How to make a brightening cacay under-eye oil

Have you ever looked at a brightening eye product and thought, “I need that“? If so, you’re not alone. Under-eye oils and serums are everywhere these days.

They promise brighter eyes, smoother skin, and a well-rested glow. But let’s be honest – they can be expensive and don’t always live up to their hype.

So what if I told you that you didn’t need to buy any more, because you can easily make this type of product at home?

In this post, I’m going to show you how to make your own brightening under-eye oil at home using precious botanical oils and extracts like cacay oil and Coenzyme Q10. This under-eye oil is quick to make, beginner-friendly, and gives your under-eye area exactly the care it needs.

What makes this eye oil so special

This isn’t just any eye oil – it’s a potent formula designed to nourish, protect, and brighten the delicate skin around your eyes.

It features precious botanical ingredients like cacay oil, prickly pear seed oil, green coffee oil, and Coenzyme Q10, a superstar antioxidant adored by skincare professionals for its brightening, protective, and anti-ageing benefits.

And the best part? It only takes 10 minutes to make and is fully customisable. And don’t worry if you can’t find every ingredient – you can easily swap them (more on that later!).

What it looks/smells/feels like

This cacay under-eye oil feels incredibly lightweight and fast-absorbing on the skin, sinking effortlessly without leaving a greasy residue.

It has a subtle yet uplifting coffee scent, which comes from green coffee oil, and a vibrant natural orange tint from tomato seed oil (yes, really!). But don’t worry: it won’t tint your skin!

How to use this brightening eye oil

To use this under-eye oil, gently glide the rollerball under your eyes in the morning, night, or both. Let the cool metal tip de-puff and refresh your skin as you lightly massage with your fingertips.

Everything you need to make this brightening under-eye oil

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this gorgeous, slightly tinted, botanical under-eye oil:

Ingredients

First, let’s run through the 7 ingredients you’ll need to make this eye oil and some of their benefits:

1. Oat oil

INCI: Avena Sativa Kernel Oil

The first ingredient you’ll need is oat oil, which is a beautifully golden – almost orange – botanical oil. It has a silky, lightweight texture and is perfect for the delicate under-eye area because it’s soothing and conditioning without feeling greasy.

2. Cacay oil

INCI: Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil

Cacay oil is the hero ingredient of this formulation. This cold-pressed oil is slightly golden in colour and is a bit of a premium buy. If you’re sourcing it online, you might find it listed as a luxury oil.

It’s worth it, though, because this oil is packed with natural retinoids and omegas that nourish and support your skin barrier without feeling heavy.

Want to learn more about the skin barrier or retinoids? Then you’ll enjoy these posts:

Skin barrier 101: Essential guide for natural cosmetic formulators

Top 5 natural retinol alternatives and why you should use them

3. Tomato seed oil

INCI: Solanum Lycopersicum Seed Oil

Next, you’ll need tomato seed oil. Yes, you’ve read that right! This one can often surprise people, but it’s a gorgeous deep yellow with a slightly orange hue, which is rich in antioxidants like lycopene. It’s what will give this under-eye oil its beautiful, warm glow.

You can learn more about the wonderful benefits of antioxidants below:

The formulator’s guide to antioxidants in cosmetics

4. Green coffee oil

INCI: Coffea Arabica Seed Oil 

You’ll also need green coffee oil, which is what gives this oil its distinct, natural aroma.

The final result will smell a bit like roasted coffee, but fresher.

5. Prickly pear oil

INCI: Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil

The final oil you’ll need is prickly pear seed oil, which you might already be familiar with.

Prickly pear oil is a luxurious, lightweight oil which is great for softening the skin. It looks slightly pale, almost transparent, with a touch of green.

Now, just a bit of warning: this oil can be expensive in small quantities because it’s cold-pressed from tiny seeds, but you only need a little.

6.  Vitamin E

INCI: Tocopherol

Now, let’s move on to extracts! You’ll need vitamin E, which is a potent antioxidant which keeps your oil fresh for longer, but also helps support the delicate skin around your eyes.

Vitamin E looks thick, almost syrupy, and has a clear amber colour.

