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Is coffee the beauty ingredient of the season?

Are you ready for a dose of caffeinated beauty? We speak to skincare experts and explore what makes coffee a miracle ingredient

If you’re a coffee lover then you’d be thrilled to know that you can do more than just drink it. With its amazing anti-ageing properties and loads of other benefits, coffee has found its way into creams, serums and more. Yes, coffee is the ‘beauty’ ingredient of the season. Are you ready for a dose of caffeinated beauty? “Coffee is now a scientifically proven skincare ingredient and has benefits that go beyond the ‘pick-me-up’ urge to start the day. It has antioxidant properties that help protect the skin from free radical damage and ageing. It is also effective in reducing dark circles. Coffee-infused scrubs for the face and body work amazingly as exfoliators and are also known to reduce cellulite. Coffee, or especially coffee oil, has similar effects on the skin, like the highly desired anti-ageing skincare ingredient, hyaluronic acid. With so many beauty benefits, it has definitely moved beyond the kitchen shelves fuelling skincare products across a range of usages,” says Nisha Ganapathy, group product manager, DermoViva, Dabur International.

The long list of ‘beauty’ benefits

Edwige Gandin, beautician, Pastels Salon Dubai, shares how the benefits are many, including calming effects and reducing inflammation. “It has also proven to be an effective treatment for dark circles and acne. And, of course, it is renowned for its cellulite reduction.” Cholpon Djusueva, founder, Foxyskin, adds how the coffee ground is a great exfoliator because it doesn’t dissolve in water, which makes it a good ingredient to scrub away dead skin. “It works great on cellulite. If you use the raw coffee ground on your hair, it might colour it too, but avoid it if you have light hair colour. Products containing caffeine can help address issues with your scalp: hair loss, revitalisation, hair growth, etc.” She says she loves how small businesses recycle coffee grounds to make natural body products.

Do coffee-based cosmetics smell as good as a cuppa?

Manal El Hage, beauty therapist, Dr Kayle Aesthetic Clinic, says that depends on the brand and how the coffee element has been integrated into the product’s specific formulation. However, in general, many brands retain the faint trace of the aroma if they’re using it as a USP for the product. Ganapathy informs how the aroma of coffee in itself has therapeutic effects, skincare and cosmetics that use coffee extracts in their formulation usually add other fragrances. “These add-ons follow regulatory approvals and are used without hampering the desired results of the product. The final product may or may not have the aroma of coffee but are definitely abuzz with all the essential benefits.” Gandin suggests how most exfoliants and masks retain a light aroma and colour, but an eye cream or face cream does not.

Foxyskin stocks O’right products infused with natural caffeine extracted from coffee husks, including a Caffeine Shampoo, which helps repair the hair follicles and strengthen the hair fibre. “It depends on the product,” says Djusueva. “The Caffeine Botanical Scalp Revitalizer (O’right) has no smell or colour of coffee, as it uses external coffee husk, rich in caffeine, chlorogenic acids, and tannins.” She adds that if you buy a coffee scrub, then it might have a distinguished smell and texture, and how she likes the aroma with the scrub for it energises and tones one up for the rest of the day.

Drinking too much coffee (can be bad,say experts), what about too much coffee on the skin?

Ganapathy says the thumb rule is anything in excess can be harmful. “Drinking too much coffee can indirectly dehydrate you and also induce a lack of sleep, and both are not good for the skin. Coffee products should be used in moderation for optimum effect. Knowing the effects and maintaining a balance is always key in any ingredient introduced to the skincare routine.” Gandin shares how many brands use coffee in scrubs and masks and advocate their use a few times a week; she actually uses it every day as part of her skincare routine.

purva@khaleejtimes.com