For many people, their nighttime skincare routine is an essential part of winding down before bed. But one man suspects that an ingredient in his face moisturizer may have disrupted his plans for a restful night of sleep.
In a video with over 199,000 views, TikToker @jacbfood stands in his bathroom, looking shocked. He holds a white bottle of lotion and turns it over, zooming in on the ingredients list. Near the bottom, he points out that caffeine—the chemical that helps your morning coffee wake you up—is one of the ingredients.
A slowed version of “What Is Love?” by Haddaway plays in the background.
On-screen text reads, “Nawwww why is my lotion an energy drink bro I was wondering why I couldn’t fall asleep last night.”
The caption asks, “What business do they have adding this to a lotion?”
Can topical caffeine disrupt sleep?
In the comments, viewers discuss whether small amounts of caffeine in a face cream could be enough to disrupt sleep and increase alertness.
“Legit, if you’re sensitive enough to caffeine, it will still affect you if you use it topically. I had to stop using a coffee-based lotion because it was negating my rls meds,” one shares.
A blog by Westlake Dermatology contradicts this, noting that “caffeinated skin care products have small concentrations of caffeine and therefore are not designed to keep you awake at night.”
However, the TikToker isn’t the only skincare user who has noticed worse sleep after using products with caffeine. One Redditor in r/SkincareAddiction claimed that a caffeine-based eye cream may have caused their insomnia. They say their sleep improved when they discontinued the product.
In a TikTok message to the Daily Dot, @Jacbfood says that he felt “stimulated” and “couldn’t sleep” for an hour and a half later than normal.
“I didn’t even think to check the lotion, but I noticed the next morning that it had caffeine in it when I randomly checked the ingredients,” he writes. “But I can’t entirely say it was the caffeine that caused me to stay awake.”
Why is there caffeine in moisturizer?
The caffeine in the TikToker’s moisturizer wasn’t added to boost alertness. Instead, skincare lovers in the comments discuss the benefits of topical caffeine.
“Caffeine helps reduce wrinkles + aging in moisturizers and lotions !! It’s mainly in eye creams and stuff so ur eyes look smoother + less dark circles,” one explained.
“I think it makes your skin more vibrant or smth idk,” another wrote.
“Caffeine perks up the skin, aids collagen production, helps puffiness, eases redness from irritation, and protects from potentially harmful free radicals btw,” a third added.
The Cleveland Clinic backed up many of these benefits, reporting that caffeine can brighten, soothe, and protect the skin.
Others joked about using a lotion with caffeine for an energy boost.
“Damn I want that lotion!? Where you get it? I’m up to 5 celcius a day maybe I need to cover myself everywhere too,” a viewer wrote.
“Gonna go eat some lotion rn thanks man,” another said.
@jacbfood What business do they have adding this to a lotion
♬ original sound – Mike O’Hearn
The Daily Dot reached out to @jacbfood via TikTok direct message and comment.
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