Disco Eye Stick is a skincare product that claims to provide anti-aging effects and dark circle reduction to the eye region. The brand claims it’s as simple as shaking the stick and applying it under the eyes once a day.
But can a cosmetic stick really reduce under eye bags? Does this product contain ingredients proven in medical studies to be effective? Are there any questionable additive ingredients? How do real users respond to Disco Eye Stick?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review every ingredient in Disco Eye Stick, as well as share a real user’s review of the product, to give our take on whether it’s likely to be effective or whether it’s a waste of money.
Ingredient Review
Disco Eye Stick contains a large number of ingredients.
Caffeine is the ingredient that the brand claims “reduces puffiness.” This claim is uncited. We consider caffeine to be an effective skincare ingredient when applied topically. A 2019 medical review documented that caffeine slows down the photoaging process in skin. However we cannot identify any studies suggesting that it reduces puffiness or is particularly effective around the eyes.
Pycnogenol is the ingredient that Disco Eye Stick claims “minimizes dark circles.” It’s the dominant chemical constituent in Pinus pineaster bark extract. While a medical review published in the Phytotherapy Research journal describes this ingredient as a “potent antioxidant,” most of the studies we can identify on it describe oral rather than topical use.
We cannot find any clinical trials, nor does Disco Eye Stick cite any, proving that this ingredient is effective for minimizing dark circles around the eyes so we’ll consider it ineffective.
Niacinamide is the ingredient that the brand claims “reduces fine lines and crows feet.” We would agree with this claim, and we consider this an effective anti-aging ingredient. As we referenced in our review of personalized skincare brand Curology, there are multiple medical trials proving that topical niacinamide reduces the appearance of wrinkles.
Disco Eye Stick contains other effective ingredients as well.
Sodium hyaluronate is the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid, one of the most well-studied and effective anti-aging skincare ingredients. Medical research shows that hyaluronic acid “relieves” wrinkles, and sodium hyaluronate has a smaller molecular size which allows it to penetrate deeper into the skin and potentially be more effective.
Camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract has been proven in a 2013 clinical trial to have “pronounced moisturizing effects.”
Unfortunately, while Disco Eye Stick contains a number of effective ingredients, it also contains two preservatives that we recommend avoiding.
A 2019 meta-study found that phenoxyethanol may be an eye irritant, and ethylhexylglycerin is another preservative compound.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with preservatives and they may be required to maintain the quality of active ingredients in a skincare formulation, however we do not recommend using products containing preservatives around the eyes, because this area has some of the thinnest and most sensitive skin on the body.
While we consider Disco Eye Stick to be likely effective for improving skin quality and reducing wrinkles, we do not recommend the product overall due to the inclusion of the two preservatives mentioned above.
Do Eye Creams Really Work?
One of the most popular YouTube videos on whether or not eye creams work and are worth the money is published by a channel called “Cassandra Bankson.”
The creator is a medical esthetician who shares ingredients to look for in eye creams, ingredients to watch out for in eye creams, and what actually causes puffiness under the eyes and how to treat it:
Disco Eye Stick Product Demonstration
Disco published a product demonstration video on YouTube that may be useful to individuals considering this product:
Disco Eye Stick Customer Reviews
Disco Eye Stick is sold on Amazon which is a more objective resource for real customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion. The product has been reviewed over 600 times and has a relatively unimpressive average review rating of 3.3 out of 5 stars.
The product receives a “B” grade on Fakespot, which is a software tool that detects potentially fake Amazon reviews. This is a good sign that the majority of the reviews are legitimate.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Josh Skinner” who claims the product is effective:
“The Disco Eye Stick is convenient, compact and effective. The eye stick has helped the dark circles and puffiness I get in the morning. It goes on clear and a drys clear. I'll buy again.”
The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by an anonymous Amazon Customer who claims the product is ineffective:
“This had zero effect on my eyes. I used it only on one eye to compare and applied 3 coats. Each coat I was hoping to see a difference and no change from the eye that had this applied and the one that had none. Very disappointed for all the advertising this product does it does not work! I can't believe they are trying to sell something that has no effect on the puffiness or dark circles...Returning it tomorrow morning ASAP!!!”
Our Skincare Recommendations
There are skincare products that contain ingredients proven in clinical trials to be effective for reducing wrinkles and improving skin quality generally.
Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum is our top skin cream pick because of its effective and clean formulation. It contains hyaluronic acid which was described as a "skin-rejuvenating biomedicine" in a medical review due to its ability to reduce wrinkles and signs of facial aging. We consider this to be the most powerful topical skincare ingredient. Most importantly, this serum is entirely free of questionable additives like preservatives or fragrance.
Interested consumers can check out Annie Mak Vitamin C Serum at this link.
HydraGlow is our top moisturizer pick. It features bakuchiol as an active ingredient which was described in a 2014 clinical trial as "clinically proven to have anti-aging effects." In the linked trial, topical bakuchiol reduced wrinkles, improved skin elasticity and firmness, and reduced photodamage (damage from UV rays). There are no questionable additive ingredients in this product.
Interested consumers can check out HydraGlow at this link.
The only oral supplement we recommend for skin quality improvement is Bulletproof Collagen Powder. Oral collagen supplementation was shown in a medical review published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology to improve visible signs of skin aging as well as improve skin elasticity and skin hydration. The only ingredient in Bulletproof collagen is collagen peptides sourced from grass-fed animals. We recommend a dose of 10 grams per day.
Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof Collagen Powder at this link.
