For years, many people have enjoyed a morning coffee not least because the caffeine it contains is a natural stimulant which makes us feel more energetic and alert.
More recently, caffeine has also become a popular ingredient in various skin care products such as cellulite creams, serums and eye creams. But what exactly can it do for the skin?
Well, coffee beans are actually seeds from the inside of the coffee fruit (cherry) of coffee plants and along with many other seeds, fruits and vegetables they are an antioxidant. Antioxidants are known to protect skin from damage done by the free radicals from UV sunlight and pollution that cause wrinkles and fine lines.
So products containing caffeine can technically be quite good for your skin as they may help protect the skin from some of this damage. But there isn’t much evidence of a lasting effect which is why the daily application of a high SPF facial cream is still essential regardless of the weather – even if you use caffeine containing products.
Another claim for caffeine is that because it is a vasoconstrictor, which simply means that it constricts the blood vessels, it can help with microcirculation on the face. As the tiny blood vessels tighten it reduces blood flow to the area and this can make the skin look plumper. Around the eyes it may help to reduce puffiness and dark circles.
Whether caffeine in products can help soothe the skin is up for debate. Some suggest that because it can increase blood flow, caffeine may cause redness or even stinging on sensitive skin while others think that caffeine has anti-inflammatory properties which can soothe the skin.
Regardless of opinion, doing a patch test before using a new skin care product containing caffeine is probably a sensible approach.
In terms of cellulite, some research suggests that caffeine may help to remove fatty acids from fat by actually dissolving fat deposits close to the surface. It’s also though to dehydrate fat cells, removing the water to deflate the cellulite’s appearance.
Unsurprisingly, body creams that contain caffeine are popular during the summer as they may target cellulite by combining the effect of a massaging motion with the application of caffeine to stimulate the enzymes thought to break down fat.
So long as there are no adverse reactions, using skin product that contain caffeine may well provide a short term boost to the appearance. But just as the effects of a cup of coffee wear off, so do the benefits of caffeinated skin care so they’re more of a temporary fix than a long term solution.
Having said that, just as your first morning cup of coffee might give you a little boost for a while, products containing caffeine might do the same for your skin.