Coffee is a morning must-have, and for good reason: caffeine.
The stuff can certainly perk you up — I mean, it’s a stimulant after all. When it reaches your brain, it makes you feel more alert, more awake, and less tired.
But did you know that caffeine can wake up your skin, too?
It’s true! And it’s about time that the old mantra, “But first, coffee,” applies to your skincare routine, too.
As the weather changes, your skin likely changes, too. I know mine does, and it’s not so pretty, to be honest.
As the temperature and humidity drops quickly, your skin has to work harder to maintain adequate hydration. It can lead to cracks in the outer skin layer, irritation, loss of hydration — aka super dry skin — and inflammation. On top of that, we’re dealing with dry air from indoor heating, stress from the holidays, and wearing pants (my least favorite part of winter!).
All of this can seriously impact the overall state of your skin. It can be particularly rough for those already prone to skin conditions, like rosacea.
What’s all that have to do with caffeine, though?
How Caffeine Helps Your Skin
As it turns out, caffeine is just what the dermatologist ordered for your seasonally-challenged skin.
Caffeine is an anti-inflammatory when used topically, and can essentially “wake up” your skin. When applied through skincare treatments and masks, it constricts the blood vessels and helps reduce inflammation and puffiness. It can also tighten and brighten the skin, reducing pesky wrinkles and visibly smoothing cellulite.
This is why we’ve started finding caffeine strategically placed in plenty of skincare products, from lotions to eye creams. It’s one of the buzziest ingredients in skincare right now, pun intended.
It’s important to remember that the effects of caffeine-spiked skincare aren’t permanent. Results are kind of short-lived, so it’s best to use the topical products daily. Or, if it’s an eye cream, most dermatologists agree that twice a day is the magic number.
It’s also important to be cautious concerning the hype. A lot of companies make some pretty lofty claims on what caffeine can do for your body, and they’re not always 100% true. For instance, slathering your body in a caffeinated cream won’t make your waistline shrink, and it likely can’t erase those eye-bags that were handed down to you from previous generations like a family heirloom.
Okay, back to your dry, irritated skin that’s screaming about winter coming.
Give Your Skin a Boost With a Coffee Scrub
It wants coffee!
You will find a plethora of caffeine-infused products and coffee body scrubs out there on store shelves and online. However, making your own coffee scrub is one of the easiest things you’ll do all week. Not only will it save you money, but you get to drink a cup (or three) of coffee in order to do it!
This DIY coffee scrub will help exfoliate your skin, moisturize it with coconut oil, and give it a boost with caffeine — all at the same time.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of coffee grounds
- ¼ cup of sugar
- ¼ cup of coconut oil
Instructions
- If your coconut oil is solid, melt the coconut oil and allow it to cool but not solidify again.
- Mix all the ingredients together, and store in an airtight container.
- Use the scrub 1-2 times a week. Take time to gently massage the scrub on your skin, and let it stay on your skin for a bit before washing it off.
- Enjoy your smooth skin!
