Can Caffeine Help With Under-Eye Circles and Puffiness?
Key takeaways:
Caffeine can be found in many skin care products like under-eye cream, facial serums, and body creams.
Caffeine can temporarily reduce eye puffiness and the appearance of dark circles under your eyes.
Avoiding smoking and wearing sunscreen are key to keeping your under-eye skin healthy and shadow-free.
You may turn to caffeine for your morning pick-me-up. But did you know that caffeine can also make the skin around your eyes look refreshed even when you’re tired?
Caffeine has become a popular ingredient in skin care products. You can find it in eye creams, serum, and even body creams targeting cellulite. Here’s how adding caffeine to your skin care routine can help your under-eye skin.
Why is caffeine good for under-eye concerns?
Caffeine really can help address under-eye concerns. This isn’t a new concept — caffeine’s skin benefits are part of the reason people have been placing cool tea bags on their eyes for decades.
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But it’s important to know that caffeine’s effects are temporary. They can’t resolve under-eye bags and dark circles forever. And caffeine can’t help these issues from starting either. Even though the effects are temporary, caffeine can help improve your under-eye skin in many ways.
1. Caffeine can make dark circles less noticeable
Caffeine naturally tightens the blood vessel wall muscles. This can lighten under-eye circles. When blood vessels clamp down, less blood passes through them. The combination of tightened blood vessels and less blood flow translates to lighter under-eye circles.
That’s because most of the shadowing you see under your eyes is actually the reflection of blood inside your veins. The skin underneath your eyes is very thin. Without fat and subcutaneous tissue to cushion blood vessels, they can become visible through the skin. As you get older and your skin thins, these veins can become more pronounced. This makes dark circles more prominent.
Blood vessels open up again once the caffeine wears off. Reapplying throughout the day can help minimize dark shadows.
2. Caffeine reduces under-eye puffiness
Caffeine can also help reduce puffiness. Again, this is because caffeine causes blood vessels to tighten. This means that small blood vessels are less likely to leak fluid into the area around your eyes. It may also encourage your body to reabsorb extra fluid.
This can reduce swelling under your eyes. The effects are temporary. Once your blood vessels open back up, they can start to leak again. But this takes several hours. And under-eye puffiness naturally improves throughout the day because when you’re standing or sitting, gravity keeps fluid from building up under your skin. So you may find that applying caffeine in the morning can help banish under-eye swelling for most of your day.
Wondering what’s causing your under-eye concerns? Our experts review the causes of dark under-eye circles and how to manage them.
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3. Caffeine may improve the appearance of fine lines
Caffeine has antioxidant properties that can help protect your skin from signs of photoaging, or sun damage to your skin. UV light damages your skin and can lead to wrinkles, discoloration, and skin sagging.
Sunscreen or moisturizers containing at least SPF 30 are the best protection against UV light. Caffeine can’t (and shouldn’t) replace your go-to sunscreen or SPF product. But adding caffeine to your daily routine can support SPF by providing further protection against free radicals and other skin-harming substances.
How do you use caffeine for under-eye concerns?
It’s best to use caffeine-containing skin care products in the morning when puffiness and vessel swelling are at their worst. Fluid tends to build up under the skin when you’re lying down because gravity can’t help pull fluid down. So you’re most likely to notice under-eye circles and puffiness when you first wake up.
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When applying caffeine-containing eye cream or serum to the under-eye area, gently apply the product using your ring finger. Your ring finger is the weakest of your fingers because it shares a muscle with your third and fifth digits. So your ring finger is less likely to cause damage from pulling and tugging on your delicate under-eye skin.
You can also use a rollerball applicator to apply caffeine under your eyes. Many of the applicators can be chilled. The cooling effect can also help pull fluid into blood vessels boosting caffeine’s depuffing effects.
Can skin products with caffeine cause side effects?
Skin care products that contain caffeine are safe for most people. Most products contain 3% caffeine. This is a low concentration, so it’s unlikely to cause any problems. And it’s nearly impossible to “overdose” on caffeine at this concentration.
But, caffeine-containing skin care products can cause side effects. Caffeine promotes healthy circulation. In theory, this can cause temporary skin flushing, or redness. Also, the eyelid skin is very thin and can be especially sensitive. You may notice stinging or burning sensations when you apply caffeine.
More likely than not, any irritation or discomfort comes from other ingredients in your skin care product. Some skin care products contain ingredients that are known to cause skin irritation. Benzalkonium chloride (a preservative), parabens, and sodium lauryl sulfate can irritate your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin.
It’s a good idea to test any new products on a small patch of skin on your wrist. This will help you see how your body reacts to the product. You can do the patch test before applying the product to more delicate areas of your body, like the skin under your eyes.
The bottom line
Caffeine can improve the appearance of dark circles, puffiness, and fine lines. These results are temporary but can last several hours. Caffeine-containing skin care products are generally safe to use. But other ingredients in these products can lead to skin irritation. Test any new products on your wrist before applying to the sensitive area around your eyes.
Why trust our experts?
References
Ahmadraji, F., et al. (2015). Evaluation of the clinical efficacy and safety of an eye counter pad containing caffeine and vitamin K in emulsified Emu oil base. Advanced Biomedical Research.
American Society for Surgery of the Hand. (n.d.). Tendons.
Chacon, A. (2020). Caffeine’s role in skincare. Dermatology Times.
Echeverri, D., et al. (2010). Caffeine’s vascular mechanisms of action. International Journal of Vascular Medicine.
Herman, A., et al. (2012). Caffeine’s mechanisms of action and its cosmetic use. Skin Pharmacology and Physiology.
