can black coffee cause acne?

Does coffee trigger acne?

What are the main causes of acne?

 Acne is a skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. It causes whiteheads, blackheads or pimples. Acne is most common among teenagers, though it affects people of all ages.

Effective acne treatments are available, but acne can be persistent. The pimples and bumps heal slowly, and when one begins to go away, others seem to crop up.

Depending on its severity, acne can cause emotional distress and scar the skin. The earlier you start treatment, the lower your risk of such problems.

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Symptoms

Common acne

Common acneOpen pop-up dialog boxCystic acne

Cystic acneOpen pop-up dialog box

Acne signs vary depending on the severity of your condition:

Whiteheads (closed plugged pores)

Blackheads (open plugged pores)

Small red, tender bumps (papules)

Pimples (pustules), which are papules with pus at their tips

Large, solid, painful lumps under the skin (nodules)

Painful, pus-filled lumps under the skin (cystic lesions)

Acne usually appears on the face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders.

When to see a doctor

If self-care remedies don't clear your acne, see your primary care doctor. He or she can prescribe stronger medications. If acne persists or is severe, you may want to seek medical treatment from a doctor who specializes in the skin (dermatologist or pediatric dermatologist).

For many women, acne can persist for decades, with flares common a week before menstruation. This type of acne tends to clear up without treatment in women who use contraceptives.

In older adults, a sudden onset of severe acne may signal an underlying disease requiring medical attention.

Does coffee cause acne? QUITTING COFFEE for 30 days for my skin & hormones… Caffeine and Acne

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that some popular nonprescription acne lotions, cleansers and other skin products can cause a serious reaction. This type of reaction is quite rare, so don't confuse it with any redness, irritation or itchiness that occurs in areas where you've applied medications or products.

Seek emergency medical help if after using a skin product you experience:

Faintness

Difficulty breathing

Swelling of the eyes, face, lips or tongue

Tightness of the throat

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Causes

How acne develops

How acne developsOpen pop-up dialog box

Four main factors cause acne:

Excess oil (sebum) production

Hair follicles clogged by oil and dead skin cells

Bacteria

Inflammation

Acne typically appears on your face, forehead, chest, upper back and shoulders because these areas of skin have the most oil (sebaceous) glands. Hair follicles are connected to oil glands.

The follicle wall may bulge and produce a whitehead. Or the plug may be open to the surface and darken, causing a blackhead. A blackhead may look like dirt stuck in pores. But actually the pore is congested with bacteria and oil, which turns brown when it's exposed to the air.

Pimples are raised red spots with a white center that develop when blocked hair follicles become inflamed or infected with bacteria. Blockages and inflammation deep inside hair follicles produce cystlike lumps beneath the surface of your skin. Other pores in your skin, which are the openings of the sweat glands, aren't usually involved in acne.

Certain things may trigger or worsen acne:

Hormonal changes. Androgens are hormones that increase in boys and girls during puberty and cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge and make more sebum. Hormone changes during midlife, particularly in women, can lead to breakouts too.

Certain medications. Examples include drugs containing corticosteroids, testosterone or lithium.

Diet. Studies indicate that consuming certain foods — including carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, bagels and chips — may worsen acne. Further study is needed to examine whether people with acne would benefit from following specific dietary restrictions.

Stress. Stress doesn't cause acne, but if you have acne already, stress may make it worse.

Acne myths

These factors have little effect on acne:

Chocolate and greasy foods. Eating chocolate or greasy food has little to no effect on acne.

Hygiene. Acne isn't caused by dirty skin. In fact, scrubbing the skin too hard or cleansing with harsh soaps or chemicals irritates the skin and can make acne worse.

Cosmetics. Cosmetics don't necessarily worsen acne, especially if you use oil-free makeup that doesn't clog pores (noncomedogenics) and remove makeup regularly. Nonoily cosmetics don't interfere with the effectiveness of acne drugs.

More Information

Adult acne: Can natural hormone treatments help?

Complications

People with darker skin types are more likely than are people with lighter skin to experience these acne complications:

CAFFEINE & YOUR HORMONES | What You Need To Know!

Scars. Pitted skin (acne scars) and thick scars (keloids) can remain long-term after acne has healed.

Skin changes. After acne has cleared, the affected skin may be darker (hyperpigmented) or lighter (hypopigmented) than before the condition occurred.

Risk factors

Risk factors for acne include:

Age. People of all ages can get acne, but it's most common in teenagers.

Hormonal changes. Such changes are common during puberty or pregnancy.

Family history. Genetics plays a role in acne. If both of your parents had acne, you're likely to develop it too.

Greasy or oily substances. You may develop acne where your skin comes into contact with oil or oily lotions and creams.

Friction or pressure on your skin. This can be caused by items such as telephones, cellphones, helmets, tight collars and backpacks.

Some people are blessed with flawless skin, smooth as a baby’s bum. I am most certainly not one of those people. I have struggled with keeping my acne under control for as long as I can remember. And I've tried everything possible to see if my skin will change.

The biggest improvement happened when I went vegan, which completely cleared my skin in a weird fluke before it got worse.

Background

Up until a few weeks ago, I drank a minimum of three cups of coffee everyday, but I recently read an article that said the caffeine in coffee could be a trigger for people with hormonal acne. I figured I might as well add quitting coffee to the list of attempted remedies. 

Coffee has a number of health benefits. My typical order is plain black coffee with a dash of almond milk, because I know that the extra milk and added sugar can cause more acne, especially if your hormones are out of whack (like mine).

Once I found out that the usual cup (or cups) of coffee can actually be triggering to acne, it didn't seem unreasonable to put to the test. 

What's In Coffee That Causes Acne?

Coffee is acidic and contains high levels of caffeine. The high dosage of acidic caffeine in a regular cup of coffee triggers a stress response in the body, essentially putting the adrenal glands into overdrive, pumping out excessive amounts of stress hormones. 

The high amount of stress hormones coursing through your body can also mess up normal blood sugar levels by increasing the amount of insulin in the body. The excess insulin causes more oil to be produced, more oil equals more clogged up pores, which means more acne.

The high level of insulin produced from drinking coffee cause inflammation in the body, making preexisting acne even more red and swollen. I've always noticed this, but I never really considered the idea that it was making my acne worse. The combination of all of these factors could be a recipe for disaster for someone with hormonal acne like myself. 

Replacing Coffee With Tea

I was not looking forward to this. I am not someone who drinks tea, but I was willing to make the sacrifice for the sake of my skin. The first morning I woke up and craved my usual vanilla coffee with almond milk, but alas, I disappointedly reached for a pack of green tea instead. 

I bought about six different flavors of tea (a little excessive, I know) but it was necessary to cope with my caffeine withdrawal. Thankfully, I didn't have as many headaches as I was expecting, but I was still struggling with this sudden change.

I changed my usual Starbucks order to an almond milk matcha latte, which was a huge adjustment at first.

The Results

My skin still isn't flawless, but quitting coffee definitely helped clear it. My face is still covered with scars, but I've noticed that it is more smooth than it was when I was drinking coffee. It's also appears less red and irritated. I noticed that my pores also look less congested than before, and any breakouts healed much faster. 

I now drink around three cups of tea everyday and I stick to ordering a matcha latte, instead of my usual. My skin is still far from perfect, but after seeing the improvement since quitting coffee, I don't plan on drinking it any time soon. 

While coffee doesn't cause acne, some studies suggest it can make it worse. Caffeine makes you feel alert and awake but also leads to a heightened stress response in the body. Stress hormones, such as cortisol, may increase the amount of oil produced by your sebaceous glands, meaning you can be more prone to breakouts. Quitting coffee can increase the growth of collagen and makes look healthy and makes it glow. Moreover, the dehydration can cause premature aging and a caffeine detox can lead to a beautiful change in your skin quality. Coffee can also increase oil production in the skin and cause our pores to get clogged due to this.

Does THIS Cause Acne? | COFFEE, GLUTEN & MORE! (Ep. 7)

From what I know, it can't, but an unhealthy diet can, like lots of fat, sugar, and you need to keep yourself hydrated and by this I mean drink water till your pee is light in color and transparent, not sugary drinks. And definitely not alcohol, since alcohol dehydrates you and breaks down into sugars in your body.

