick when staving away tired eyes.

The benefits of this five-peptide-strong, vitamin-rich cream aren’t just limited to the eyes—feel free to dab it anywhere on the face that you feel needs a little extra TLC (and wake up to dewier skin come morning). Rave reviews of this cream, which uses micro-emulsion technology to allow for better absorption of its active ingredients, often feature comments about its lightweight feel and multipurpose appeal. 

Rumor has it that it's also the secret to the poreless skin of Korean actresses; verdict's out on that, but seeing as one tube is purportedly sold every 3 seconds, we're betting that there's something to the hype.

This budget-friendly option has garnered high praise from customers. Particularly effective for puffy eyes, courtesy of its cooling massage applicator and lightweight texture, it also contains softening vitamin B5, brightening niacinamide, and moisturizing glycerin to leave the delicate skin around the eye area tighter, smoother, and softer. 

Dry skin can feel uncomfortable at the best of times, but especially when it occurs around the eyes. This re-balancing choice seeks to fix that, utilizing three different weights of hyaluronic acid to really rehydrate the skin’s many layers. What’s more, as is the norm with Korean skincare, it uses clever fermented prebiotic technology to give the skin’s protective microbiome a helping hand, thereby keeping the skin barrier strong and less prone to environmental wear and tear.

Yes, snail slime is a thing, and no, we're not skeeved out (at least, not anymore—the proof is in the pudding). A plethora of 4- and 5-star ratings on Amazon is demonstrative of the product’s appeal, with reviewers saying it’s helped with everything from their dark circles to their wrinkles. Containing 80% snail mucin, a commonly-used ingredient in Korean skincare boasting of reparative and hydrating properties, it's also cocktailed with a bunch of Old Reliables like niacinamide, squalane, and hyaluronic acid. Benefits include stand-out hydration and increased collagen production and skin regeneration. Who knew?

If you’re a fan of sheet face masks, you’ll love these jelly-like patches containing vegetable placenta (you can breathe a sigh of relief now), chosen for its ability to boost elasticity around the eye. Among the other ingredients, you’ll also find hydrating and puffiness-reducing hyaluronic acid and conditioning jojoba oil. Sounds like they’ll be becoming an integral part of our pre-makeup prep kit, or even just something to pop on for 20 to 30 minutes when you want to give your airplane seatmate a bit of a giggle. Either way, we're enjoying the concept of a targeted undereye mask, especially if cooled in a skincare fridge prior to application.

First off, this isn't a "mask" as you would think it is; it's referred to as such since it's used as an overnight/leave-on treatment, to which we happily obliged. Light and fresh scent notwithstanding, there was something definitely therapeutic about dabbing the product around our orbital bones using a ceramic tool.

Standouts of the formula are vitamin C and antioxidants, which do their part to brighten, while consistent use of the light gel-serum definitely gave a more radiant, supple-feeling eye area. Used in tandem at nighttime, with the best eye cream for dark circles for day, we're predicting our perpetually ashen undereyes will soon be a thing of the past.