5 Ways Caffeine Can Boost & Beautify Skin... (and Hair!)

Are you a coffee connoisseur? Certainly, you aren’t alone. According to the National Coffee Association’s 2016 report, daily consumption of espresso-based beverages has nearly tripled since 2008!

Obviously, you know that jumpstart you feel from your morning cup o’joe. But did you know caffeine may improve—not just your outlook—but your skin as well?

Caffeine is a stimulant that can fire the brain into action, and temporarily boost energy and alertness. Aside from coffee, it can be found in tea, soda, chocolate, and energy drinks. It ‘s also found in several plants. And even painkillers.

But, there’s much more to caffeine than meets the eye.

Surprisingly, caffeine actually has many benefits. Aside from those addictive attributes, caffeine contains some potent antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties.¹

But wait, caffeine in skin care? In cosmetics? As it turns out, the same stimulant that perks up your mood each day may also be able to pump up the skin too.

How Does Caffeine Help My Skin?

Beyond its oxidant-fighting benefits from consuming caffeine in your diet (within moderation), using caffeine-enhanced products such as lotions, eye creams, and slimming creams may be able to delay the process of skin aging.²

This is why we’ve included caffeine in our skincare line in these anti-aging products: Dark Circle Corrector and Emergency Eye Fix.

The Skin Benefits of Caffeine

Skin is the body’s largest organ and serves as our first defense against infection and injuries. It protects us from the harmful effect of chemicals and bacteria.³ And caffeine is a multi-tasking ingredient in helping skin to do its job in skin care products and cosmetics. These are just a few of the most promising possible benefits:

1. Skin Smoothing

Caffeine is a mild diuretic. And as such, it may dehydrate fat cells, which may make the skin appear smoother and tighter.⁴

2. Fat Burning

Caffeine may be a fat burner. And it could possibly help to slightly reduce the appearance of cellulite or thigh fat, albeit temporarily. How? Studies have shown that caffeine may help to promote faster metabolism of fat in the body on a temporary basis. And an increase in the metabolic rate could, theoretically, assist with fat burning.^5,6

3. Hair Growth

Baldness and hair loss affects both men and women. For some, it’s a part of the aging process. For others, it’s genetics. Research suggests that caffeine stimulates hair growth.⁷ Concerned about baldness or thinning hair? This might be the time to try a shampoo with caffeine as an ingredient.

4. Dark Circles or Under-Eye Bags

Notice dark circles or puffiness under your eyes? These symptoms, due to stress, aging, or dehydration, can be very difficult to alleviate—especially they are hereditary. Products containing caffeine may be able to reduce the appearance of these skin discolorations, including dark circles.⁸ In addition, caffeine can constrict blood vessels around the eyes, if applied topically. This may reduce the appearance of drooping skin, at least on a temporary basis.⁹

5. Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

Caffeine ointments or creams may be used to aid in the reduction of dermatitis and skin irritation, though studies to support this claim are largely insufficient.¹⁰

Dietary Caffeine Guidelines

Caffeine has been known to cause a temporary increase in blood pressure and heart rate when ingested. For this reason, limit caffeine intake especially if you are hypertensive or have pre-existing heart conditions.

How much caffeine is too much?

Around 400 milligrams per day is generally considered safe for most healthy adults. This amounts to approximately four cups of coffee or two energy drinks.

Latest Studies on Caffeine’s Health Kick

One evaluation regarding caffeine’s beautifying effect is stimulating hair growth.¹⁵ How? According to one particular study, caffeine may make hair grow faster by blocking the effect of dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT is a hormone known to cause hair follicles to shrink (and make hair fall out), thereby stimulating hair growth.¹⁶

Another study supports the idea that caffeine may have some benefit in helping to prevent certain types of skin cancer.¹⁷

According to the study, caffeine may potentially protect the skin from UV rays.¹⁸ The primary environmental agent causing melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer is UV radiation. This is why we should always wear sunscreen. Now, there is a study that supports the idea that tea and coffee may play a protective role against certain early-onset basal cell carcinoma.¹⁹

Could caffeine potentially help patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as well?

One recent study seems to support the idea that caffeine, particularly in coffee, may have some favorable effects in these patients, potentially helping with cognitive decline.²⁰ All of these findings are just preliminary, and results and possible benefits may not always be applicable to all individuals.

Topical Caffeine for Skin

As we showed you earlier, you don’t have to ingest caffeine in order to see the benefits. Topical caffeine for the skin is a very effective ingredient in cosmetic products, such as Emergency Under-Eye Fix and Dark Circle Corrector from Beverly Hills MD.

Emergency Under-Eye Fix helps reduce bags under the eyes, as well as drooping, discoloration and lines. As a result, it delivers younger-looking, smoother skin. No matter how deep or dark your under-eye bags may be, this incredible product, that includes topical caffeine, can help. Simply roll the product under each eye for a temporary reduction in puffiness, crow’s feet, lines, and bags.

Dark Circle Corrector also harnesses the power of topical caffeine for the skin. It brings a bright, youthful appearance to your eyes, reducing the discoloration and shadows that are signs of aging. Dark Circle Corrector also decreases wrinkles and puffiness, providing deep hydration that smooths the skin. You’ll not only see fast results, you’ll see them improve over time.

This incredible product containing topical caffeine is not only effective, it’s also very easy to use. All you need to do is to gently pat Dark Circle Corrector on the skin under each eye after cleaning the area. Do this up to two times each day – just make sure you apply it before you go to bed. This will allow the caffeine and other active ingredients to work in conjunction with natural skin regeneration processes that occur at night.

Who Should Try It?

Beauty and health go hand in hand. All of us want to find ways to improve both. Caffeine may be able to help individuals with certain problems, such as:

Cellulite
Dark circles under the eyes
Baldness
Dermatitis or dry, flaky skin

Even if you avoid caffeine in your diet, a regular dose of caffeinated skincare products may help to improve unwanted skin conditions—be it puffy eyes, dermatitis or cellulite. Here’s to a buzz of beauty via the natural stimulant!

Article updated: March 27, 2018

Sources
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⁷Fischer T, Hipler U, Elsner P. Effect of caffeine and testosterone on the proliferation of human hair follicles in vitro. International Journal of Dermatology. 2007;46(1):27-35. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2007.03119.x.
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¹⁵ Otberg N, Teichmann A, Rasuljev U, Sinkgraven R, Sterry W, Lademann J. Follicular Penetration of Topically Applied Caffeine via a Shampoo Formulation. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2007;20(4):195-198. doi:10.1159/000101389.
¹⁶ Rafi AKatz R. Pilot Study of 15 Patients Receiving a New Treatment Regimen for Androgenic Alopecia: The Effects of Atopy on AGA. ISRN Dermatology. 2011;2011:1-11. doi:10.5402/2011/241953.
¹⁷ Song F, Qureshi A, Han J. Increased Caffeine Intake Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Skin. Cancer Research. 2012;72(13):3282-3289. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.can-11-3511.
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