So, no fast food, skip the sweets, the sodas, eat veggies on a daily basis, keep your skin clean try not to touch your face cause our hands are dirty and skin face is very sensitive.

You will see an improvement.

Also there may be other causes like hormonal imbalance, for which you need to see a doctor.

All around the world, one of the most universally loved and embraced beverages is coffee. To many, it is a staple of everyday life and some just can’t get by without at least one fresh cup of it in the morning to get the day started. In fact, some can’t get through the day without a few, which is why it may come as a disdainful surprise that coffee may be the culprit behind acne for some long-time sufferers.

When the news came out that there were benefits to drinking coffee, the world gladly accepted it, because it meant that everyone could continue their coffee-chugging habits. But despite the few benefits that coffee presents, its cons might outweigh its pros when it comes to digestive and skin health.

Caffeine is a stimulant. Stimulants can have a variety of effects on the body, including acting in the brain similarly to a family of key brain neurotransmitters called monoamines, which include norepinephrine and dopamine. Stimulants enhance the effects of these chemicals in the brain. The associated increase in dopamine can induce a feeling of euphoria when stimulants are taken nonmedically.

Stimulants also increase blood pressure and heart rate, constrict blood vessels, increase blood glucose, and open up breathing passages.

Caffeine, as a natural and low level stimulant in coffee, has been proven to have a variety of positive health benefits, such as improving energy levels, assist in boosting the metabolism, improve athletic performance, and lower the risk of a number of diseases.

Caffeine can also exacerbate hypertension and increase anxiety for some users, especially when consuming more than three cups of coffee in a short period of time and/or per day, and this is perhaps where there could be some loose (ie. non-science-based references) association with the consumption of caffeine and the proliferation of acne.

Here’s where the connection could be:

The single most important stress hormone is cortisol, which is secreted by your adrenal glands in response to any mental anxiety. Cortisol can cause a leaky gut in the long term, it can slow the healing of existing acne, and can possibly make your skin oily by increasing insulin.

Why does this matter? One of caffeine’s main effects, the increase in physical energy, comes from a large cortisol spike. Caffeine directly stimulates your adrenal glands to release cortisol into the bloodstream and once there, it pulls glucose from your energy stores and spikes your blood sugar.

Increasing cortisol is one of caffeine’s known effects. It does that in both chronically stressed patients and relaxed patients…

However, in the case of caffeine, that’s not a problem for people with acne, depending on your circumstances.

It is clinically recommended to avoid caffeine completely if you’re chronically stressed out and anxious. In that case, your cortisol will be elevated all day long. One study also found that patients with higher blood pressure had a larger cortisol reaction from caffeine.

However, cortisol is a necessary hormone since you need it for energy regulation and blood pressure control. You’ll never have none and nor would you want to. The real problem for acne is when cortisol is chronically elevated. Low levels are safe for people with acne.

For that reason, drinking up to three cups of coffee per day will not crank up your stress hormones long enough for them to cause acne.

Additionally, by drinking your coffee in the morning you can time the spike perfectly to minimise the harm. All humans have a daily cortisol cycle; levels are lowest at night to allow neurotransmitters to induce sleep, and they’re highest in the morning to pull glucose from your energy stores after 8 hours of fasting. Cortisol peaks between 8am and 9am on average.

Therefore if you drink your coffee just afterwards, between 9:30am and 11:30pm, you will 1) allow your acne to benefit from low cortisol in the evening, and 2) avoiding coinciding the caffeine with the natural peak, to avoid a truly massive, acne-causing spike.

Furthermore, one study found that consuming caffeine in coffee on a regular basis gradually blunted the cortisol spike. It grew milder and milder after days of consistent coffee consumption. It wasn’t eliminated totally, but that’s a good reason to keep your caffeine intake regular as well as at moderate levels.

3 FOODS YOU SHOULDN'T EAT IF YOU HAVE ACNE

Though I didn’t come across any scientific study which substantiates that an overdose of coffee may trigger acne or pimple—I didn’t search for one actually—I’d say that yes, caffeine triggers them, or that’s at least what I noticed on a personal level.

A few months ago, I became a coffee addict who would drink at least two cups—tea cups not those small coffee cups—of coffee a day. And that in turn made my face really embarrassing, full of pimples to a level that I hadn’t seen before. I would wake everyday with blood stains all over my sheets, and sometimes over my pillows, which was horrible. Initially, I thought that acne had to do with hormonal imbalances more than with diet. However, when I started to reduce my daily coffee intake, I noticed an immediate decrease in acne. It was really remarkable.

Now, I drink at most a cup of coffee a day and some days I don’t at all. And though I still find some pimples popping out on my body from time to time (perhaps because I consume other foods that trigger them), it is certainly much less than when I increase my coffee intake. I also think that diets that are generally full of sugar contribute a great deal to acne and pimples; luckily, I have substantially reduced my sugar intake over the last year, which I think everybody, young or old, should do.

As I ironically write this from a coffee shop (don’t worry, I ordered tea), a morning cup of coffee or tea has been a tradition in most cultures for generations. It’s become routine for most at this point. But why are we filling our empty stomachs with acid first thing in the morning when we should be alkalizing? There is endless amounts of research that backs up caffeine being linked to acne, so I’m going to break it down for you.

Caffeine increases your stress (physiologically).

If you consume caffeine on a semi-regular basis, it increases androgen production (the “male hormones”) and causes your adrenals to artificially react. “Androgens cause our bodies to experience stress, which is directly linked to the overproduction of skin cells and clogged pores, as well as the release of the stress hormone cortisol,” says the Holistic Health Herbalist. She goes on to say, “Cortisol triggers overt amounts of oil to be produced on the skin. As more and more of this oil accumulates, germs and bacteria multiply in the clogged pores which causes white blood cells to rush to the infection. The resulting inflammation is called acne.” One study showed that a person who was stressed and consumed caffeine had a cortisol increase of 211%. That is a crazy increase! 

In addition to coffee, there are a range of foods and beverages that we consume on a daily basis that cause acne. If you suffer from acne, we strongly recommend that you look into an anti acne diet and review our list of pore clogging ingredients. By following these regiments, you will be well on your way to more clear and beautiful skin. Please be sure to also combine topical treatments such as our anti-aging & anti-acne stem cell serum.

Caffeine causes dehydration.

You are thirsty. Most of us are chronically dehydrated anyhow (did you know that 3 Liters a day is what is actually needed for optimal skin? MORE if you exercise!) Now add caffeine (a natural diuretic) to the mix and you’ve got to drink more water to account for that too. With so many environmental toxins getting into our bodies from food, water, products, and our modern environment, we need as much hydration as we can get just to help our bodies flush these things out (like clogged pores). Give your system a break and only have coffee on the days you really, really need it. Caffeine and acne do not get along!

Coffee can contain mycotoxins from mold.

Probably one of the most concerning facts about coffee is that it contains toxins known as mycotoxin formed from mold that grows on the coffee crops before and after harvesting. Molds most commonly grow on coffee plants grown in lower altitudes with hot, humid climates. “Mycotoxins are terrible for acne and for your overall health. They can mess your immune system up and slow it down from responding quickly to bacteria and other invaders. They also mess up your sex hormone levels, mainly estrogen. Furthermore, they are cancerous.The good news is that not all coffees contain the same high levels of these mycotoxins. Coffees grown at higher altitudes are usually harvested and processed with more care, but as a result, they are also more expensive.” – Facing Acne blog

5 Worst Acne Habits (STOP DOING THESE)

Coffee can cause gut dysbiosis.

Gut what? Let’s dissect this. Your gut is home to many different kinds of bacteria, both good and bad. When your gut is healthy and functioning normally, the good bacteria effectively do their job and overpower the bad bacteria. This is referred to as gut symbiosis. However, when bad bacteria begin to outgrow these good bacteria, the gut resorts to an unhealthy or dysbiotic state. The microbiome can grow imbalanced by antibiotic use, physiological and psychological stress, autoimmune disorders and other diseases, and diet (to name a few). As coffee is highly acidic, it can lead to disruptions in the gut flora, eventually causing dysbiosis. 

