The effects of drinking coffee are different for everyone, and some people can enjoy more coffee than others. When you stop drinking coffee or cut down, it helps make your skin look healthier and more radiant. However, there are many factors involved in how coffee can affect your skin, such as the type of coffee you are drinking, what you intend to mix your cup of coffee with, and how much coffee you drink a day.
To understand how quitting coffee will affect your skin, we need to look at the benefits and downsides of coffee and establish how it affects you personally. There are also ways in which coffee can improve your skin.
Does Coffee Ruin Your Skin?
Caffeine causes toxic build-up, inflammation, and collagen loss by dehydrating our bodies, which can result in wrinkles, redness, and acne. Caffeine slows wound healing and accelerates the aging of your skin, and it reduces the amount of newly synthesized collagen in your skin cells.
Caffeine has been shown to reduce collagen production in the skin, and a lack of collagen can cause your skin to appear dull. Collagen production is critical for our skin and body, and it makes our skin appear happy and healthy.
Acne sufferers may be concerned that coffee will aggravate their breakouts, and some may believe that giving up coffee will make their skin clearer. Caffeine can disrupt the body’s normal hormone levels, which can be a concern for avid coffee drinkers. It can increase levels of cortisol, which is a stress hormone, and high levels of cortisol can cause higher levels of stress and cause the skin to produce more oils, both of which can result in acne.
Many studies show that sugar ages your skin naturally through a process known as glycation. Sugar degrades collagen and elastin: the proteins that give shape, structure, and firmness to your skin. When this happens, your skin may become wrinkled, saggy, dry, and dull. Excess sugar intake can increase the likelihood of acne breakouts. Blood sugar spikes cause inflammation in the body, resulting in pimples, zits, blackheads, and whiteheads and causing your body to produce more sebum, which contributes to acne breakouts.
Similarly, this case-control study concludes that increased dairy product consumption causes more acne. Milk contains hormone-related components that may stimulate oil glands in the skin, setting the stage for breakouts.
The Benefits of Quitting Coffee on Your Skin
Your skin can be a reflection of your health as it is one of the primary methods of toxin elimination. When you have a healthy internal and external environment, your skin will reveal information about how well the internal environment is working.
Detoxing from coffee can help improve the quality and appearance of your skin. However, this is dependent on your lifestyle and skin type. If you eliminate toxins and drink more water, you are more likely to have clearer skin.
If you reduce your caffeine consumption, you will probably get more sleep. This is the time when your body detoxifies, repairs, and rebuilds itself. Consistent sleep patterns will keep you looking younger for longer.
Because less caffeine can improve your circulation, the chances of your skin developing a glow are high. The dehydrating effects of coffee will be reduced, improving the appearance of fine lines.
By drinking less or no coffee, you are consuming less sugar and dairy. The removal of sugar and dairy can assist with decreasing acne breakouts and improve the overall appearance of your skin.
- Skin that is clearer
- Acne reduction
- A more youthful appearance
- Cellulite reduction
How Can Coffee Help Your Skin?
Coffee contains antioxidants, which can be beneficial to the skin. Because of its high level of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, it can aid in the fight against skin cancers such as malignant melanoma and basal cell carcinoma.
Coffee can also benefit your skin without having to drink it. Coffee grounds make an excellent exfoliant because they do not dissolve in water, so they are effective at scrubbing away dead skin cells. Studies have also suggested that substances found in coffee can also help promote healthy skin, boost the production of collagen, and reduce premature aging.
The antioxidant, known as caffeic acid, also contains antimicrobial properties that help protect the skin from germs.
- 1/4 cup fresh coffee grounds
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- lemon juice to achieve the desired consistency
Every few days, scrub the mixture on your skin after washing it and allow the scrub to sit on the skin for a few minutes before rinsing it off.
Caffeine can also help puffy eyes by increasing blood flow and widening the blood vessels. This increases blood flow, which can assist in the natural tightening of the skin. As a result, fluid accumulation under the eyes can be reduced. Chlorogenic acids may also help to reduce inflammation in the eyes.
You can try dabbing around your eyes with a paste made of very finely ground coffee and coffee liquid. Coffee may also help to reduce the appearance of cellulite on the skin. Fresh, wet coffee grounds can be used to scrub and exfoliate cellulite-prone areas. Exfoliation may also aid in skin smoothing and blood flow stimulation.
Scrubbing your face with coffee grounds can assist in the removal of dead skin cells and the unclogging of pores. Coffee’s chlorogenic acids may also reduce inflammation and protect against certain bacterial strains.
Conclusion
Quitting coffee can make your skin look healthier and more radiant, and a caffeine detox can result in beautiful skin. In addition to stopping coffee, you can use the grounds topically to help improve the appearance of your skin with exfoliating scrubs, and you can add a collagen supplement to your smoothie or to water to assist with collagen production.
If you’re not ready to give up on your caffeine fix, you can try some coffee alternatives or try cutting back on dairy and sugar to help improve your skin.
Featured Image Credit By: Ximena Mora, Pexels
