Caffeine can affect your skin in a variety of ways, some good and some bad. For example, caffeine can cause wrinkles and exacerbate acne, but it may also help protect against skin cancer. Frequent coffee drinkers are most likely to experience these effects, although researchers and entrepreneurs have begun including caffeine in some topical medications.
Oral Caffeine and Skin Cancer
A study in the "European Journal of Cancer Prevention" in 2007 found that caffeine can reduce the risk of skin cancer. Drinking coffee daily lowers your chance of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer by 10 to 30 percent, depending on how much you drink. Decaf coffee doesn't provide the same benefit, and the researchers concluded that the caffeine itself slows or prevents tumor growth and even kills cancerous cells. The journal of "Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology" similarly reports that moderate coffee drinkers get enough caffeine to inhibit carcinogenesis; the caffeine targets the cancerous cells and leads them to a natural cell death before they replicate.
Topical Caffeine and Skin Cancer
Applying caffeine directly to the skin may also impact cancerous skin cells, reports a 2007 study in the journal of "Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology." The study exposed mice to heavy UV rays over a period of time, then applied caffeine directly to some of the test mice. The researchers found that topical caffeine caused dangerous cells to die, but left the healthy ones alone.
Acne
Caffeine doesn't cause acne directly, but it can cause or elevate stress; a study in "Psychosomatic Medicine" in 2005 found that drinking caffeine temporarily elevates the level of cortisol, the hormone that causes stress. Researchers from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine found that stress, in turn, can cause or exacerbate acne, reports Science Daily. Additionally, caffeine works as a diuretic, which can dehydrate your body if you don't drink sufficient water. Dehydration decreases blood circulation, which washes away toxins from your skin; because your skin retains more impurities than normal, this can cause breakouts.
Rosacea
Hot coffee can exacerbate rosacea. A study reported in the September 2008 "Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology" discovered that heat plays the primary role in that effect; however, the caffeine in the coffee may also have an impact. Stress and dehydration, both possible side effects of caffeine, can also cause rosacea flare-ups, notes the International Rosacea Foundation.
Cellulite
Topical application of caffeine to the skin can cause a small, temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite, according to a study in the March 2008 "Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry." Consequently, many anti-cellulite creams contain caffeine.
Considerations
The dehydration caused by caffeine can harm your skin in myriad ways. Dehydration dries your skin, and dry skin can become itchy, rough and red. You skin may then become scaly or cracked, possibly even bleeding from fissures. In some cases, dry skin can even lead to eczema. Dehydration also reduces your skin's elasticity, making the skin less smooth and leading to fine lines and wrinkles. Avoid these side effects by drinking sufficient water -- about 8 cups per day.
References
- "European Journal of Cancer Prevention"; Daily Coffee Consumption...; Ernest L. Abel, et al.; October 2007
- "Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology"; Stimulatory Effect of Oral Administration of Tea, Coffee...; Allan H. Conney, et al.; November 2007
- "Psychosomatic Medicine"; Caffeine Stimulation of Cortisol...; William R. Lovallo, et al.; September 2005
- "Science Daily"; Link Found Between Teens' Stress Levels and Acne Severity; March 2007
- "Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology"; The Role of Diet in Acne and Rosacea; Jonette E. Keri, et al.; September 2008
- "Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry"; Effects of Caffeine... as Anticellulite Agents, on Fatty Tissue; M. V. Velasco, et al.; March 2008
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