So what exactly does gut dysbiosis do to the body? For starters, it can lead to malabsorption, or the inability to absorb nutrients from food. Even if you follow a strict anti-acne diet, you will not reap the benefits if your body cannot take in essential vitamins and minerals. If you’re deficient in zinc, selenium, or iron and drink coffee on a regular basis, chances are it’s the reason you’re deficient! Try to have coffee as far between meals if you can. One study revealed that coffee consumed with a meal or within an hour before or after a meal impaired iron absorption by 72%. 

Zooming in on inflammation…

Dysbiosis can also lead to inflammation and a lovely syndrome called leaky gut. Leaky gut, aka intestinal permeability, refers to damaged intestinal lining and causes a disruption in the digestive process. Inside our gastrointestinal tract, we have about 4,000 square feet of lining that act as a barrier to the rest of the body. Taking a closer look at the small intestine, we see this lining consists of small finger-like projections called villi that are responsible for letting digested nutrients pass through to the bloodstream (how we absorb essential vitamins and minerals). When leaky gut is present, these villi break down creating holes in the intestinal lining. With the barrier to entry compromised, undigested and unwanted substances can pass through to the bloodstream including toxic bacterial matter and destructive digestive metabolites. Once in the bloodstream, these toxins circulate throughout the body causing inflammation, and (you guessed it) acne. 

The good news is, you can take simple steps today to work towards a healthy, symbiotic microbiome. The bad strains of bacteria have quite the sweet tooth. They feed on sugar and carbohydrates, so the more sugar you consume, the more you feed these bugs and help them grow. Eliminating (or at least greatly reducing) sugar from your diet is the first step to curing gut dysbiosis. Focus on a low-carb diet packed with nutrient-rich vegetables and healthy fats, and cut back on inflammatory triggers like sugar, dairy, wheat, alcohol and (yep!) coffee. Stick to  “low glycemic” foods whenever possible, and when you do have something that is just carbs, balance it out with protein to avoid a blood-sugar spike.

Speaking of the gut, what’s up with the gut-brain (and skin) connection?

It should come as no surprise that the gut and brain have a long-standing relationship. Think getting “butterflies” in your stomach before a first date, or having a “gut feeling” about a tough decision. Nausea and vomiting often come as symptoms of migraines just as mental stress can cause digestive issues like constipation or diarrhea. But what causes this connection? And how does this affect the skin? Let’s take a look.

You may be familiar with serotonin, or the body’s happy “hormone.” This neurotransmitter stabilizes our mood, happiness, and overall feeling of well-being. But did you know that 95% of serotonin is actually produced in the gut? Yep, the gut plays a massive role in our mental health. Remember those good bacteria we talked about? These powerful organisms are the key players in serotonin production. So when the good strains become overrun with their not-so-good counterparts (ahem, dysbiosis) our mood can be directly affected. 

Beyond serotonin, one strain of probiotic bacteria called Lactobacillus rhamnosus contains a neurotransmitter called GABA that calms anxiety and regulates brain activity. When your body isn’t producing adequate amounts of serotonin, GABA, and other essential neurotransmitters, your mood can quickly take a hit. As previously mentioned, elevated levels of stress and anxiety lead to overproduction of the stress hormone, cortisol, which increases sebum production in the skin leading to acne. The high levels of caffeine and acidity in coffee can negatively affect the gut’s good bacteria in supplying the body with a healthy balance of hormones. 

Some key takeaways:

Before I get into the exciting (and delicious!) world of coffee alternatives, let’s take a moment to digest (yes, pun intended) some conclusive points of the intricate relationship between coffee and acne. 

5 Types of Acne and Best Ingredients To Treat Them

High caffeine levels in coffee lead to the production of androgens, causing the adrenals to release the stress hormone cortisol, which triggers acne.

Some coffee plants contain mycotoxins, which can alter the immune response and slow your system from responding to bacteria and other invaders.

As a natural diuretic, coffee causes dehydration which slows the healing process of the skin.

The acidic nature of coffee can disrupt your gut microbiome leading to an unhealthy balance of gut bacteria. 

This gut dysbiosis can lead to malabsorption of essential nutrients and whole-body inflammation, including inflammation of the skin.

An unhealthy gut can increase stress levels due to the gut-brain connection, which leads to overproduction of oil in the skin. 

Is tea instead of coffee better?

Yes! We LOVE organic green tea, Pu-erh, and the Mushroom blends available now- plus they actually keep you focused for longer and you’re able to stay happy & productive while avoiding the dreaded coffee crash. If you just need that bit of caffeine in the morning, tea is a great substitute. Plus there’s literally hundreds to choose from (so fun!) and you can experience lasting health benefits. In terms of caffeine and acne, teas with higher caffeine levels can still impair your body’s ability to absorb minerals, but overall is far better for your skin, mind, and well being. Being non-acidic and caffeine-free, herbal tea is your best bet packed with many benefits. 

However, I’m not denying that coffee withdrawal is real. If you’re an avid coffee drinker looking to decaffeinate yourself, your best bet is to ween off your caffeine intake to avoid potential symptoms such as headaches, nausea, fatigue and brain fog. If herbal tea is your end goal, try starting off with higher caffeinated teas and slowly building up (or down, that is) to a caffeine-free lifestyle! Try beginning your initial caffeine detox with one of these tea alternatives: 

Matcha: This foamy green latte craze can not just replace a cup of coffee, but also comes with vast health benefits. Matcha is a ground powdered form of Japanese green tea leaf. Since matcha is made up of the whole tea leaf as opposed to steeping and discarding, it comes packed with about ten times the nutritional value (and almost three times the amount of caffeine). However, matcha still contains significantly less caffeine than coffee, with 70 mg per cup of matcha versus up to 200 mg in a cup of coffee. Still convinced on the switch? Matcha is grown in shade which increases the production of an amino acid derivative called L-theanine. Found almost exclusively in tea, L-theanine acts as a natural mood stabilizer by stimulating the production of alpha waves in the brain (aka those yummy brain waves found in deep meditation and relaxation). And if we understand one thing, it’s that less stress = less acne. This healthy balance of (lowered) caffeine and L-theanine provides a stable energy source without the jitters and crashes experienced with coffee.

Black Tea: An 8 oz cup of tea contains anywhere from 14-60 mg of caffeine, with black tea being on the higher end of the spectrum. Just like green tea, black tea contains a collection of healthy ingredients such as powerful antioxidants and polyphenols. While coffee is inflammatory in nature, black tea can help reduce inflammation in the body (and of course, the skin). If you’re a latte lover, try brewing a cup of Earl Grey or Chai tea, adding a splash of your favorite non-dairy milk, and blending it up for a frothy way to begin your morning!

I can’t get down with tea… are there other coffee alternatives?

Yes again! Here are some of our favorite coffee alternatives, beyond the world of tea…

Does Coffee Cause Acne? 6 Shocking Facts!

Four Sigmatic: This LA based company specializes in mushroom beverages and products. While they still offer a variety of crash-free and immune supporting coffees, they also provide an array of coffee substitutions. Understanding that mushrooms like Lion’s Mane and Chaga supply a natural source of plant energy, while Reishi can lower stress levels, Four Sigmatic has mindfully spun these superfoods into delicious beverage mixes that will most definitely outrank your morning cup of java. 

MUD\WTR: MUD\WTR is another coffee alternative business making headlines. Made with organic mushrooms, cacao, masala chai, turmeric, sea salt and cinnamon, Mud is jam-packed with superfoods and contains only 1/7 of the caffeine in a normal cup of coffee. 

Rasa: For a completely caffeine-free (and energizing) beverage, try Rasa’s coffee substitute. Formulated to combine elements of Ayurvedic, Chinese and Western herbalism, Rasa contains chicory, burdock and dandelion roots, along with several other adaptogenic ingredients that provide sustained energy all day long. Dandelion root also helps with liver detox which can flush acne from the inside out. 

Hot Cacao: For your chocolate fix, try a healthy version of your typical hot cocoa. Like coffee, cacao is rich and robust in nature, but is packed with iron, magnesium, and antioxidants (and contains more calcium than dairy milk!). Heat up your favorite dairy-free milk and blend with a tablespoon of raw cacao powder and a few drops of honey for a chocolatey superfood treat. 

