You cope with your acne-prone skin by making self-aware jokes or swapping skincare notes with that lady from accounting. Then she tells you:
“Have you tried giving up coffee? You know it’s bad for your skin, right?”
WHAT? Thanks, Karen. Thanks for ruining the entire week. Give up coffee? It’s the only thing dragging you out of bed in the morning!
On the other hand...
Your skin has been a problem since forever. Could surrendering your precious, life-giving coffee really be the answer?
Caffeine and Acne
Don’t panic yet! There’s no direct link between coffee and acne. However, there are complicating factors.
Stress causes production of the hormone cortisol, which triggers excess oil and can lead to clogged pores.
Plus, caffeine may upset your sleep, which — guess what? — causes more stress.
Your best bet? Don’t drink caffeinated coffee in the afternoon, or switch to decaf altogether.
Skip the Dairy
Like a little coffee with your milk? Sorry, but that milk may aggravate skin problems!
Luckily, we’re in the midst of a milk revolution! If dairy is affecting your skin, there are plenty of swaps. Nut milks are available at most coffee shops in a variety of flavors.
The Sugar Problem
You already know that sugary foods are bad for your skin, but it’s easy to forget the other sugar bombs: drinks.
Take your favorite Starbucks beverage. A peppermint mocha, for example, has 54 grams of sugar in a grande serving. That’s more than TWICE the daily limit for women. Yikes!
Try weaning yourself off dessert coffees for low-sugar options, or change that everyday mocha into an occasional treat. You can also try sugar alternatives like stevia.
Coffee as a Skincare Ingredient
So you’ve made your coffee more skin-friendly. Great! But are using coffee to your advantage?
Coffee has great skin benefits when applied topically! You could even say that it has a few perks. (Sorry, not sorry!)
- Exfoliating
- Reducing cellulite
- Calming inflammation
- Treating fine lines and sunspots
- Soothing under-eye circles
- Preventing melanomas and skin growths
- FIGHTING ACNE BACTERIA
These incredible benefits are why Averr Aglow uses coffee arabica extract in our Luminous Complexion Toner.
With coffee, comfrey, and kakadu plum, our toner bursts with antioxidants to minimize pores, eliminate breakouts, reduce puffiness, and hydrate skin. And unlike other toners, ours is all-natural and won’t dry you out!