The skin around the eyes is the thinnest on the face and quickly reveals signs of fatigue and aging. Argireline, often likened to topical botox, is sometimes promoted to smooth the eye area. However, its effect on under-eye bags remains poorly understood. Could argireline help reduce their appearance? Let’s examine the evidence together.
Can argireline reduce under-eye bags?
Published on November 17, 2025, updated on November 17, 2025, by Pauline, Chemical Engineer — 4 min of reading
Themes:
Is argireline a solution for under-eye bags?
The under-eye bags correspond to a localized swelling of the lower eyelid, resulting from fluid accumulation or relaxation of the support structures around the eye. Indeed, with age, fibroblasts produce less collagen and elastin. The skin then loses firmness, and the connective tissues that hold the orbital fat stretch, which can lead to bags. In addition, slower blood flow—sometimes affected by fatigue, stress, genetic factors, or a high-salt diet—leads to localized water retention. As a result, visible under-eye puffiness appears, giving the eyes a tired appearance even after a good night's sleep.
To date, no scientific study has evaluated the effects of argireline on under-eye bags.
As a reminder, argireline is a peptide that acts by modulating the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular junction, thereby reducing the intensity of the contractions responsible for expression lines. This targeted action makes it a particularly interesting active ingredient for the eye contour, where the skin is thin, delicate, and subjected to repetitive movements, especially at the outer corner of the eye. Numerous studies have thus evaluated argireline specifically in this area, yet always with the goal of measuring its effect on periorbital wrinkles, rather than on under-eye bags.
Moreover, given its mechanism of action, there is no evidence that argireline cannot reduce under-eye bags. Indeed, under-eye bags are linked to water retention or tissue laxity, phenomena that do not depend on local muscle activity. Since argireline acts only on the contractions that contribute to the formation of expression lines, its efficacy on under-eye bags therefore appears limited. Based on current knowledge, it does not represent a relevant option for reducing under-eye bags, although it remains an interesting active ingredient for smoothing wrinkles and softening the gaze.
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Sources
SIMON G. J. B. & al. What causes eyelid bags? Analysis of 114 consecutive patients. Plastic and reconstructive surgery (2005).
GALLARDO V. & al. Evaluation of the anti-wrinkle efficacy of cosmetic formulations with an anti-aging peptide (Argireline®). ARS Pharmaceutica (2010).
WANG Y. & al. The anti-wrinkle efficacy of argireline, a synthetic hexapeptide, in Chinese subjects. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology (2013).
YI T.-H. Sustainable dynamic wrinkle efficacy: Non-invasive peptides as the future of botox alternatives. Cosmetics (2024).