Golden Milk: Similar to hot cacao, golden milk is made by blending a plant-based milk and optional natural sweetener like honey, maple syrup, or stevia. However, instead of cacao, golden milk calls for turmeric to make it, well, golden! Turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that can fight the bacteria Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), aka the bacteria that contributes to acne.  

Lemon Water: For perhaps the most detoxifying hot beverage, try drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning. Drinking lemon water on an empty stomach can aid in digestion (especially if it’s warm), prevent cell oxidation, supply vitamin C and potassium, and kick start hydration which we know is vital in clearing acne. 

Apple Cider Vinegar: Another cleansing option is apple cider vinegar. Due to it’s naturally fermented state, ACV contains gut-healing probiotics as well as B-vitamins, polyphenols, and acetic acid which promotes healthy digestion. Try drinking a tablespoon of ACV twice a day on an empty stomach for optimal benefits.

Smoothies: On the go? Try combining your morning drink with your breakfast for a two-in-one special (with some serious health kicks).  Incorporate leafy greens, vitamin-packed fruits, plant-based milk and almond butter for a balanced mix of nutrients, antioxidants, and healthy fats.

If you are struggling with acne and consume coffee everyday, take the simple step of eliminating coffee from your diet! Trust me, your complexion will thank you. Looking at coffee as a toxic relationship with your skin may help in deciding to break up with it for good. The best part? You will enjoy other immense health benefits and get to be more creative with your morning beverage!

Coffee is a staple of many people’s mornings. It might even be a staple for your morning. However, while there are health benefits to drinking coffee in moderation, drinking coffee in excess might cause skincare problems. 

Why I Dont Drink Coffee | Skin | Cystic Acne

Too much caffeine from any source can result in issues, particularly with your skin, possibly flaring up already-existing acne. So today, we're going to look into the connection between coffee and acne. Let's get started!

COFFEE AND ACNE

coffee-and-acne

Credit: Acne Einstein

As of right now, there’s no evidence to suggest coffee (and caffeine) directly causes acne. However, some studies suggest drinking too much coffee can exacerbate pre-existing issues if you’re already prone to having pimples. 

That's why it might be a good idea to drink coffee in moderation. You have to remember that a lot of coffee, especially coffee bought from a café like Starbucks, contains quite a bit of milk and sugar. Therefore, drinking coffee in excess can make your acne worse since sugar and dairy can both provoke breakouts. 

IS DRINKING COFFEE BAD FOR YOUR SKIN?

is-drinking-coffee-bad-for-your-skin

Caffeine dehydrates you, which means drinking too much coffee can cause your skin to dry out. In the same vein as sodium and alcohol, you want to make sure you’re not consuming too much, or at least, you should drink enough water to counteract the effects of caffeine. You may think you’re fine if you only drink one or two cups of coffee a day, but caffeine can come from other sources like soda, which can make acne worse. 

CAN COFFEE CAUSE BREAKOUTS?

Coffee doesn’t cause breakouts. If you notice pimples around the mouth or forehead, then you should look for additional underlying factors. However, you also need to consider what you’re adding to the coffee because other substances, such as milk and sugar, can factor into acne, but we’ll get into that later. 

COFFEE AND HORMONES

Excessive coffee could worsen acne due to how caffeine alters hormone levels in the body. Some studies have found that caffeine can increase levels of cortisol in the body, which is the hormone responsible for managing stress levels. It can also affect how much sebum your skin produces, and both increased stress and excessive oils can trigger an acne breakout. High cortisol levels have also been linked to digestive issues and weight gain, so it’s critical to manage levels and reduce caffeine consumption if you believe it’s affecting your body in negative ways.  

WHY MIGHT COFFEE CAUSE ACNE

why-might-coffee-cause-acne

Credit: The Fashionisto

A single cup of coffee probably isn’t enough to lead to a substantial acne breakout. However, if you’re already prone to oily skin and have frequent hormonal fluctuations, then coffee may make the matter worse, especially if you consume four or five cups a day. The issue gets even worse if you add additional substances to your coffee. 

NO CAFFEINE CURED MY ACNE | GETTING RID OF MY ACNE NATURALLY (NO ROACCUTANE) | Jade Lavinia

ADDING MILK TO YOUR COFFEE

Numerous studies have found that people who consume greater quantities of milk are more prone to having acne breakouts, especially during teenage years. The reason for this is that cow’s milk is another substance that can cause your body’s hormone levels to fluctuate, which subsequently increases your likelihood of getting pimples. To reduce the chances of a breakout, you should try adding almond or cashew milk to your coffee, which don’t affect your body’s hormonal levels as much. 

ADDING SUGAR TO YOUR COFFEE

Many people also enjoy adding sugar to their coffee, and some studies have found a link between sugar and acne. The substance naturally causes your blood sugar levels to increase, which can result in a heightened risk of acne. 

CAN YOU DRINK COFFEE WITHOUT WORSENING ACNE?

can-you-drink-coffee-without-worsening-acne

You may not be ready to give up coffee entirely, and that’s all right. There are many ways you can enjoy a cup of joe without worrying too much about what it does for your skin. For starters, you can work on reducing your intake. If you drink four cups of coffee a day, then you should try only consuming two.

That’s a substantial amount of caffeine you can cut out right there. You can also cut back on the amount of milk and sugar you put in your coffee or try other variations, such as almond milk and natural sweeteners.

Additionally, you can help your skin by drinking water to compensate for the dehydrating properties found in coffee. For every cup of coffee you consume, you should also drink a glass of water.

That’s on top of the eight glasses of water you should drink daily anyway. Coffee does contain beneficial properties, such as antioxidants, which can help your body, but you don’t want to overdo it.

One or two cups of coffee a day are enough, and combined with other practices to help your skin, you can be confident you won’t have to worry about acne as much. 

Additionally, if you want a quick fix to acne that's already present on your face, you can use a concealer like the one offered at Stryx. 

So, there you have it! A single cup of coffee in the morning probably won't hurt you. As long as you're making sure to regulate your intake per day, reduce the milk and sugar, and constantly hydrate, there's no reason you can't enjoy a fresh brew when you need it.

Coffee and its health benefits (or lack thereof) continues to be a been a subject of debate. Many believe that drinking coffee—in measured quantities—has multiple health benefits. Like many other plant derivatives, coffee has proven anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. However, if you’re a coffee drinker who also struggles with acne, you should always drink it black without added sugar or milk. It's also a good idea to avoid adding any sugar or carb-heavy snacks (like breakfast muffins and baked goods that look we admit, look quite appealing at coffee shops) with your coffee order.

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If you find yourself in need of a caffeine boost, coffee is certainly the better choice over other caffeinated beverages such as sodas and energy drinks, as they lack the protective substances found in coffee and tea. Contrarians would point out that caffeine increases androgen release, and if consumed in excess, causes stress, which in turn increases the risk for acne breakouts.

Therefore, if you need your coffee fix but struggle with acne, keep it black...no milk, no sugar, no cookies, and certainly no more than 3 cups a day (though try to keep it under 2!). If you notice you’re still getting breakouts, consider removing coffee altogether for some time and seeing if there are any effects on your skin.

Does coffee cause acne? I get asked this question a lot because everyone loves their coffee. And with over 1.4 billion cups of coffee being poured around the world each day, there is a lot of coffee drinking going on out there.  

More than half the country is addicted to coffee, and the reason behind it is that we have developed a heavy reliance on caffeine. We rely on coffee to keep us awake during work and classes. We often say that we cannot start our day without having a coffee cup in the morning, but we do not do much to understand how it is affecting our bodies?

Is your cuppa Joe helping or hurting? “Does coffee cause acne?”

The answer, unfortunately, is not a simple yes or no. Sometimes coffee can actually help acne, and sometimes coffee can really aggravate acne. 

It depends on your unique physiology. 

So how do you know which camp you fall into? Read on.

Benefits of drinking coffee

No evidence is found that suggests that coffee causes acne. However, it can make your acne condition worse. It all depends on what you like to put in your coffee and how much you drink it. So it would be wrong to label coffee as an entirely unacceptable drink for your body.

