All scans / Eye creams / K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 Eye Cream: Retinal Liposome 4% + Fermented Bean
K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 Eye Cream: Retinal Liposome 4% + Fermented Bean ingredients: is it worth it?
A well-built retinal eye cream with real anti-aging potential, but the “4% retinal liposome” headline is impossible to verify from this INCI alone.
A well-built retinal eye cream with real anti-aging potential, but the “4% retinal liposome” headline is impossible to verify from this INCI alone.
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The efficacy score is 4.0/5: retinal appears in a meaningful mid-list position and is supported by niacinamide, adenosine, cholesterol, sodium hyaluronate, tocopherol, and a substantial moisturizing base, but the actual retinal concentration, liposomal encapsulation, pH, and packaging stability are undisclosed. The formula is more credible for hydration, barrier support, and gradual wrinkle improvement than for dramatic results; the fermented extracts and growth-factor-style peptides add marketing interest but are not credited as primary efficacy drivers. The safety score is 4.3/5 because there is no listed fragrance or denatured alcohol, but retinal can irritate the thin eye area and the formula contains multiple botanical extracts.
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DemythSkin rates K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 Eye Cream: Retinal Liposome 4% + Fermented Bean 4.0/5 for efficacy and 4.3/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (18)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Niacinamide, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cholesterol, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Retinal, Silica, Disodium EDTA, Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-di-t-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Cnidium Officinale Root Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Bakuchiol, sh-Oligopeptide-1, sh-Oligopeptide-2, sh-Polypeptide-1
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (24)⌄
- Water
- Formula solvent
- Glycerin
- Humectant moisturizer
- Dipropylene Glycol
- Solvent and humectant
- Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- Light emollient
- 1,2-Hexanediol
- Humectant and preservative booster
- Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
- Emollient texture agent
- Niacinamide
- Barrier and tone support
- Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
- Emollient skin conditioner
- Cetearyl Alcohol
- Fatty alcohol thickener
- Butylene Glycol
- Humectant and solvent
- Cetearyl Olivate
- Olive-derived emulsifier
- Sorbitan Olivate
- Emulsifier and skin conditioner
- Hydrogenated Lecithin
- Lipid emulsifier
- Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
- Plant-derived emollient
- Carbomer
- Gel-forming thickener
- Tromethamine
- pH adjuster
- Propanediol
- Humectant and solvent
- Glyceryl Stearate
- Emollient emulsifier
- Cholesterol
- Barrier lipid
- Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
- Emulsifier and dispersant
- Ethylhexylglycerin
- Preservative booster
- Adenosine
- Skin-conditioning active
- Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols
- Plant sterol emollient
- Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
- Barrier-supporting emollient
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Retinal: Topical retinaldehyde has evidence for retinoid-mediated improvement in photoaging, but outcomes depend on concentration, stability, and regular use.
Niacinamide: Topical niacinamide is supported for barrier function, pigmentation modulation, and signs of photoaging.
Adenosine: Topical adenosine has modest evidence for wrinkle-related skin benefits.
Cholesterol: Cholesterol is a physiologic barrier lipid that supports barrier-repair formulations when combined with other lipids.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
A cheaper eye cream with a close formula
51% formula match, by ingredient list. Labels don't state amounts, so strengths may differ.

K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 Eye Cream: Retinal Liposome 4% + Fermented Bean: common questions
Is K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 Eye Cream: Retinal Liposome 4% + Fermented Bean worth it?
K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 Eye Cream: Retinal Liposome 4% + Fermented Bean scores 4.0 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Effective) and 4.3 out of 5.0 for safety (Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. A well-built retinal eye cream with real anti-aging potential, but the “4% retinal liposome” headline is impossible to verify from this INCI alone.
What are the key active ingredients in K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 Eye Cream: Retinal Liposome 4% + Fermented Bean?
K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 Eye Cream: Retinal Liposome 4% + Fermented Bean contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Retinal.
Does K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 Eye Cream: Retinal Liposome 4% + Fermented Bean contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin's analysis found no flagged irritants in K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 Eye Cream: Retinal Liposome 4% + Fermented Bean. It scores 4.3 out of 5.0 for safety.
How is K-SECRET SEOUL 1988 Eye Cream: Retinal Liposome 4% + Fermented Bean scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
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