On March 14, Hong Kong Consumer Council released a test report about the results of its eye creams test.

The Council tested the efficacy of 15 eye creams on the market, including well-known brands such as NIVEA, OLAY, ESTĒE LAUDER, SHISEIDO, and SNOW SHOW, by inviting 220 Asian women to try them.

It was found that all of the eye creams had a good moisturizing effect, but only four had a relatively more significant effect on deeper wrinkles. One product was found to contain free formaldehyde, five were found to contain fragrance allergens, and one was found to contain eight fragrance allergens.

The council calls on manufacturers to reduce the use of formaldehyde-emitting preservatives and pay attention to the types and concentrations of allergens in their products.

The prices of the 15 eye creams, when purchased, ranged from HK$179 to HK$1,060 (US$22.8 to US$135.03), or HK$11.9 to HK$58.3 (US$1.52 to US$7.43) in terms of per milliliter or per gram. It was found that three samples priced less than HK$21 (US$2.68) per ml/g had good wrinkle-removing and moisturizing effects, namely samples of NIVEA at HK$11.9 (US$1.52), L'Oréal Paris at HK$20.5 (US$2.61) and OLAY at HK$13.3 (US$1.69).

The Council gave different scores to the 15 products, among which two products scored the highest overall rating of 4.5, namely “Cellular Expert Filler Eye & Lip Contour Cream” by NIVEA and “AGE PERFECT Nectar Royal Golden Supplement Eye Cream” by L'Oréal Paris.

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In terms of wrinkle reduction effect, 14 participants used the samples for 30 consecutive days, applying the samples once a day in the morning and once a day in the evening on one of the designated eye contour areas, while the other side of the eye contour area was left untreated by skin care.

The results showed that 12 samples had medium or slightly better than medium wrinkle reduction effect, four samples showed more significant improvement, and the remaining three samples showed slightly worse performance.

In terms of moisturizing effect, the sample of Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Eye Cream was the most outstanding, with an average increase of more than 30 percent in the skin moisture level of the test subjects.

The history of Whoo, the sample with the highest total quantity and the largest number of species detected, did not have a list of ingredients on its label, which might increase the chance of skin allergy for some users.

The manufacturer of the brand replied to the Council that it had immediately notified its head office in Korea upon receipt of the test report, and would review the formula in a timely manner to reduce or even exclude the content of the relevant substances. It also said that it would improve the labeling of the ingredients of the product in the future.

Besides, Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) was detected in three samples, including The history of Whoo, OLAY, and DR. WU. Trace amount of Cyclopentasiloxane (D4) was also detected in OLAY. The Council pointed out that D4 was suspected to be toxic to reproduction and urged the manufacturer to minimize the content as far as possible.

In addition, information from the Council shows that six samples were found to contain or were labeled with “Alcohol.”

The Council also reminded consumers to avoid frequent gripping or pulling of the eye skin when using eye creams, to pay special attention to the recommended use-by date of the product, and for those who are allergic to fragrances, to pay attention to whether the product is labeled as containing fragrance or perfume.