Why You Need Coffee in Your Beauty Routine

As a child, coffee was the one thing my mom needed every morning. She was dependent on it, just like so many of my friends are now. That’s why I swore I’d never drink it because I didn’t want to develop the dependence that my mom and all her friends had on it, plus I didn’t really care for the taste. But over the years, I’ve learned that there’s a lot more to coffee than I originally thought, specifically it’s health and beauty benefits (and with a little cream and sugar, I grew to like the taste too). Here are some benefits to know about:

It Cuts Down Your Skin Cancer Risk

As a fair-skinned redhead, I’m especially aware of my skin cancer risk and do everything I can to prevent it. That includes, wearing hats, long sleeves, and SPF 30 or higher on a daily basis. But coffee can help too. A recent study conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School found that women who drank three or more cups of coffee per day were less likely to develop skin cancer than those who didn’t.

It’s a Great De-Stressor

You actually don’t have to drink or apply coffee to get the benefits. A study by Seoul National University on sleep-deprived rats found that when they were exposed to coffee aroma, they experienced changes in brain proteins associated with stress. What does that mean for beauty? Well, stress is a huge cause of premature aging. So, that means a whiff of coffee could keep you looking youthful.

It Could Help You Lose Weight

Researchers have found that those who had coffee before a workout burn more calories than those who don’t. Coffee is also Adriana Lima’s tip for fighting sugar cravings – she told The Cut she mixes it with honey to balance blood sugar.

It Reduces Cellulite

We’re always on the hunt to find a way to reduce the appearance of cellulite and it turns out many people swear by coffee grounds. The caffeine in coffee stimulates circulation and plumps up the skin, so it’ll look smoother temporarily. Don’t throw away those coffee grounds after your morning cup of coffee because you can turn them into a cellulite body scrub. I’ve found that handy coffee pods like these coffee bundles from Gourmesso actually give you the perfect amount for a single body scrub.

It’s a Great Natural Exfoliator

Speaking of those little pods, they’re also great to exfoliate. Exfoliation is a key step in a good skincare routine. Why? It smooths out any rough patches and gets rid of dead skin cells that make your skin look dull and clog your pores. Save your coffee grounds and make your own DIY coffee scrub to get all the benefits. Mix 1 cup of coffee grounds with ½ cup coconut oil and ½ cup granulated sugar and store it in a mason jar. The coconut oil will hydrate your skin as the coffee and sugar exfoliate!

It Reduces Under Eye Puffiness

Coffee or caffeine, is a very common ingredient in eye creams. The reason is it constricts blood vessels when it’s applied topically so that means it reduces puffiness and dark circles. If you want to test this for yourself, one product to try is 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Eye Cream ($25).

Do you use coffee in your beauty routine? Tell us in the comments below.

Image: @SusanYara