ENOUGH ALREADY, COFFEE IS FINE
Continue with your coffee addiction. Your skin doesn't mind.
Earlier today, a tweet from The Guardian filled Twitter users with a big ol’ cuppa rage. “While you are considering your life choices and daily habits,” it read, “is it time to give up coffee?”
“I say this with love but please f**k off,” journalist Poorna Bell commented. “Stop trying to ruin the few small joys we have left. READ THE FUCKING ROOM,” said author Lyz Lenz. Perhaps writer Linda Holmes captured the vibe best: “Would this be a good time to make everything harder?”
I know the feeling. A similar sort of anger slow-drips into my veins every time some new skincare article claims coffee is “bad” for your skin (which is surprisingly often). Sure, there’s evidence that a morning cuppa can exacerbate acne… but there’s also evidence it can soothe rosacea. It may constrict blood vessels and thus, impede the flow of nutrients to the skin… but it’s also packed with potent antioxidants.
“There’s wide variation in terms of how people are affected by caffeine,” Dr. Aanand Geria, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist with Geria Dermatology, told me when I interviewed him for The Zoe Report in 2019. Besides the aforementioned downsides, coffee drinking has been linked to an increase in cortisol production — and cortisol, “the stress hormone,” is associated with a host of skin issues, from premature aging to dehydration. On the other hand: “A study last year showed that women who drank four or more cups of coffee a day had a 23 percent lower chance of developing rosacea,” Dr. Geria says. “This benefit can be attributed to not only the caffeine, but also the high amount of polyphenols in coffee, which function as antioxidants," the dermatologist explains. Antioxidants, as a refresher, help defend against premature aging and environmental aggressors.
Most likely, these negatives and positives cancel each other out, and coffee has a net zero impact on skin health. “When caffeine is consumed in moderation there really should be no adverse effect to the skin,” Dr. Geria confirms.
So go ahead, carry your coffee habit into 2022. Continue taking small sips of joy. Your cutaneous layer won’t mind.
Quick reminder: PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE ON SALE! Through the end of the week only, I’m lowering the price of a paid subscription to The Unpublishable from $7/month to $5/month, or just $50 for the full year. (That’s more than 25% off!) Click here for a reminder of what you get as a paying subscriber.
Love this and love Poorna's comment event more!
THANK YOU. ☕️