7.  Coenzyme Q10

INCI: Ubiquinone

Last but certainly not least, you will need Coenzyme Q10. This is a powerful active that deeply nourishes, brightens, and revitalises your under-eye area.

You can either find it as a light-yellow liquid extract or a bright orange powder. Both options are fine, just remember that if using the powder, you’ll need to dissolve it into the blend.

Equipment

And now, for the equipment. Don’t worry: you don’t need a fancy lab setup or expensive tools to make this brightening under-eye oil. You just need:

• A digital scale with 0.01g precision – for accurate weighing
• A glass beaker or clean mixing container
• A mini whisk, spoon, or glass rod – for stirring
• Pipettes (helpful, but not essential)

You’ll also need a rollerball glass bottle to package your finished oil.

You could, of course, use another container, like a dropper bottle, but I recommend using a rollerball as it elevates the experience, as it gives it a luxurious, cooling, spa-like application.

And finally, remember to wear gloves and an apron, and to tie your hair back when making this oil, for safety and hygiene reasons, and to clean your workspace and sanitise your tools with 70% isopropyl alcohol or ethanol to avoid potential microbial contamination.

All of this equipment is available on the Formula Botanica Amazon storefront, but you can also just use clean utensils from your kitchen, as long as everything is clean and sanitised.

How to make a brightening cacay under-eye oil

And now for the fun part: let’s make this brightening oil!

• Makes: 50g (Approximately 5 roller bottles)
• Level: Beginner-friendly

Here’s how to make this brightening eye oil, step-by-step:

• Step 1: Weigh all your oils in a beaker or bowl

Start by weighing your botanical oils in a clean beaker or bowl. You’ll need 18 grams of oat oil, 17.50 grams of tomato seed oil, 5 grams of green coffee oil, and 1.50 grams of prickly pear seed oil.

Don’t forget to tare your scale after each addition, using the ‘tare’ button, which resets the scale.

• Step 2: Gently stir the blend

Once you’ve weighed all your oils, gently stir the oil blend using a clean glass rod or spoon.

You’ll see how all oils combine into a rich, golden and glossy hue. I love this part.

• Step 3: Add your extracts

Now, it’s time to add your botanical extracts. Add 0.40 grams of vitamin E, then tare the scale and add 0.10 grams of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).

If you’re using the powder form of CoQ10, make sure you add it slowly and stir well until fully dissolved.

• Step 4: Package & label

All that’s left to do now is to package your under-eye oil! To do that, simply decant the blend into a glass roller-bottle or a dropper bottle, and label it with the name and date.

Your brightening eye oil is now ready to use!

If you’d like the full ingredient breakdown, method, and step-by-step instructions to make this brightening under-eye oil, download this free PDF!

Want more? Learn how to make your own skincare

See how easy that was? In just a few minutes and four simple steps, you’ve created your very own brightening eye oil using potent, nourishing botanicals.

I hope you love making and using this eye oil! If you did, comment below and let me know what you’d like to see next.

As you get more confident, you can also customise your formula by swapping oils or adjusting ratios to suit your skin needs. For example, to reduce costs, you could replace prickly pear oil with more oat oil. Feel free to experiment to create your own custom blend!

If you’d like to take things further and learn how to make, or even sell, your own professional-grade, custom skincare from home, check out Formula Botanicas free mini formulation course, where we’ll teach you how to create your own natural skincare products at home, without relying on pre-made recipes. Register now to start your formulation journey today!

Suggested suppliers

Below is a list of suggested suppliers you can use to source your cosmetic ingredients, no matter where you live:

INKY Ingredients (UK)

Aroma-Zone (EU)

Aromantic (UK)

Alexmo Cosmetics (EU)

Manske (EU)

The Soap Kitchen (UK)

Ellemental  (EU)

Lotioncrafter (USA)

Essential Labs (USA)

Go Native NZ (New Zealand)

Naturally Balmy (UK)

O&3 – The Oil Family (UK/EU)

Soap & More (Canada)

Handymade (EU)

Formulator Sample Shop (USA)

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Brooke Medhurst

Brooke Medhurst is a Tutor at Formula Botanica. Find out more about the Formula Botanica Team.