Check single-dose cosmetics that look like eye drops before they go near your eyes
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Key Takeaway
On 4 August 2026 the MFDS warned that a cosmetic in a single-dose, artificial-tear-style container can cause a foreign-body feeling or conjunctivitis if put in the eye. Read the name and directions before opening one.
What did the MFDS announce?
The press reference from the MFDS Cosmetics Policy Division makes four points.
| Item | What it says |
|---|---|
| What cosmetics are for | Products applied, rubbed or sprayed on the outside of the body |
| If used directly in the eye | They can cause a foreign-body feeling, conjunctivitis and other eye injury |
| Action on companies | Together with the Korea Consumer Agency, it recommended that four companies selling cosmetics in artificial-tear-style containers fix them, including changing the container and packaging |
| Planned rule change | It plans to amend the Cosmetics Act to ban cosmetic containers and packaging that imitate the form of medicines |
The press reference describes the law change only as a plan and gives no start date. For now, you have to tell them apart yourself by reading what is printed on the container.
What should you check before opening a single-dose container?
Whether a container is for the eye or for the skin is shown by its printed words. Read through the steps below.
- Read the product name on the container or box. If it carries a skin product name such as ampoule or serum, do not put it in your eyes.
- Find where the directions say to use it. If they say to apply it to the face or skin, do not use it in the eye.
- If a container has been taken out of its box and you cannot confirm the product name, do not use it. Ask the shop or the maker.
- If you use single-dose eye drops, do not mix them into the same pouch or drawer as cosmetic ampoules. This is not MFDS advice. It is a tidying habit to reduce mix-ups.
What should you do if a cosmetic gets into your eye?
The MFDS describes two steps.
- Rinse the eye right away with saline or clean water.
- If a foreign-body feeling, pain or other symptoms continue after rinsing, see an ophthalmologist promptly.
Bringing the container or box you used makes it easier to explain which product it was. Treatment depends on the doctor's judgment of your eye, so this article does not go further than that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is every container shaped like an artificial tear a cosmetic?
No. The MFDS only says that some cosmetics are sold in containers similar to single-dose artificial tears. It does not say that every product with that shape is a cosmetic. Shape alone can be hard to judge, so read the product name and directions on the container or box first.
If it got into my eye but doesn't hurt, do I still need to rinse?
The MFDS says that if a cosmetic was mistaken for artificial tears and put in the eye, you should rinse it out right away. That applies even without symptoms. If a foreign-body feeling or pain continues after rinsing, see an ophthalmologist.
Where can I find the four companies and their products?
The body of the press reference does not name the companies. Attachment 2 shows examples of such products on sale, so check the attachments on the MFDS press release page yourself. This article does not point to any specific product.
Sources & Verification Date
All materials have been verified from official announcements and may have changed since verification.