I’ve long been a fan of the food as skincare combo. So before you (or I) slap a hotdog or a few sauerkraut balls (My regular readers know those are my two favorite food groups.) onto your face, we here at Project Beauty.com thought it would be a good idea to take a few peeks into this foodstuffs-as-skincare trend and some of the research behind it. We’ll offer up these posts once a week for the next few weeks – and then let you decide.

Let’s start this adventure off with that first cup of the day. I’m talking that morning cup o’ joe. Caffeine’s one-two punch is increasingly being used to not only wake-up your dream-dazed brain, but also to kick-start a revolution amongst your skin cells.

Your morning coffee is packed with antioxidants that fight free radicals and reverse cellular damage. In fact, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that one serving of coffee contains more antioxidants than a serving of fruit.

Antioxidants, as we know, help us combat the free radicals caused by air pollution, sunlight, alcohol, cigarette smoke and stress – all of which produce adrenaline-related products that restrict blood flow to the skin and generate those potent free radicals. That one-cup-a-day (remember, moderation is key) helps us combat these destructive forces and in turn stave off the fine lines, blotchiness and imperfections associated with aging. Another, less caffeinated pick-me-up option is green tea, which is chock-full of the same antioxidants as coffee.



So that’s what coffee can do for you from the inside out, now let’s look at the outside in.

A study done by The University of Washington in Seattle, and published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, in which healthy skin cells and UV damaged skin cells were exposed to caffeine, reported a wondrous result. The caffeine caused the damaged cells to die off (good riddance), without hurting the healthy cells in the least.

Your morning kick-start has also been appearing in a number of cellulite reducing potions after a 1999 research study was published suggesting that, "caffeine-based liposome-encapsulated cream reduced the thickness of fat." (Let’s keep this information from bacon, shall we.) And while that has been debated amongst dermatologists - such as the eloquent Michelle Rivera, M.D. who stated for The Washingtonian, "Caffeine is simply not absorbed by the skin; it's like trying to shove an elephant through the eye of needle.” - one thing is clear, at least according to Allure’s founding editor-in-chief The Early Show">Linda Wells’ appearance on The Early Show. Caffeine products do seem to help diminish the appearance of cellulite by dehydrating fat cells, giving skin the appearance of smoothness.

Of course I’m not asking you to trust the word according to Allure alone. A study from the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology stated that 80 percent of 130 women who used a caffeine solution on their cellulite for 30 days saw a reduction in skin dimpling. They also reported that their skin appeared tighter and they lost 2 cm off their thighs. Real women = real endorsement in my book.

A third pro-caffeine reveal comes in the form of a number of studies that point to caffeine’s anti-inflammatory properties. The theory being that if caffeine is place under the eye, then it can help reduce puffiness, redness and dark circles which are primarily due to inflammation. According to Wells, this magic works due to caffeine’s short-term ability to drain excess lymph fluid and blood.



There is also some evidence that caffeine can help protect against UV damage. Scientists at Rutgers University found that after exposing two groups of mice to UV rays, the group that received the caffeinated lotion developed over 40 percent less cancerous tumors than the group that wasn't treated with the lotion. This doesn’t mean drink more coffee = apply less sunscreen. Continue loading up on the SPF and let’s let the research play out on this one.

Regardless, the number of products under this caffeine-enriched flag is growing exponentially. From coffee bean day creams to under eye gels and body slimming moisturizers, the number of caffeine-injected products on the market keeps jumping. And since the results, whether long-term or fleeting, seem to be visible to a vast number of caffeine devotees – I’d certainly be willing to give it a shot.

After all, if beauty comes from the inside and works it’s way out, it really only makes sense that the reverse is also true – and the combo must certainly heighten the results, right?

Are you a Caffeine as Skincare convert? Tell us what you think?