Does caffeine really make a difference in skincare?
For many of us, our morning caffeine fix is non negotiable. It seems to have magical powers to unlock the part of our brain needed to get us up and moving, and focused for the day. For some, the smell of our morning brew can literally get us out of bed.
Most of us know firsthand what caffeine can do for our tired minds, and it got us wondering - can it do the same for our skin? Can it help fight the telltale signs of a sleepless night - puffy, dark under eyes - or signs of ageing? Let’s take a deep dive into this powerhouse ingredient, and how and why you should add it to your morning routine.
What is caffeine?
The population's love of coffee means that most of us are familiar with its hero ingredient: caffeine. In fact, caffeine is one of the most commonly used ingredients worldwide.
Caffeine is a natural stimulant, which can be found in many of your everyday beverages including coffee, teas, fizzy and energy drinks. We’ve been consuming caffeine for a long time; we know that black tea (which contains caffeine) has been brewed since B.C times, and soft drinks have been around since the late 1800’s.
Caffeine quickly works it’s magic on your brain, entering via your bloodstream thanks to your morning coffee or tea. It stimulates your brain for increased focus by boosting your adrenaline and brain activity, while blocking adenosine - the chemical that makes you feel tired. Your adenosine levels build over the day, which is why your afternoon coffee hit can feel like a must-do.
What does caffeine do in skincare?
Not unlike the pick-me-up you get from your favourite coffee, caffeine skincare helps wake up and revive your skin in the morning - but in different ways.
Can caffeine reduce puffy eyes?
Caffeine is a known vasoconstrictor, which means it restricts blood vessels and the flow of blood. By doing this, it can soothe your skin and help to reduce inflammation to reduce puffiness, eye bags and redness. A quick way to look like you got more sleep than you actually did - apply a caffeine-enriched eye cream!
How does caffeine reduce dark under eye circles?
Similarly, reducing puffiness under your eyes can help reduce the appearance of dark under eye circles. As caffeine is absorbed so quickly into your bloodstream, it can help the microcirculation of blood in the skin which in turn helps decrease discoloration under your eyes.
With all of these amazing potential benefits, it's easy to think you might be saying bye-bye to eye bags forever. However, this might not be the case, depending on what is causing your puffiness. If you’re feeling puffy after a big night out, a caffeine eye cream is the way to go. If your eye bags and dark circles are caused by genetics or other factors, you will need to address the root cause too. Nutritionist Jessica Gillam-Brown takes us through what might be causing your puffy and dark under eye circles here.
Does caffeine have anti-ageing effects?
Caffeine is a powerful antioxidant, which works hard to halt the damage caused by UV radiation, sun exposure and free radicals. One of the main factors for causing premature ageing in our skin is sun damage, so adding an antioxidant boost to your skincare routine is a great way to reduce signs of ageing.
It’s important to note that these results aren’t long term, so it’s important to add a caffeine skincare product to your daily routine.
Side effects of caffeine in skincare
You’ll be pleased to let you know that there are little to no known negative side effects of caffeine-enriched skincare - success!
The only thing you might think about is the fact that caffeine is so easily and quickly absorbed into your bloodstream. We know that having a few too many coffees in our day can leave us feeling jittery and a little out of kilter. However when it comes to adding caffeine to your skincare routine, you’re using such low concentrations and amounts that the risk of overdoing is super low.
What’s the best way to add caffeine to your skincare routine?
We’ve looked at all the ways caffeine can benefit your skin, and they all revolve around the eye area. When it came to creating a caffeine-infused gem, we knew it had to be in a morning eye cream.
Introducing: Tailor’s new brightening eye cream, Awaken. Awaken helps deliver an immediate glow and lasting hydration to your eye area while reducing dark circles and fighting the early signs of ageing. It’s made with powerhouse caffeine extract to leave you feeling revitalised and ready to take on the day in less time than it takes your morning coffee to brew.
In addition to caffeine, Awaken is made with hyaluronic acid, which actively draws water into your skin. It plumps your skin by holding up to 1000x its weight in water, helping to reduce fine lines on the delicate eye area.
While hyaluronic acid is naturally occurring in our bodies - which is ideal because you’re unlikely to have a bad reaction to it - you produce less of it as you age. This results in skin ageing, dryness and reduced elasticity, so adding it into your skincare routine is key.
Awaken is designed to be used in the morning to brighten and refresh your eyes. We know caffeine helps fight dark circles, so to complement this we added responsibly sourced golden mica. It brings a subtle shimmer to instantly brighten and highlight.
Your daily caffeine skincare routine
The first step that mustn’t be skipped: get your coffee brewing!
While you wait, complete your skincare ritual.
1. Start by cleansing your skin with warm water or cleanser and your Tailor Towel, and applying your serums like Renew and Hydrate.
2. Then it’s time for the fun part - Awaken! Dab a small amount of the cream on your eye area. Using the cooling ceramic tip on the tube, gently massage the cream into your skin to help refresh and reduce puffiness.
3. Finish up with Moisture, or a facial oil if you prefer.
Other holistic ways to awaken your skin
At Tailor, we always encourage you to take a holistic approach when it comes to your skin health. While we recommend adding our caffeine-enriched eye cream to your morning for instant results, we also suggest thinking about the following lifestyle habits.
A good night’s sleep
We think that Awaken is pretty amazing (obviously!) but even the best eye cream can’t hide all the tell-tale signs of missing out on a good night’s rest. Skimping on your beauty sleep can increase your stress, and in turn boost your cortisol levels - a cause of premature ageing. It can also affect your skin's barrier function, leaving you with dull, dry skin.
Lymphatic facial massage
This relaxing moment of self care is also one of the best ways to reduce puffiness in your face.
Proper massage techniques with a Illume facial oil can help remove built-up fluid from your face, as well as reduce tension and stress.
Stay hydrated
Hydration is essential to reducing both puffy and dark eyes. It might feel counterintuitive, as puffy eyes can often make you feel like you’re retaining excess fluids. However your kidneys will help fight fluid retention, and they need to be hydrated for optimal performance. Make sure you're drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day.
Eat nutrient-dense food
It’s recommended you reduce your consumption of processed food, which presents the body with a load of substances to detoxify and process. It puts extra strain on your kidneys and your liver, both of which are essential in preventing puffiness and dark circles. Support these organs by eating whole foods rich in nutrients, such as vegetables, fruits, poultry, fish, red meat, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2958188/
https://academic.oup.com/jnci/article/107/2/djv013/906098
https://www.japsonline.com/admin/php/uploads/20_pdf.pdf
https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/343174
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2010.01561.x