Night Owl Caffeinated Eye Cream

Higher Education Skincare

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Higher Education Skincare Night Owl Caffeinated Eye Cream is a eye care. Our analysis of its 34 ingredients (25 low-risk) rates it Excellent (93/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to oily / acne-prone and dry skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Eye Care
Ingredients
34
Low-risk
25
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
United States

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 12/9
Good for dry skin
Glyceryl Stearate Cetyl Alcohol Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Caprylyl Glycol Butylene Glycol Sodium PCA Sodium Hyaluronate Glycerin Dimethicone Lecithin Kojic Dipalmitate
Caution for dry skin
Boron Nitride Cetyl Alcohol Sorbitan Sesquioleate Stearic Acid Glycerin Hexylene Glycol Sodium Hydroxide Polysorbate 20 Lecithin
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin 1/0
Good for oily/acne-prone skin
Retinol
Sensitive Skin 4/9
Good for sensitive skin
Ubiquinone Glycerin Dimethicone Sodium Metabisulfite
Caution for sensitive skin
Cetyl Alcohol Stearic Acid Caffeine Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Butylene Glycol Glycerin Hexylene Glycol Phenoxyethanol Retinol

Ingredients list

34 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (9)
All34 Skin Conditioning30 Fragrance8 Humectant8 Emollient7 Emulsifying7 Solvent5 Masking5 Surfactant5
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
1
Water
(Solvent)
1
A
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
(Emollient, Masking, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Solvent)
1
A
Glyceryl Stearate
(Emollient, Emulsifying)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Stearic Acid
(Fragrance, Sufactant, Emulsifying, Surfactantsurfactant Cleansing Agent Is Included As A Function For The Soap Form Of Stearic Acid., Emulsion Stabilising, Masking, Refatting)
Bad for Oily Skin
Bad for Oily Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
A
Cetyl Alcohol
(Emulsion Stabilising, Fragrance, Opacifying, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Foam Boosting, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Emollient, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS SEED OIL
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Emollient)
1
A
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
Caffeine
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Masking)
3
A
Dimethicone
(Antifoaming Agent, Skin Protecting, Emollient, Skin Conditioning)
Silicone
Silicone
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
(Fragrance, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning)
3
B
Polysorbate 20
(Emulsifying, Surfactant)
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
4
A
Phenoxyethanol
(Fragrance, Preservative)
Paraben
Paraben
3
4
Kojic Dipalmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Emollient)
1
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
(Humectant, Skin Conditioning)
1
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
(Emulsion Stabilising, Film Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
1
B
Sodium PCA
(Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Antistatic Agent, Skin Conditioning)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
A
Caprylyl Glycol
(Hair Conditioning, Skin Conditioning, Emollient, Humectant)
1
A
Ethylhexylglycerin
(Deodorant, Skin Conditioning)
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
2
3
Lecithin
(Skin Conditioning, Emulsifying, Surfactant, Antistatic Agent, Emollient)
1
A
Boron Nitride
(Slip Modifier, Absorbent, Opacifying, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Disodium EDTA
(Chelating Agent, Viscosity Controlling)
1
A
Hexylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Solvent, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Emulsifying, Perfuming, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant)
Retinyl Palmitate
(Skin Conditioning, Skin Conditioning Miscellaneous)
1
Acetyl Carnitine HCl
(Skin Conditioning)
4
A
Sodium Metabisulfite
(Antioxidant, Preservative, Reducing)
9
A
Retinol
(Skin Conditioning)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
Yeast Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Butylene Glycol
(Fragrance, Skin Conditioning, Solvent, Viscositydecreasing Agent, Humectant, Masking, Viscosity Controlling)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
1
Ubiquinone
(Antioxidant, Skin Conditioning)
1
A
Sodium Hyaluronate
(Skin Conditioning, Humectant)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Hydrolyzed Corallina Officinalis Extract
(Skin Conditioning)
Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract
(Film Forming)

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

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Key ingredients

Retinoid
Visibly reduces the signs of aging.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hydrates by attracting and holding water.
Antioxidants
Shields skin from free radical damage.