If you drink coffee regularly, then you probably know that it increases focus and enhances mood. It is also argued that coffee reduces the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, preventing age-related cognitive decline, increasing athletic performance, and much more.

Another great news about coffee. Over 22 different research studies have found that drinking coffee regularly can actually help balance insulin and blood sugar levels. That is an amazing thing for acne because insulin dysregulation is often the root cause of acne. Coffee is also a rich source of antioxidants, something that people with acne really need.  

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These benefits are all good, but it is essential to understand that there is a dark side to coffee as well, especially for people suffering from acne. So, can coffee cause acne? Or make it worse?

After a thorough review of the evidence, it is clear that coffee can trigger acne. Continue reading to learn more.

The relationship between different components found in coffee and acne

Many argue that there is a direct connection between what you consume and acne. Many acne sufferers have highlighted coffee as a trigger. To shed light on such claims, I have analyzed different components of coffee and how each one of them can trigger or worsen acne.

Caffeine

Coffee includes a lot of caffeine. It is caffeine that makes you feel awake and alert. However, it can also boost the stress response in the body. For certain individuals, coffee can amplify the stress response, which means that the HPA axis in the body is triggered. This releases a hormone called ACTH from the pituitary gland, which causes cortisol release from the adrenal glands. For some acne-prone individuals, this will also increase the release of an androgenic hormone called DHEAs from the adrenal glands. Under normal circumstances, your body produces these hormones only to react to stressors like things that make us concerned, problematic events, etc. And as soon as we are not stressed anymore, our body returns back to its usual relaxed state, where such stress hormones vanish. The DHEAs will then go on to convert to DHT, which directly causes acne. If this happens to you, then you cannot drink coffee if you want to clear your skin. So, if you wanted to ask, “Does drinking black coffee cause acne?” My answer would be a resounding ‘maybe.’

Milk

If you love to drink a latte every morning, then it is probably best for you to know that there is evidence that links milk to acne. In a popular study that looked at the relationship between acne and milk, it was found that participants with a high level of milk consumption had acne more often than those with a low level of milk consumption.

Many researchers argue that the hormones that are found in milk may trigger acne. So, if your morning coffee includes milk in it, I would recommend you to switch to an alternative for the sake of your skin.

Sugar

How much sugar do you like to add to your coffee? If you love to order the trending coffees at your favorite cafes, then you have absolutely no idea how much sugar is going in your body. Such coffees have around 50 grams of sugar, which is double your maximum daily recommended consumption.

You can find plenty of studies highlighting the connection between sugar intake and acne. Consuming a lot of sugary foods can increase the quantity of insulin released by your body. This is followed by an increase in inflammation in your body. More inflammation means more opportunities for your skin to produce oil, which can ultimately worsen your existing acne condition.

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So, if you cannot take on the bitterness of your black coffee, then I would suggest you avoid drinking one rather than loading it with sugar.

Other reasons why coffee is bad for your skin

1) Coffee negatively affects your gut health. 

Coffee is criticized for messing up the gut flora. Due to high acidity, your stomach’s good bacteria are killed, which leaves more room for the bad bacteria to thrive. This condition is called dysbiosis, where the ability of your body to absorb nutrients from food is negatively affected.

Your body and skin require nutrients to stay healthy and functional, and this is why a good gut flora is necessary. On the contrary, a bad gut flora will result in deficiencies, leaky gut, food malabsorption, digestive problems, and issues with your skin such as acne.

2) Coffee negatively affects your body’s ability to absorb minerals and vitamins.

Coffee is also criticized for preventing your body from absorbing the necessary minerals such as zinc and iron. Studies have proved that consuming coffee with a meal or soon after can prevent your body from absorbing iron.

Cutting daily caffeine intake has proven to help the body absorb more minerals from the food that is being consumed. This will ultimately be beneficial for your skin as many of these minerals and vitamins are essential to maintain healthy skin.

3)Coffee increases your desire to eat sugary foods.

Sugar in coffee is responsible for the spike and crash in your overall sugar levels, because of which you will crave more sugar. Apart from this, consuming coffee also boosts your body’s stress hormones, and your body’s natural reaction to stress is to eat salty carbs or sugary foods. Sugar is an inflammatory food, and it is found to be one of the leading causes of acne.

4) Coffee contains Mycotoxins

One of the most disturbing facts about coffee is that it contains mycotoxins, which are formed from molds. These molds grow on the coffee crops that are grown in hot and humid climates and at lower altitudes. Such types of coffees are generally cheaper to produce and market. If you buy relatively cheaper coffee, then you are probably putting a high dose of mycotoxins in your body. Mycotoxins are harmful to your skin and your overall health.

Causes of acne and its treatment

Acne develops when the skin starts producing too much oil. This surplus oil causes a group of skin cells to get trapped inside a pore. And when the bacteria from your skin combines with the dead skin cells and oil, it can transform into a red, inflamed bump, which is referred to as an acne pimple.

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The causes of acne may differ from person to person, but one thing is clear – acne needs to be solved by balancing the body from the inside out. Acne is a symptom that there is an imbalance in the body – and usually, the imbalance involves insulin dysregulation, poor detoxification, poor gut health, poor stress management – all of which can lead to inflammation and hormone imbalances in the body, which in turn can manifest in acne in susceptible individuals.

Embarking on a clear skin journey is the only way to solve acne permanently, and my 7-Week Clear Skin Program will help guide you as you heal and balance your body from within to solve your acne permanently. I have helped thousands of women from around the world heal their acne for good – and I can’t wait to help you on your clear skin journey.

Should you quit coffee?

Everyone reacts to caffeine and coffee differently. If you are looking for a more concrete answer, then I would recommend you to conduct a personal experiment by cutting coffee for a week or two in order to observe if your acne condition improves. Then, you should gradually reintroduce caffeine and observe if your acne comes back again. If your daily caffeine intake is triggering your acne, then you should immediately quit coffee.

Often a simple blood test will reveal whether or not your DHEAs levels are high – in which case you know coffee is probably not helping your skin. Other signs include anxiety, insomnia, and a feeling of being overwhelmed.

If, on the other hand, you have normal DHEAs readings on your blood test, you sleep great, and you have no trouble relaxing, coffee is probably a great addition to your life.  

Drinking coffee without worsening your acne

I have said it before, and I will say it again; coffee is not terrible, and it does not cause acne. However, it can worsen your acne condition, depending on what you are putting in your coffee. If you can drink coffee without aggravating your acne (read above), you must drink coffee the right way. Following are my three coffee-drinking guidelines for acne sufferers:

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Don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach.  This will trigger insulin and cortisol spikes, which can lead to inflammation and further hormonal dysregulation. Instead, drink your morning coffee with a protein-rich breakfast or snack.

Don’t put cow dairy into your coffee.  I have never met an acne patient who can successfully consume dairy. Instead, opt for dairy-free milk, such as almond or coconut milk. You can now find delicious coconut creamers, especially for coffee (make sure it is unsweetened).

No sugar. If you cannot take on the bitterness of your black coffee, then it is probably best for you to avoid drinking one rather than loading your cup with sugar. If you want to enjoy coffee without worsening your acne, then you can start by adding little to no sugar to your cup. You can also try sweetening your coffee with a few drops of stevia or xylitol. This will help avoid insulin and blood sugar dysregulation.

Consuming less caffeine: As mentioned before that caffeine can boost your body’s stress response, which is ultimately terrible for your skin. This is why it is recommended to drink less coffee or shift to decaffeinated coffee.

Timing matters: It is not recommended to drink coffee or any other caffeinated beverage in the evening or before bed. Make sure that you get sufficient sleep.

Switch to tea instead

And what about those that cannot drink coffee? This is the camp that I fall into, and I happily gave up coffee years ago when I was suffering from insomnia. My skin improved immediately, as did my sleep. Now I am a chronic herbal tea drinker (see my post on the best herbal teas for acne). 

I also love a cup of warm water with 1/2 squeezed lemon. But for those that still want a quasi-coffee hit, there are some amazing coffee alternatives out there.

The amazing news about many coffee alternatives is that they actually help clear acne. Composed primarily of roasted chicory and dandelion root, these herbs help to detoxify the liver and heal the gut. You can either make your own dandelion/chicory coffee, or you can purchase some great prepared brands. I always make sure to choose a gluten-free brand. To find out my favorite brands, check out the video below!

