Today I’m bringing you a Boots Ingredients Caffeine Eye Cream Review. Caffeine is an ingredient in skincare that is supposed to wake up the skin, particularly in eye creams, and reduce dark circles. Did this cream do that for me? Let’s have a look.
About Boots Ingredients Caffeine Eye Cream
Here is what Boots says:
‘With caffeine which is an antioxident, this eye cream is perfect for use around the eyes.
What is it good for?
- Skin around the eyes feels refreshed, moisturised and smoother’
Ingredients:
Aqua(Water), Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Peg-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Dimethicone, Siloxanetriol Alginate, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Xanthan Gum, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium Edta, Sodium Methylparaben, Sorbic Acid, Propylparaben
Even though this cream screams caffeine, and that ingredient is highlighted, there actually isn’t that much caffeine in it. If you look at the ingredient list, you can see caffeine is at the bottom of the list after the parabens. In cosmetics, they allow only 0.8% parabens mixture or 0.4% of a single paraben. And since the caffeine is listed after the first paraben, that means its concentration is under 1%. Do you think that can be effective?
There are also some humectants in here. Humectants, as we know, are moisture magnets. They draw moisture from the environment onto themselves and then into the skin. Those humectants here are glycerin, high on the ingredient list and hyaluronic acid (sodium hyaluronate), very low on the list.
If you want to learn more about hyaluronic acid, click here.
There are also some occlusives here. Occlusives are ingredients that provide a protective layer on top of the skin, which prevents moisture loss. In this product, occlusives are Shea Butter and Dimethicone.
Caffeine
Lastly, let’s quickly talk about caffeine in skincare. We know that when we drink caffeine, it wakes us up. But does it do the same to our skin when we apply it?
Caffeine has two primary roles in skincare. It is an antioxidant and vasoconstrictor.
Antioxidants protect our skin from the damage caused by free radicals. And free radicals are unstable molecules that cause the breaking down of our collagen. The effect of free radicals appears as sallow, saggy skin and fine lines and wrinkles. And that’s why antioxidants are so important and so big right now in the skincare world.
And now for the main bit – caffeine as a vasoconstrictor. When I say that caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, what I mean is that it constricts (tightens) blood vessels under our skin. If our blood vessels are tightened, there is less blood coming to just under the surface of our skin, making our dark circles appear lighter and our skin smoother.
But that effect doesn’t last long. And that’s why we need to constantly be using our caffeinated eye creams to keep that effect. Once we stop, our blood vessels can expand again, and dark circles are back.
Important to note that if your under eyes are dark due to genetics (like mine are), there is no amount of caffeine eye cream that will help with that. Your best bet is to master your concealer game.
Packaging, texture and use
Packaging
Boots Ingredients Caffeine Eye Cream comes in a simple yet effective tube with a narrow spout top. The design on the bottle is very plain, black and white, with only a couple of words. The bottle is made with soft enough plastic that makes it easy to squeeze out just the right amount of product but also to squeeze out the last drops of the cream.
Texture
This eye cream has a lightweight consistency that absorbs quickly. It doesn’t leave any feeling of dryness or stickiness afterwards. It provides light hydration and nothing more.
Use
Here is what Boots recommends:
- Apply to skin around the eye area. Gently tap with fingers until absorbed. Use day and night
And I use it exactly like that. Did you know that the amount of eye cream you need to apply is the same size as a grain of rice? A grain of rice! That’s a tiny amount! And that’s why you can justify paying more for a good eye cream because it would last you ages.
Also, there is the best finger to use when applying your eye cream. And that’s your ring finger. It is because ring fingers have the most gentle pressure of them all. You just need to lightly tap your eye cream around your eye area – not too close to the eye.
Who is Boots Ingredients Caffeine Eye Cream for?
This eye cream is for anyone looking for an affordable, lightweight eye cream. I think it would suit every skin type unless you have extremely dry under-eyes. In that case, go for something a bit heavier in texture.
My experience with Boots Ingredients Caffeine Eye Cream
I think this eye cream is a very basic, average product without any wow factor. It provides gentle moisture and hydration, and that’s it. It definitely doesn’t do anything for dark circles. I must say I bought it because it says caffeine on it. I was putting some hope into it, but not too much considering it was a bargain.
And because my under-eye area is generally low maintenance (except for the dark circles caused by genetics), I don’t tend to buy expensive eye creams. I’m going to wait for another few years before I start investing in pricier eye creams.
For now, this cream provides me with exactly what I need – light hydration of my under-eye area.
And I don’t want to kid myself and think that there is a magical product that will help me with my dark circles. I know they are genetic, and there isn’t anything that will remove them. But I probably will keep trying similar creams to compare them.
| Pros | Cons |
| Lightweight cream | A very small amount of caffeine won’t do much |
| Fast absorption | Not for very dry skin |
| No perfumes or alcohol | No effect on dark circles |
Conclusion
Boots Ingredients Caffeine Eye Cream Review – it’s an average eye cream suitable for those looking for cheap eye cream or starting to use eye creams. It provides gentle hydration and nothing more. Having the word ‘caffeine’ on the packaging is just a marketing trick to increase sales. There is actually very little caffeine in it.
Regardless of the amount of caffeine, it has some hydrating and moisturising ingredients, such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid and shea butter.
If you’re just looking for a basic, cheap eye cream that will hydrate your under-eye area, this eye cream is for you.
And if you are looking for a cream that will magically erase your dark circles, think about the cause of them. Depending on the cause, you might be able to use something that will help, and you might not.
Packaging: 4/5
This eye cream has a very basic packaging that does the job. There is no special design on the tube, but the benefit is that the plastic is quite soft, which makes it easy to use up the product completely.
Ingredients: 3/5
This eye cream has a very basic packaging that does the job. The black and white design is minimal, but the benefit is that the plastic tube is quite soft, which makes it easy to use up the product completely.
Value: 4/5
This eye cream is one of the cheapest ones you can find. And since you only need to apply a rice grain size, this 15ml will last you ages. But you don’t really get any active ingredients, so the low price of €7.99 makes sense.
Overall: 3.6/5
Boots Ingredients Caffeine Eye Cream is a very simple eye cream with very little caffeine (about 1%). It’s a good choice for someone looking for a simple, cheap eye cream. But if you are looking to reduce your dark circles, this cream won’t help. You need a higher concentration of caffeine for that.
Have you tried this eye cream? Do you like it? Or do you have another favourite eye cream?
