This Coffee-Based Moisturiser Is The Wake-Up Call Your Skincare Routine Was Missing

Every so often, a new wonder ingredient will pop up in the beauty world. And usually, it's difficult to understand whether you should be incorporating it into your daily regime. This time round, it's coffee skincare products are on the rise. But what are coffee skincare products and what are the potential benefits of putting a bit of caffeine on your face?

Despite what you may think, coffee skincare isn't about pouring your morning brew all over your face. Instead, these products incorporate coffee's main ingredient, caffeine.

The merits of caffeinated skincare have been highly talked about by beauty experts. And according to the people in the know, caffeine on the skin can have similar benefits to caffeine in your diet.

The ingredient can liven up your skin and primarily works as an anti-inflammatory, reducing redness in the skin in some cases, reports Live Strong. It's also "a powerful antioxidant" that can help prevent and fight damage from UV rays and pollution, dermatologist Dr. Frances Prenna Jones told Get the Gloss.

Now comes the technical stuff. Caffeine is what's known as a vasoconstrictor. This means it can narrow the blood vessels and therefore reduce puffiness and dark circles under the eyes. However, Prenna Jones explained to Get the Gloss that the effect of this is "only temporary" and works best in creams that have been specially formulated for the eye area.

Origins' executive director of global product development, Lizz Starr, reckons that caffeine works best as a skincare product when combined with other miracle ingredients. "We combine it with ginseng. It can energise the skin and optimise cellular energy to help keep skin hydrated, conditioned and looking fresh," she told Byrdie. "Not only that, but it's a great anti-irritant and promotes skin soothing."

There are some questions over whether topically applying caffeine can provide enough benefits to make it worthwhile. A study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 2009 found that the penetrative abilities of caffeine may be limited. However, there are a number of studies that back up caffeine's skin benefits. A 2013 study agreed that caffeine has the ability to protect skin cells against UV radiation from the sun and could in fact slow down the skin's ageing process.

It's clear that trying coffee skincare isn't going to hurt. So if you're feeling experimental, here are some of the best caffeinated products to pick up.