Benefits

HydratingBoosts hydration and relieves dry, tight skin.
Barrier RepairStrengthen and restore your skin's natural barrier.
Scar HealingImproves the look of marks and scars.
Anti-AgingSoftens lines and helps skin look youthful.
BrighteningRestores radiance to dull, tired skin.
Reduces IrritationEases discomfort and supports skin resilience.
Good For Oily SkinBalances oil and helps reduce shine.
Dark SpotsFades dark spots for even skin tone.

Concerns

Contains paraben
Contains silicone
Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
Retinol — higher EWG
May not suit sensitive skin

EWG flags hazard, not real-world risk — ratings don't account for how much of an ingredient a product contains. Treat these as things to research, not verdicts. How we score →

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Emollient, Masking
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientMaskingPerfumingSkin conditioningSolvent
Cetyl Alcohol
Emulsion stabilising, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Emulsion stabilisingFragranceOpacifyingEmulsifyingSurfactantFoam boostingViscosity increasing agentEmollientMaskingViscosity controlling
SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS SEED OIL
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningSkin conditioning emollient
Caffeine
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 FragranceSkin conditioningMasking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Fragrance, Perfuming
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A FragrancePerfumingSkin conditioning
Kojic Dipalmitate
Skin conditioning, Emollient
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3–4 Skin conditioningEmollient
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 HumectantSkin conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion stabilising, Film forming
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Emulsion stabilisingFilm formingViscosity controlling
Caprylyl Glycol
Hair conditioning, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Hair conditioningSkin conditioningEmollientHumectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Deodorant, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A DeodorantSkin conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
Denaturant, Ph adjuster
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B DenaturantPh adjusterBuffering agent
Lecithin
Skin conditioning, Emulsifying
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 2–3 Skin conditioningEmulsifyingSurfactantAntistatic agentEmollient
Boron Nitride
Slip modifier, Absorbent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Slip modifierAbsorbentOpacifyingSkin conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Chelating agent, Viscosity controlling
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Chelating agentViscosity controlling
+ 8 more — see the full ingredients list above
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient, Emulsifying
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmollientEmulsifying Fungal-acne trigger
Stearic Acid
Fragrance, Sufactant
Potentially comedogenic - can block poresRead moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSufactantEmulsifyingSurfactantsurfactant-cleansing agent is included as a function for the soap form of stearic acid.Emulsion stabilisingMaskingRefatting Bad for Oily SkinFungal-acne trigger
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A EmulsifyingSurfactant Fungal-acne trigger
Dimethicone
Antifoaming agent, Skin protecting
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A Antifoaming agentSkin protectingEmollientSkin conditioning Silicone
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying, Surfactant
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B EmulsifyingSurfactant Fungal-acne trigger
Phenoxyethanol
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 4 CIR A FragrancePreservative Paraben
Sodium PCA
Hair conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR B Hair conditioningHumectantAntistatic agentSkin conditioning Good for Dry Skin
Retinol
Skin conditioning
Potentially a skin irritantRead moreShow less
EWG 9 CIR A Skin conditioning Bad for Sensitive Skin
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Butylene Glycol
Fragrance, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A FragranceSkin conditioningSolventViscositydecreasing agentHumectantMaskingViscosity controlling Good for Dry Skin
Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin conditioning, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Skin conditioningHumectant Good for Dry Skin

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Evening: Use at night — start 2–3× a week and build up as your skin tolerates it.
  • 2 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Pregnancy & breastfeeding

Contains ingredients some choose to avoid or double-check while pregnant or nursing.

Often avoided
Retinoids (Vitamin A) (Retinyl Palmitate, Retinol)

Topical retinoids (retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl esters) are widely advised against in pregnancy as a precaution. The strongest evidence is for ORAL retinoids; topical absorption is low, but most clinicians err on the side of caution.

This is general information, not medical advice. Pregnancy guidance varies and depends on concentration and your individual situation — always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist. How we flag this.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

Retinoids (Vitamin A) 0.01–1%

Most studied between 0.1% and 1%. Higher is not automatically better — irritation climbs with dose, so a well-formulated lower strength is often the sweet spot.

Retinyl Palmitate, Retinol

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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