K-beauty has become such a large category within the skincare world, sometimes it can be hard to know where to start. The quality is top-tier, the packaging is gorgeous, and the active ingredients are unique and alluring. How do you find the best Korean eye creams when they all look and sound so amazing?

If you’re a skincare aficionado, you’ll know where to start: the ingredients list.

But before we dive deeper into finding your perfect product, let’s have a quick reminder of why we should be incorporating eye creams into our skin care routines:

1. The skin around our eyes is extra delicate. That means we need extra moisture to counter the dragging, rubbing, and movement that occurs there.
2. Our eyes are the first place we show signs of tiredness. Pressure caused by pooling blood flow under the eyes leads to dark circles and can strain and stretch the skin. This vulnerable area needs added protection that standard moisturizers may not provide.
3. Our eyes are the most expressive part of our faces. That means we start to show age there earlier than anywhere else. Remember: wrinkles are like scars. Once they’ve been created, they can’t be completely removed. Preventative measures started as early as possible in life—like using SPF, not rubbing the skin, and keeping moisture levels high—are much better than artificial fixes like Botox or surgery.

What to look for in Korean eye creams

The ingredients used in Korean skincare are rich with nourishing and hydrating active ingredients to plump this delicate area. Far from your usual creams and lotions, the best Korean eye creams contain actives such as:

• Butylene Glycol: Functioning both as a humectant and an emollient, Butylene Glycol helps our skin to draw moisture from the air, and keep it sealed in by creating a nourishing barrier. It also works to condition the skin, making it smooth and soft to the touch.
• Niacinamide: This vitamin, otherwise known as B3, helps to build keratin levels in your skin, keeping it firm and youthful. It helps to keep your skin’s moisture barrier intact, regulate oil production, and even out overall skin tone.
• Caprylic/​Capric Triglycerides: These are antioxidants—powerful allies for fighting against the daily wear and tear our skin is subjected to. Antioxidants combat free radicals—unbonded oxygen particles from pollution and cigarette smoke that can cause premature aging and dullness. These are especially important for replenishing our under-eye areas, where the skin is most vulnerable.

Three of the Best Korean Eye Creams

Benton Fermentation Eye Cream

Benton’s Fermentation Eye Cream harnesses the power of fermented and hydrating ingredients for extreme hydration and skin healing. Butylene Glycol, Triglycerides, and Bifida Ferment work together to brighten the under-eye area and reduce fine lines and wrinkles over time.

Bifida Ferment is a probiotic ingredient that helps encourage skin to visibly repair itself to look smoother. Ceramides help protect the skin from harmful external environments and have excellent moisturizing power to keep the skin moist.

CosRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream

CosRX has an entire product line based on their famous ‘Snail Secretion Filtrate’, one of our favorite ingredients for firming skin and preventing moisture loss. This lightweight active extract moisturizes, protects and rejuvenates delicate skin. Even better, no snails are harmed in the making—the filtrate is collected from the filters they crawl on.

In addition to snail secretion filtrate, CosRX’s Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream also includes a complex of 5 different peptides to produce collagen to firm up the skin around the eyes. Niacinamide also helps brighten away any darkness.

Heimish Marine Care Eye Cream

Heimish’s Marine Care Eye Cream scores a three out of three for all of the magical ingredients listed above, and on top of that, it’s simply bursting with natural botanical extracts such as peptides, plant stem cell and seaweed extracts, shea butter, and multiple seed oils.

This eye cream is one of our favorite nourishing eye creams that help prevent aging around the eyes.

Why choose Korean eye creams?

K-beauty is no longer just a trend, it’s become a staple in the skincare routines of many and has inspired countless products in the beauty world.

The best Korean eye creams are also made with a broad spectrum of skin types in mind, and fine tuned specifically for each different type and problem. When shopping for your perfect eye cream, remember to keep those top 3 ingredients in mind, and allow several weeks to see a difference before you switch to something else.