The sweet nectar that keeps us alive most days of the year, coffee and caffeine is a necessity for many of us, super guilt of 3 cups a day. The first thing we do in the morning is to grab a cup of coffee – and we feel human again; see if you will know exactly what I mean! But after years of drinking coffee, adding milk (alternative for me) and sugar – has it ever crossed your mind that coffee is actually quite bad for your skin? Yea, nor have I until I read more into it. It can at times making you break out, causing wrinkles and dual your skin out. I sort of dived into a pitfall of articles when searching about this topic, and through all the research I’ve done I wanted to share with you a little bit more about why coffee can be bad for your skin. But let’s be real, you won’t be able to cut it out completely… I haven’t.
DEHYDRATION
I don’t want to panic you, but you know all that water you’re drinking? Well, it might not be enough, here’s why….Caffeine dehydrates our bodies and when this happens it makes your liver work even harder, not a pretty thing is it? When this happens it causes toxic build up in the body which has an effect on your beautiful glowing skin. Dehydrated skin causes redness and early ageing, all that water you’re drinking might not be enough as it won’t fix the dehydration, which will result in not being able to detox your body, toxic buildup in the skin can also cause acne. AHHH stop the coffee ASAP!
DAIRY
This is my kryptonite, I’ve never been a dairy consumer (ok maybe I am guilty of having ice cream but that’s it) If you drink coffee with cream or lattes and cappuccinos – dairy could also be affecting your skin, it certainly does mine. Adding milk or sugar to your coffee can trigger acne. Milk and dairy is filled with hormones which negatively affects the production of sebum and glues dead skin cells together. If you’re dealing with skin problems it may be worth cutting out the dairy from your diet as an elimination test. If your breakouts go away, then it might have been the dairy causing it – especially in the chin and jawline area.
SUGAR
And yes, this is my favourite thing to add to my black coffee! However, if you aren’t a black coffee consumer, there is probably sugar in your latte, cappuccino or whichever drink you grab. Adding sugar to your drink could also be affecting your skin. Digested sugar permanently attaches to the collagen in your skin through a process known as glycation. Aside from increasing the effects of ageing, glycation can also exacerbate skin conditions like acne and rosacea – source.
So from what I found searching online, here’s the conclusion, coffee can be bad for your skin if you drink it excessively, however, too much for anything can be bad for you. But, if you want to put it to the test yourself, do it! If you find your skin feels like it’s acting up, try cutting things out your diet for 14 or so days, and see their effect. Your skin is an ever-changing organism, different stages in age can effect if differently.
Do let me know if you’ve found this insightful read helpful, and in case you’ve also tested it out on your own skin, would love to know how you’ve discovered about your own skin.
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