If you cannot even think about giving up on your favorite morning brew because you operate on caffeine, try switching to tea instead. Tea leaves generally have more caffeine than coffee. However, the brewing process is able to extract more caffeine from the coffee beans. As a result, a cup of tea will have far less caffeine than a cup of coffee. Depending on the way you make your tea, they might contain additional benefits that can actually make your skin glow.

Bottom line

Although coffee contains antioxidants that are generally considered good for your skin and overall health, drinking too much coffee filled with sugar and milk might make your acne worse. If you are prone to acne, it is best to cut down on your daily caffeine, dairy, and sugar intake. Drop coffee from your diet and switch it with a healthier choice like green tea. If your acne condition worsens despite cutting down on coffee, then you should consult a dermatologist before things get out of control.

I really hope that this post helps you find a beverage that warms, soothes, and helps clear your skin. Love your skin, not caffeine!

You always hear people swear that giving up [insert vice here] changed everything for their skin. Most often, it’s dairy, sugar, or wheat, but lately, the rumors have been centered around coffee. As is the case with most of our favorite vices, rumor has it that your daily caffeine habit could be wreaking havoc on your skin. But is drinking coffee really all that bad? We wish the answer was a simple yes or no, but as it turns out, it's a little more complicated than that. To find out the truth about our favorite caffeinated beverage, we interviewed dermatologists Gary Goldenberg, MD, and Whitney Bowe, MD. 

Before you decide to quit coffee cold turkey, keep reading to see what they have to say.

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MEET THE EXPERT

Gary Goldenberg is a cosmetic dermatologist at Goldenberg Dermatology in NYC and an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital.

coffee and your skin

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Coffee Can Raise Your Stress Levels

One of the biggest rumors surrounding coffee is that it causes acne, and well, that's not entirely false. As Goldenberg explains it, the overconsumption of caffeine has been associated with stress, which is associated with acne. So how much coffee is too much? The FDA suggests a maximum of 400 milligrams a day (roughly four or five cups).1 But when it comes to your skin, Bowe suggests limiting yourself to one or two cups a day. Too much of anything can be a bad thing, so when you drink coffee, do so in moderation.

MEET THE EXPERT

Whitney Bowe is a board-certified dermatologist and the author of Dirty Looks: The Secret to Beautiful Skin. She is based in NY.

How You Take Your Coffee Could Cause Breakouts

Goldenberg says inorganic milk, white sugar, and syrup can negatively affect your hormones and lead to acne. So, if you regularly take your coffee with sweetener and whatever cream you have on hand, then, yes, your coffee drink could be the source of your breakouts. Pass on the sugar and dairy milk (and yep, that means scale back on your fancy, sugary Starbucks concoction), and opt for an unsweetened nondairy creamer instead.

Bad Coffee Can Disrupt Your Gut Flora

It's also important to note that not all coffee beans are created equal. "Poor quality coffee, especially if drank with dairy products sourced from cows injected with antibiotics, can disrupt gut flora," Goldenberg says. "Organic coffee has not been associated with gut flora disruption." But why exactly is a gut flora important? As Bowe explains it, if your gut is inflamed, that will show up as inflammation in your skin. "Eating the wrong types of foods, unfortunately, slows down digestion and creates a shift in the type of bacterial environment in your gut," Bowe says. 

"It affects your gut microbiome, and that, in turn, leads to leaky gut, and leaky gut translates to leaky skin." In short, coffee quality is key. If you're going to drink coffee every day, splurge on the organic beans.

Poor quality coffee, especially if drank with dairy products sourced from cows injected with antibiotics, can disrupt gut flora.

Coffee Beans Are Packed With Antioxidants

But wait—before you decide to quit your morning cup of coffee, you should know that when done right, coffee is actually a good habit to have. "Caffeine has been shown to be beneficial for your skin," Goldenberg says. "It has antioxidant properties and has been shown to be anti-inflammatory." You might be familiar with free radicals, but for the uninitiated, they're the damaging molecules that cause premature aging, and according to some studies, they can even lead to acne.2 In other words, they're the skin enemy. 

Antioxidants work to fight free-radical damage, and they can be applied topically or also ingested. Bowe recommends that her patients who are particularly prone to breakouts up their intake of antioxidants. If you're a big-time coffee drinker, good news: Caffeine is a great source of antioxidants. Actually, studies show it's one of the biggest sources of antioxidants for many people.3 Who knew?

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Coffee Can Be Beneficial When Applied Topically

If you'd rather quit drinking coffee altogether than drink it black, we don't blame you. It can be hard to adjust to the bitter taste of coffee when you're used to all the sweeteners and creamers. But that doesn't mean you have to forgo all the skin-loving benefits of the morning beverage. Goldenberg says topical products that contain caffeine also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Although the effects are short-term, Goldenberg says the caffeine in topical products can decrease the appearance of cellulite by dehydrating the tissue. Bowe adds that coffee grounds also work to reduce swelling and puffiness, which is why you'll commonly find this ingredient in eye creams and treatments.

The takeaway: When consumed correctly, coffee is good for your skin. But if you're one of those who can't bear the taste of plain coffee, shop some coffee-infused products below to make caffeine-free mornings a little more bearable.

Can drinking coffee cause acne?

If you’re a part of the 59 percent of Americans who drink coffee every day and also one of the more than 17 millionTrusted Source Americans who have acne, you may have heard about the possible link between the two.

If a friend or co-worker swore that giving up coffee was the only thing that helped clear up their skin, don’t panic. Anecdotes are no substitute for scientific evidence.

The relationship between coffee and acne turns out to be a fairly complex issue.

First things first — coffee doesn’t cause acne, but it can make it worse. It depends on what you’re putting in your coffee, how much you’re drinking, and a few other factors.

What does the research say?

The relationship between what you eat and acne remains controversial. Studies that asked people to identify what they think is contributing to their acne have identified coffee as a possible trigger.

There haven’t been any studies done to conclusively say whether or not drinking coffee makes acne worse, but there are a few important factors to consider.

Caffeine

As you probably already know, coffee contains a lot of caffeine. Caffeine makes you feel alert and awake but also leads to a heightened stress response in the body. In fact, a large cup of coffee can more than double your body’s stress response.

Stress doesn’t causeTrusted Source acne, but stress can make existing acne worse. Stress hormones, such as cortisol, may increase the amount of oil produced by your sebaceous glands.

On top of this, drinking a lot of coffee or drinking coffee late in the day takes a toll on your sleep. Less sleep means more stress, which could in turn worsen your acne.

The effects of caffeine on sleep varies from person to person. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, try to cut off your caffeine consumption by the early afternoon to avoid sleeping problems.

Milk

If your morning routine includes a latte or café con leche, know that there’s quite a bit of evidence linking milk to acne.

One large study looked at the relationship between milk and acne in over 47,000 nurses who had been diagnosed with acne when they were teenagers. The study found that the nurses with the highest level of milk intake had acne more often than nurses with the lowest level of milk intake.

Does Coffee Cause Acne? Is Caffeine Good or Bad for Acne Breakouts?

Researchers believe that the hormones in milk may play a role in triggering acne. One shortcoming of this study was that it relied on adult nurses to remember what they ate as teenagers.

Follow-up studies in teenaged boysTrusted Source and girls found very similar results. Skim milk (nonfat milk) was shown to be worse than full-fat or low-fat milk.

Girls who drank two or more servings of nonfat milk every day were 22 percentTrusted Source more likely to have severe acne and 44 percent more likely to have cystic or nodular acne than those who only had one glass of nonfat milk every day.

These studies don’t definitively prove that milk triggers acne, but there’s enough evidence to strongly suspect that dairy milk plays a role.

Sugar

How much sugar are you putting in your coffee? If you’re the type of person to order the trendiest latte at Starbucks, you’re probably getting a lot more sugar than you realize. A grande pumpkin-spiced latte, for example, has 50 grams of sugar (double your maximum daily recommended intake)!

There’s already been plenty of research done to show the relationship between sugar consumption and acne. Diets high in sugar increases the amount of insulin released by the body.

What follows the release of insulin is an increase in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is a hormone known to play a roleTrusted Source in the development of acne.

