Is Coffee Bad For Your Skin?

There are many rumors about the effects of coffee particularly what exactly caffeine does to your skin. Is drinking a cup or two a day beneficial or doing more harm than good? Will drinking too much coffee dehydrate the body and skin? Here we delve into the coffee debate to show you the ways in which coffee can actually benefit the skin, like most things it is perfectly fine in moderation, in fact, it is beneficial!

Antioxidant Rich:

Coffee is a very rich source of antioxidants. The outdoors, particularly in cities, is full of pollution and free radicals that are not so skin friendly. By loading up your skin with antioxidants such as coffee, the antioxidants will provide a natural defense.

Protects Against UV Rays

We all know damaging and harmful the sun’s rays can be. The rays contain UVB whish can lead to skin cancer and all sorts of nasties. According to one study, caffeine can actually inhibit the DNA damage response and help to protect the skin against the effects of UVB. Another large study showed that those who drink 4 cups of coffee a day (or more) had a 20% lower risk of developing malignant melanoma (skin cancer caused by UVB). That’s not to say we should be drinking 4 cups daily but it does highlight the protective effect that coffee can have.

Smoothens and Brightens the Skin

Coffee plays a role in cell re-growth. It’s qualities help to increase collagen and skin elasticity! This in turn can help to prevent and get rid of cellulite. As well as sipping coffee, ground coffee beans make for an excellent skin exfoliator. The coffee grounds are rough and when moved in circular motion over cellulite prone areas, it will help to pull water from the fat layers of the skin and in turn reduce the appearance of cellulite.
The ground coffee beans also have a similar effect on dark and puffy circles under the eyes. The caffeine makes for a great face mask ingredient as it smoothes puffiness, fights free radicals and tightens the skin.

Why not give a ground coffee face and body mask a try?

Simply mix together equal amounts of coconut oil and finely ground coffee beans and apply to the skin in circular motions, when applying to the body always scrub towards the heart to get circulation going. If applying to the face as a mask, leave on for 15 minutes and then wash off.

The Down Side

The main negative side of caffeine is dehydration which as you know is certainly not good for the skin or the body. Be careful with the amount consumed a day (1-2 cups is fine and shouldn’t do any harm). If drinking more than this, try to up your water intake to counterbalance the effects. A second negative factor is staining teeth. It may seem odd but drinking coffee through a straw could by-pass this negative effect.

And there you have it! Coffee in moderation is actually beneficial!