The Ordinary is not the only name putting caffeine near the eyes, and the second grid is a lineup of other formats. It helps to think about texture first.

The INKEY List's Caffeine De-puffing Eye Cream is the creamy option in the group. innisfree's Green Tea Caffeine Korean Eye Serum is made for hydration and the look of puffiness, and it is the green tea one of the group. belif's Aqua Bomb Depuffing Eye Gel with Caffeine and Hyaluronic Acid is a cooling gel, and keeping it in the fridge is a small trick that makes it feel even fresher.

Two of the bottles go further than caffeine alone. Drunk Elephant's A-Shaba Complex is a retinol eye serum with caffeine and copper peptides, so it needs a cautious start, and I would add sunscreen every morning. Drunk Elephant suggests keeping it in the fridge for a cooling feel, which is a nice habit for any eye product on a puffy-looking morning. Dermalogica's Awaken Peptide Depuffing Eye Gel combines caffeine with tetrapeptides in a gel, a good fit for a morning when you want something quick before makeup.

The test I use is simple. Apply a small amount, wait two minutes, then put concealer or sunscreen on top. If it pills, you used too much. If the skin stings or puffs up, stop and see a doctor if swelling persists.

Patches are the most dramatic of the eye products, and the most pleasant. They are a ten-minute pause more than a serious routine, and I use them when I want to sit down with coffee before a long day.

Dieux's Forever Eye Mask is a reusable set of silicone patches, which is unusual in a category full of single-use packs. Summer Fridays' Jet Lag Eye Patches are hydrating hydrogel patches, the pair I would pack for a flight. Topicals' Faded Under Eye Masks are brightening patches made for the under-eye area. rhode's Peptide Eye Prep patches are sold as makeup prep, and their depuffing promise is best read as the look of puffiness.

Peace Out's 360° Eye Mask Patches include encapsulated retinol and peptides, so I treat them as an occasional evening step, not a daily one. Keep them off the eyelid and out of the eye itself.

What I would skip: pressing patches on too hard, leaving them on for hours, or using a retinol patch on the same night as a retinol serum. Puffiness that comes and goes with sleep, salt and allergies is ordinary. Swelling that stays, or shows up with pain or redness, is a question for a doctor, not for another product.

One more small habit: keep patches in a cool drawer, and pat the skin dry first, so they sit flat and stay put while you drink your coffee.

The routine I keep is short. Cool water on the face, a little caffeine serum around the eyes, moisturizer, and sunscreen up to the orbital bone. A patch goes in when I have ten minutes.

I would change one thing at a time and judge it over a couple of weeks, because the eye area is thin and tends to react. Sleep, water and a pillow that keeps your head slightly raised do as much for tired-looking eyes as any bottle. Use the products as a pleasant ritual, expect small and temporary changes, and let the simple formulas do their modest job. If something new stings, stop using it, and check with a doctor if the puffiness does not go away.