Pairing your sugary latte with a scone or chocolate croissant can make this affect even worse. Diets rich in carbohydrates with a high glycemic index have the same effectTrusted Source on your IGF-1 levels.

Antioxidants

To make it more complicated, it turns out that the antioxidants found in coffee have actually been shown to improve your skin. Coffee is the world’s biggest dietary source of antioxidants.

A 2006 studyTrusted Source compared blood levels of antioxidants (vitamins A and E) in 100 people with acne and in 100 people without acne. They found that the people with acne had significantly lower blood concentrations of these antioxidants compared to the control group.

More research is needed to find out the effect of the antioxidants from coffee on the severity of acne.

Caffeine!

Should you ditch your morning latte?

Coffee doesn’t cause acne, but drinking a lot of it, especially coffee loaded with milk and sugar, can make your acne worse.

If you’re still worried that coffee is making you break out, there’s no need to quit cold turkey. Before you ditch your daily cup, try the following:

Avoid adding refined sugar or sugary syrups or switch to a sweetener, like stevia.

Use a nondairy milk, like almond or coconut milk, instead of cow’s milk.

Don’t drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages in the afternoon or before bed to ensure you get a good night’s sleep.

Switch to decaf.

Skip the pastries and donuts that are often paired with a cup of coffee.

Everyone reacts to coffee and caffeine differently. If you want a more concrete answer, try cutting coffee for a few weeks and see if your skin improves. Then, you can slowly reintroduce coffee and see if your acne gets worse again.

If you still have acne after trying out these tips, see a dermatologist. It may take some trial and error or a combination of a few different treatments, but modern acne treatments can help with virtually every case of acne.

Does black coffee affect your skin?

I stopped drinking coffee in my early twenties. I know what java junkies out there might be thinking: why on earth would I do such a thing? At the time, an exceptionally talented nutritionist felt the cortisol fluctuations from caffeine consumption were doing more harm than good on my body (and mood). But during the pandemic, I’ve taken to having a cup each morning again—and it has been an exceptional crutch in getting me through the day. I’ve come to savor it as an early morning ritual and moment of peace.

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That said, I can be a tad vain. If anything affects my skin detrimentally, the brakes come to a screeching halt. I noticed in the last year that the days I drank coffee consecutively, my skin looked different—drier, more sallow, and just overall blah. Could there be some kind of association? I didn’t necessarily want to stop drinking coffee, so I asked dermatologists and aestheticians how it could affect the skin. The professionals I consulted provided a range of answers, all of which took many factors into consideration: what type of coffee you are drinking? What are you intending to mix your cup of coffee with? How many cups do you drink a day? To address all your caffeine-related skin concerns, we’ve assembled their assessments, here.

Dr. Jessica Wu, Dermatologist

Dr. Jessica Wu, the in-demand Los Angeles-based dermatologist and author of the book “Feed Your Face” says coffee’s antioxidant factors are far better utilized as a topical alternative. “Coffee contains caffeine, which has a diuretic (water losing) effect, so drinking coffee (even decaf) can make you and your skin dehydrated and saggy,” she says. “Drinking coffee has also been shown to reduce skin circulation by constriction blood vessels. Therefore, I advise my patients to drink one cup of water for every cup of coffee or other caffeinated drink. However, coffee contains many other compounds, not just caffeine, including antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds like idebenone (found in coffee berries, the fruit that coffee beans come from). I think there’s more potential benefit from using topical compounds derived from coffee rather than drinking coffee.”

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Mila Moursi, Facialist

Moursi, a renowned West Coast facialist who works with the likes of Charlize Theron and Jennifer Aniston, recognizes that coffee may not sit well with everyone, but for those who don’t tend to experience negative side effects, there are ultimately many pros to moderate coffee consumption. “There are negatives and positives about coffee, but I think the positives overweigh the negatives,” she says. “If a person is sensitive to caffeine and tends to become overstimulated, you may want to avoid coffee. But there are plenty of good things about coffee. Coffee contains essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and is very high in antioxidants. It’s a stimulant that can enhance brain functions, improve moods, and boost metabolism. A coffee enema is also worth considering.”

Jillian Wright, Aesthetician

While coffee beans provide certain antioxidant benefits, New York skin guru Jillian Wright remains cautious about the possible toxins that can remain in your system. Coffee, she says, can affect not only your complexion but your cortisol levels, too. “A cup of coffee in the morning can have its benefits, especially if the coffee is fair trade and organic,” she says. “Coffee is rich in polyphenols. But Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, which means that not enough blood or oxygen is circulating through the body and the toxins get stuck. This can lead to a sallow, grey, crepe-like texture on your skin. You put yourself at a higher risk of unnecessary wrinkles and fine lines when you consume too much caffeine. Another downside to drinking too much coffee is acne. If you are stressed, it can spike cortisol levels and if toxins get stuck in your body, your liver cannot detoxify properly. You end up producing more oil in the skin which can lead to unnecessary breakouts.”

Ada Ooi, Skin and Wellness Expert

“There’s always the discussion of cellulite and its relation to coffee,” the London skin savant says. “Firstly, cellulite can be caused by enlargement of fat cells from weight gain and affect the connective tissue under the skin, creating a dimpling effect. This effect also slows down blood circulation and metabolic rate, creating further water retention and swelling. Women are more prone to cellulite because estrogen encourages the storage of fat in women’s hips and thighs, making them even ‘stickier’ to be removed. Coffee stimulates adrenal functions, urging the body to wake up, move, and workout within, which can contribute to quicker drainage of liquid because of its diuretic effect. But you need a lot of coffee to be able to create an extreme workout inside your body to move the stagnant fat cells and create a reverse effect against the cellulite. This excessive use of energy can deplete our organ systems, affecting the normal bodily function, creating stagnation in blood circulation, drainage, and transportation of nutrients. In terms of the skin, all this can cause imbalances in the body and hormonal regulation, which then show through the skin through a dull complexion, dryness (which can lead to lines and wrinkles), or excessive sebum secretion, which may cause acne on the face, back or chest.”

Angela Caglia, Facialist

Veteran Los Angeles-based aesthetician Angela Caglia says coffee can take a real toll on your skin, in terms of age acceleration and overall appearance. “Coffee can and will affect your skin, especially those who drink more than two cups a day,” Caglia adds. “It can raise cortisol levels which is a stress hormone. This hormone accelerates the aging process. What you put in your cup of coffee matters, too. Most people add dairy or sugar which can spike insulin and trigger acne and change your hormone levels. Drinking too much coffee can also affect your sleep, and can make you on edge, which means you won’t be as relaxed, happy and smiling which always makes one appear more vibrant and beautiful. I recommend alternatives to coffee if possible. I’ve been loving Mud Water. It keeps me even-keeled and less jumpy and it tastes just as good, if not better.”

Mimi Luzon, Facialist

The stressed-out feeling that coffee often induces is an important factor to consider, says Luzon, the Tel-Aviv based facialist beloved by Irina Shayk, Adriana Lima, and Bella Hadid. “Drinking copious amounts of coffee can definitely influence your skin’s appearance. It’s worth noting that coffee can raise your stress levels and we know that stress has a huge impact on our skin—and can exacerbate existing acne. On the other hand, coffee is full of antioxidants which can have a positive effect on our complexion, but I would prefer to use products containing caffeine topically.”

Dr. Harold Lancer, Dermatologist

Dr. Lancer, the Beverly Hills dermatologist on speed dial for A-listers on both coasts, recommends kicking a coffee habit. “While coffee itself does not cause acne, the overconsumption of caffeine can be associated with stress leading to acne. Like anything else, intake is just as important when it comes to coffee—less is more. Drink your coffee black; adding milk, creamer, or syrup can have a negative effect on your hormones, which can lead to acne. Ensure the coffee beans you are drinking are of high-quality. Drinking poor quality coffee beans and then mixing in dairy products can interrupt your gut flora (digestion of food), which can lead to inflammation of the skin. It’s best to eliminate coffee consumption because caffeine reduction allows your hormonal function to restore itself, so menstrual cycles will become more regular, and you’ll reduce the risk for ovarian cysts.”

