Most people's first retinol worry is not their forehead. It is the fine lines fanning out from the corners of their eyes, and the nagging concern that the thin skin there will peel, sting or look worse before it looks better. Yunth's VA Eye Serum, released in Japan in March 2025, is aimed squarely at that worry. It takes the same pairing found in the brand's VA Derma Serum, niacinamide plus a small amount of retinol, and puts it in an airless pen with a soft applicator tip, designed for the eye contour and the smile lines that run from the nose to the mouth.
As a Japanese quasi-drug, its registered actives are niacinamide, recognised by the health ministry for wrinkle improvement, and dipotassium glycyrrhizate, recognised for preventing rough, irritated skin. Retinol appears in the list of other ingredients, about two-thirds of the way down, after the preservatives and the bamboo-shoot extract. Yunth does not give a percentage, but placement like this points to a low dose. That matches the brand's own pitch, which targets first-time retinol users. Around the eyes, starting low is genuinely sensible: the skin there is thinner and has fewer oil glands, so it dries and flakes more easily under retinoids.
The base is quite different from the brand's facial serum. A silicone crosspolymer and cyclopentasiloxane head the list, followed by petrolatum and sugar-derived squalane. This gives the serum its soft, powdery slip and leaves a smooth film that blurs fine texture almost immediately. It also keeps the serum in place, which matters near the eyes; runny formulas migrate toward the lash line and cause stinging. Petrolatum adds a light occlusive seal, a smart choice for an area that loses moisture quickly. Further down, glycerin, erythritol, betaine and sodium hyaluronate add hydration, and panthenol, allantoin and centella provide extra soothing support.
The extracts deserve a closer look. The collagen ingredients, soluble collagen and collagen tripeptide, are surface humectants that help the film feel plump; they do not rebuild collagen. Peppermint extract is a curious choice for an eye product, since it can tingle, but it sits near the end of the list, after most of the actives, so it should be a trace amount. Caramel is a natural colourant used to give the serum its warm tint.
In use, the pen is pleasant. You push slowly to bring a small amount of serum up to the soft silicone head, glide it along the orbital bone and smile lines, then press it in with a fingertip. It sets quickly and works well under concealer, without the pilling some silicone-heavy eye creams produce. The immediate smoothing is noticeable, but it is mostly cosmetic: silicones fill and blur fine lines for the day, which is pleasing but not the same as long-term improvement.
What about real results? Niacinamide has decent evidence for improving fine lines, skin elasticity and barrier function over eight to twelve weeks. Retinol's evidence for wrinkles is stronger still, but it is dose-dependent, and this formula prioritises tolerability over strength. A realistic expectation is better hydration and less crêpey texture within a couple of weeks, followed by a subtle softening of fine lines over two or three months of nightly use. Deep crow's feet or significant loss of firmness are beyond what a gentle cosmetic like this can address.
Tolerability is where this product shines. Most people should be able to use it nightly after a week or two of every-other-night use. Applying it to the orbital bone rather than the eyelid and leaving a margin from the lash line will reduce the risk of irritation. People with eczema around the eyes or very reactive skin should still patch test; even low-dose retinol and peppermint can cause trouble on inflamed skin. As with all retinol products, skip it during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and use sunscreen and sunglasses during the day.
The main downside is value. Ten millilitres sells for ¥4,950 in Japan, the same as a month's supply of the brand's facial VA serum, and import retailers add more. Given that the retinol dose is low and niacinamide is a relatively inexpensive ingredient, a good part of the price is the packaging and convenience. The airless pen is genuinely useful for keeping retinol stable, and the applicator is pleasant, but it is a premium for what is fundamentally a gentle formula. Yunth is also a young brand with no published studies of this product, so you are relying on the evidence for its actives.
Who is it for? People in their late twenties to forties beginning to notice fine lines around the eyes, who want to start retinol in that area with minimal risk of irritation, and who like the convenience of an applicator pen. It also suits people who already use the brand's facial VA serum and want a matching product for the eye contour. Who should skip it? Experienced retinoid users, people looking for marked improvements in deep lines, and anyone who would rather spend less on a basic niacinamide eye cream.
In short, this is a gentle, cleverly packaged starter. It does what it promises, carefully, but don't expect it to replace stronger treatments.
