APRIL 2019 • Vol. 25 No. 4
New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists
www.nyscc.org
Coffee and its Role in Skin Care
O
…by Roger L. McMullen
n a recent trip to Spain, I made my way to a local pharmacy in search of sun care lotion to relieve my skin from the illeffects of the powerful ultraviolet rays of the sun. With the exception of sun care products and a very limited selection of skin care creams, the pharmacies in Spain are dedicated almost exclusively to over-the-counter and prescription medications—not like drug stores in the United States, which are replete with everything from cute stuffed penguins to chocolate hearts for Valentine’s Day. Nevertheless, I was surprised to find a coffee machine at the entrance of the Spanish pharmacy with a banner above describing beauty coffee capsules that contained reishi mushrooms and several other ingredients including collagen. At first, I was a bit surprised, and skeptical, by the claim that oral consumption of coffee could be beneficial for the skin. However, after a little bit of searching, I found some interesting studies demonstrating the beneficial effects of coffee on the skin—when taken either orally or administered topically. Body/facial scrubs, eye creams, cellulitis products, moisturizing creams, and soaps containing coffee have been all the rage in the skin care arena. To better understand the claims surrounding the use of such products, I decided to take a careful look at the scientific literature. More than likely, a great deal of interest in using coffee in skin care products stems from the effects of caffeine on skin biochemistry and physiology, in which case it has been shown to prevent accumulation of fat in the skin, act as a photo-protectant against UV radiation, and assist in drainage of lymphatic tissue. It should be pointed out, however, that many of these findings come from studies of cell culture systems or animal models—not human clinical data.1 In addition to the effects of topical treatment of caffeine on the skin, much interest was generated by several large-scale epidemiology studies that demonstrated a positive correlation between coffee
consumption and decreased incidence of nonmelanoma skin carcinomas.2,3 In a study of more than 90,000 Caucasian women, an inverse association was found between coffee consumption and incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer.3 Women who drink coffee on a daily basis were almost 11% less likely to develop nonmelanoma skin cancer. Drinking six or more cups of coffee was associated with a 36% reduction in nonmelanoma skin cancer. These effects were
not found in women who drink decaffeinated coffee, which could indicate that caffeine is the key ingredient involved. It could also suggest that decaffeination processes, such solvent extraction, might remove beneficial ingredients from the coffee. As already noted, there has been a great deal of interest in utilizing green coffee oil in cosmetic applications. This oil is obtained by cold pressing green (unroasted) coffee beans. Researchers from several universities in Brazil—the largest coffee producing country in the world—have shown that administration of green coffee oil to (Continued on page 4)
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