Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

Packaging and what the product is

The photo shows the familiar The Ordinary format: a 30 ml amber glass bottle with a white dropper and a plain white label. The amber glass protects the contents from light, which makes sense for a formula with antioxidant plant compounds. The pipette lets you dose a drop or two per eye area, although some users find dropper application around the eyes fiddly. The brand now markets it as an eye serum (the label on the photo reads 'Eye Serum').

Ingredient analysis

Caffeine is second on the list, right after water, and the product name declares 5% – one of the few INCI lists where you actually know the concentration of the key ingredient. Next come maltodextrin (a film former), glycerin and propanediol (humectants). The EGCG from green tea appears as epigallocatechin gallatyl glucoside, a more stable glucoside form, alongside gallyl glucoside, hyaluronic acid and oxidised glutathione.

Melanin is also listed, which explains the slightly tinted colour of the liquid. The base is thickened with hydroxyethylcellulose, polyacrylate crosspolymer-6 and xanthan gum, and preserved with dehydroacetic acid, benzyl alcohol and phenoxyethanol, supported by 1,2-hexanediol, ethylhexylglycerin and caprylyl glycol. There is no fragrance.

What to watch out for

Benzyl alcohol is used here as a preservative; it is also on the EU list of fragrance allergens, so people with a confirmed allergy should note it. Soybean seed extract may matter for people avoiding soy. As with any eye product, avoid getting it into the eye itself.

What users say

On Cult Beauty the serum averages about 4.2/5 across several hundred ratings (checked 30.10.2026). The most frequent praise is quick depuffing in the morning and good value for money; several reviewers have repurchased it many times. Some use it on the whole face as a light antioxidant layer. The commonest reservations: results on dark circles are modest and need weeks of regular use, and the slightly tacky, watery texture is not to everyone's liking. A Woman & Home tester described the effect on puffiness as 'subtle but tangible'.

Who it may suit

People with morning puffiness and normal to oily skin who prefer a light serum to a rich eye cream. Very dry eye areas may need a moisturiser on top. If dark circles are caused by pigmentation or hollowing, a serum like this is unlikely to change much.