The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG for dry sensitive skin
Caffeine
Egcg Epigallocatechin Gallate
Sodium Hyaluronate
Oxidized Glutathione
GlycerinAverage
- HighDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry sensitive skin; other eye cares fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate reduction of puffiness and dark circles due to caffeine and epigallocatechin gallatyl glucoside, which provide de-puffing and antioxidant effects beneficial for your dry and sensitive skin.
- Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate offer humectant action, supporting hydration for your dry skin, though specialized ingredients for intense moisturization are lacking.
- The formulation is safe for your dry and sensitive skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
People Say
★4.1Overall rating based on 6.3k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, this serum is highly regarded for its affordability and effectiveness in reducing morning puffiness and making eyes appear more awake. While it offers some brightening for tired eyes and has a pleasant lightweight texture, its impact on dark circles is inconsistent, with many users finding it ineffective for pigmentation or hollows. Additionally, a moderate number of users report a drying effect, particularly those with dry skin, who may need to layer with a moisturizer.
Highlights
Reduces puffiness Mostly Mentioned
- “deflates morning bags”
- “helps swollen eyes”
- “noticeable depuffing”
- “great for fluid retention”
Unbeatable value Mostly Mentioned
- “extremely affordable”
- “bottle lasts forever”
- “great price point”
- “cheap but effective”
Ineffective dark circles Often Mentioned
- “no change in pigment”
- “didn't fix genetic circles”
- “useless for hollows”
- “darkness remained”
Brightens tired eyes Sometimes Noted
- “looks more awake”
- “helps tired look”
- “subtle brightening”
- “refreshed appearance”
Lightweight texture Sometimes Noted
- “absorbs quickly”
- “cooling sensation”
- “nice gel consistency”
- “not greasy”
Drying effect Sometimes Noted
- “dried out skin”
- “emphasized fine lines”
- “made wrinkles worse”
- “crusty residue”
Texture issues Sometimes Noted
- “sticky finish”
- “pills under makeup”
- “tacky residue”
- “concealer separates on top”
Irritation Rarely Noted
- “caused burning”
- “redness and stinging”
- “rash around eyes”
- “sensitive skin reaction”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.co.nz, sephora.co.uk, ulta.com, cultbeauty.co.uk, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does The Ordinary Caffeine Solution work for dry sensitive skin?
This eye care works moderately well for dry sensitive skin by reducing puffiness and dark circles while providing basic hydration, though other products fit it better. To care for this skin type properly, a product of this type needs rich moisturizing ingredients like peptides, sodium hyaluronate, and shea butter for optimal moisture retention and skin barrier support.
Which ingredients make this serum a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Glycerin and sodium hyaluronate help support hydration for your dry skin. To provide a better fit for this skin type, a product of this type needs effective moisturizing ingredients like peptides and shea butter for optimal moisture retention and skin barrier support.
What does Caffeine do for dry sensitive skin?
Caffeine helps wake up tired skin and reduces puffiness by boosting microcirculation, while also protecting delicate areas with antioxidants. Because sensitive skin can react easily, it is generally well tolerated when paired with soothing ingredients to keep the skin calm and comfortable.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2013Frontiers in Physiology, 2019
What does Egcg do for dry sensitive skin?
Egcg helps calm dry sensitive skin by reducing redness and soothing irritation. It is unlikely to cause issues and may protect against environmental stress when used consistently.
Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This serum goes in the evening routine after your cleanser and soothing toner, and before your moisturizer. To truly fit dry and sensitive skin, this type of product also needs specialized ingredients for intense moisturization.
Can I use this serum with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this serum with retinol by applying it first on clean skin and following with your retinol treatment once it absorbs. This product is generally safe for your dry and sensitive skin, but because it lacks specialized ingredients for intense moisturization, a product of this type needs rich barrier-repairing ingredients like ceramides and rich emollients to keep dry skin comfortable.
How often should I use this serum?
This serum works well as an evening treatment for your dry sensitive skin, fitting into your routine alongside a nourishing moisturizer. While it provides gentle hydration and helps reduce puffiness, this skin type needs richer, specialized moisturizing ingredients for deep comfort.
Can this serum clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This serum is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores on dry sensitive skin, as its formula avoids heavy or harsh pore-clogging ingredients. However, because it lacks rich moisturizing ingredients, dry skin of this type needs added nourishing oils or intense hydrating creams to stay fully soft and comfortable.
Is this serum fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
It has no drying alcohol and contains fragrance (benzyl alcohol).
What the research says
Topical caffeine acts as an active cosmetic compound by preventing excessive fat accumulation through phosphodiesterase inhibition, protecting cells against UV radiation with antioxidant properties, increasing skin microcirculation, and stimulating hair growth via 5-alpha-reductase inhibition.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2013A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017A topical cosmetic slimming product containing tetrahydroxypropyl ethylenediamine, caffeine, carnitine, forskolin and retinol significantly reduced body circumferences and improved skin aspect compared with placebo in 78 women over 12 weeks.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2011Topical sunscreen formulations containing caffeine combined with UV filters increased in vivo anti-UVB protection by approximately 25% and showed higher SPF values compared to caffeine-free sunscreen, while being well tolerated by the skin of healthy subjects.
Frontiers in Physiology, 2019Caffeine gel combined with choline geranate showed high skin permeation capacity and superior clinical results in cellulite treatment compared to caffeine gel without ionic liquid.
AAPS PharmSciTech, 2021Topical green tea extract significantly improved clinical symptoms, tear breakup times, and meibomian gland health compared to standard treatment in patients with dry eye and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction.
Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 2017Topical low-dose green tea extract reduces UVB-induced p53 expression and apoptosis in human skin keratinocytes compared to placebo.
Experimental Dermatology, 2009An anti-acne hydrogel containing Aloe barbadensis, Garcinia mangostana, and Camellia sinensis extracts showed superior antiacne and antiblotch activities compared to 1% clindamycin gel in sixty subjects with mild-moderate acne.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.
Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.
BMC Oral Health, 2019Glutathione amino acid precursors effectively increase cellular glutathione levels, reducing oxidative stress, ATP depletion, and DNA damage in human keratinocytes, clinical subjects, and ex vivo skin compared to controls.
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 2024Topical oxidized glutathione significantly decreases the skin melanin index and improves moisture content, smoothness, wrinkle formation, and elasticity compared to placebo in healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2014Topical glutathione improves hyperpigmentation, reduces ultraviolet-induced erythema and wrinkles, decreases transepidermal water loss, and enhances antioxidant capacity.
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2025The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
Why other eye cares fit dry sensitive skin better
A cream containing panthenol, prebiotics, and probiotic lysate improved facial sensitive skin symptoms and skin barrier function in 110 participants over 28 days.
Skin Research and Technology, 2024A panthenol-enriched mask improved skin hydration, regulated sebum, and reduced redness and TEWL across dry sensitive, oily sensitive, and oily acne skin subgroups with excellent tolerance and no adverse reactions.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024The topical application of ascorbyl palmitate and calcium ascorbate in various formulations increased the moisture contents of the skin of volunteers when compared to a commercial Vitamin E preparation.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2004
Ingredients
Water, Caffeine, Maltodextrin, Glycerin, Propanediol, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oxidized Glutathione, Melanin, Glycine Soja Seed Extract Soybean Seed Extract, Urea, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Propyl Gallate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Benzyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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