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Dr. Bruce Katz, Dermatologist

“Coffee does not have any effect in terms of causing cellulite or dimpling of the skin,” says board-certified New York dermatologist Dr. Bruce Katz. “Coffee also doesn’t have any direct effect on acne, but it could potentially make the acne you do have worse by increasing the amount of stress hormones like cortisol. Anytime your body is under stress, the increased cortisol leads to an increased amount of oil produced, which can make acne worse.”

Natalie Aguilar, Dermatological Nurse

“When one is dehydrated, the eye area may appear to be sunken in, lackluster, and fine lines and wrinkles are more visible,” Aguilar says. “I recommend constant hydration, even adding various electrolyte drinks into my rotation. (I like the Cure Hydration electrolyte powders; they help my skin stay hydrated and look plump.) The problem isn’t just in the coffee itself, but the custom drinks that are created with it. Specialty coffee drinks typically contain a lot of sugar and/or dairy. Consuming these sugary coffee drinks can actually damage our skin through a process known as glycation. Glycation occurs when the sugars in our blood attach to specific proteins that produce advanced glycation end products called AGEs. These free radicals can be detrimental and cause premature aging by damaging collagen and elastin fibers. This will lead to crepe-y skin, fine lines, and deep wrinkles, not to mention saggy jowls and crosshatch lines, which usually appear above the lip area and on the sides of the neck. However, drinking coffee in moderation also has its pluses. Plain coffee has been known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which are good for the skin. I prefer that my clients drink decaf in order to get some of those beneficial properties.”

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An $8 Mascara I Found on TikTok Has Replaced My False Eyelashes

by Michelle Rostamian

Whether I’m going for simple or bold, there’s one product that’s the cherry on top of all of my makeup looks: mascara. The problem? Many of my tried-and-true favorites come with a double-digit price tag, and because I go through mascara like I chug green juice, it can add up. Cue the Makeup Revolution 5D Lash Pow Mascara, an $8 mascara made famous on TikTok and designed for promoting a false-lash effect. Coming from someone who loathes applying fake lashes, this point was all the encouragement I needed to try it out for myself. And now, I can’t put it down.

I can confirm that this mascara has caused the dust to settle in my false eyelash drawer. The reason is simple: while I love the look of faux lashes, I find everything about them inconvenient—lash curling pre-application, the application itself, the discomfort I inevitably feel midday, and, of course, the removal process. All of these issues are eliminated when I use 5D Lash Pow. With this formula, I’m able to get a long-lasting lift without the use of additional tools, and I achieve game-changing volume that rivals the look of faux lashes. My lashes never feel heavy or clumpy, and removing the product at the end of the day is as simple as using a cleansing balm and some water.

As for the brush itself, it’s not for the faint of the heart. It’s huge. But that’s a feature I don’t mind, because it ensures each and every lash gets coated evenly at once. It also makes application quick, as smaller brushes typically require layering on multiple coats.

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Revolution Beauty 5D Lash Pow Mascara

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The only downside? Applying bottom lash mascara with a brush as thick as this one is a near-impossible feat (unless you feel like running the risk of wrecking your concealer). So, I only apply this product to my top lashes—and it works.

Perhaps the most unique feature of this mascara is the twist-free design on the tube. While traditional mascaras require you to twist the cap off, 5D Lash Pow features a push-click technology that prevents the formula from drying out. This is a selling point if you like to rotate mascaras and are fearful of the product crumbling up before you get the chance to use it. Not to mention, with this innovative feature I’m able to get the look I want in the same amount of time it takes to twist open, apply, and twist close a traditional mascara. It’s that quick, and only involves three steps: push the cap down, pop the wand up, and enjoy your newly lengthened lashes.

Is black coffee good for pimples?

Coffee has links with a number of health problems, including those that affect a person’s skin. As a result, people who have acne may worry that coffee might be making their breakouts worse.

Some people may believe that cutting out coffee clears their skin. However, there is no evidence to suggest that coffee causes acne.

Coffee is a source of antioxidants, which can be beneficial for the skin. Even so, for some people, drinking coffee could make acne or oily skin worse, as may adding sugar or milk to it.

Most people who have acne can still drink coffee in moderation, however, and avoid or limit additives, such as milk and sugar.

Coffee and hormones

The antioxidants in coffee may benefit skin health.

Caffeine can interfere with the body’s normal hormone levels and may be a concern for those who drink coffee regularly:

Cortisol

StudiesTrusted Source have found that caffeine can increase levels of the so-called stress hormone, cortisol.

Too much cortisol can have a harmful effectTrusted Source on the body. A study on 144 young womenTrusted Source found that higher stress levels led to more acne.

Cortisol can also cause the skin to produce more sebum, or oil, potentially leading to acne.

Chronically high cortisol levels can affect other health problems that may have associations with acne, including:

does coffee cause acne?

weight gain

depression

digestive problems

anxiety

Furthermore, caffeine can interfere with sleep, which may affect cortisol levels.

A lack of quality sleep can cause the body to release more cortisol, which can elevate inflammation. This inflammation can affect the skin, causing more acne breakouts.

To help avoid some potential effects of coffee, people may need to avoid caffeine several hours before bedtime.

Insulin

Caffeine may also cause insulin levels to spike, and studies suggest this could make acne worse.

One studyTrusted Source found that people who had higher insulin levels were more likely to have severe acne.

Estrogen

Caffeine may alter estrogen levels in females of childbearing age, but this varies from person-to-person.

An older study of 250Trusted Sourcefemales found that consuming 200 milligrams (mg) of caffeineTrusted Source each day raised estrogen levels in Asian participants but lowered it in white participants.

Coffee, milk, and acne

Many people add milk or cream to coffee. There is some evidence that suggests drinking higher amounts of dairy milk could lead to acne or make existing acne worse.

One study found that teenagers who consumed more low fat or skimmed milk had significantly more acne than those who consumed whole milk or no milk.

Another study looking at 57 people with acne found that those who consumed more milk tended to have more acne.

A study of the link between diet and acne states that drinking milk increases levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1). A further study states that high levels of IGF-1 lead to acne.

Sugar and acne

People who have acne may also wish to limit or avoid sugar in their morning cup of coffee.

Research has suggested a link between acne and higher glycemic foods, or those that cause blood sugar spikes. These foods are often ones with high sugar content, especially added sugars.

The Truth About Coffee : Effects On Acne

One study found that people who consumed more high glycemic foods had more risk of acne. Also, a systematic review found that a diet lower in sugar could help improve acne.

Drinking coffee without worsening acne 

There may be some ways to enjoy coffee without making acne worse, including:

Consuming less caffeine overall: People can do this by using decaffeinated or half-caffeine coffee or drinking less regular coffee. However, they should be mindful of other beverages, such as tea and energy drinks, that may also contain caffeine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Trusted Source recommend no more than 400 mg of caffeine a day, or 4–5 cups of regular coffee. However, some people are more sensitive to caffeine’s effects and may need to consume much less than this amount.

Cutting back on sugar: Adding little to no sugar to coffee can achieve this, as can cutting back or eliminating sugary sodas from the diet.

Reducing low fat or skimmed milk: People can do this by trying a dairy alternative creamer or using whole milk in coffee instead.

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Acne causes and treatment

An acne pimple develops when the skin produces too much oil. This excess oil causes a clump of skin cells to get stuck inside a pore. Bacteria from the skin combine with the oil and dead skin cells to form a red, inflamed bump.

The causes of acne vary for each person. ResearchTrusted Source suggests that acne may run in families. But it can also occur at any age whether people have a family history or not.

If a person has acne, they can first try over-the-counter products that contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

If the skin does not improve within a few weeks or acne is severe, a person should see a dermatologist. Leaving acne untreated can lead to emotional distress and physical scars.

Read more about acne treatment here.

Treating Acne From The Inside Out

Skin benefits of coffee

Antioxidants are substances that prevent or slow cellular damage, or oxidation, in the body.

Many plant foods, especially fruits and vegetables, contain antioxidants. Coffee is also a good source of antioxidantsTrusted Source.

Some evidence suggests that antioxidants can be helpful to skin and may improve acne.

A small pilot studyTrusted Source found that topical antioxidants helped to improve acne when people also used acne medications, such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.

Summary

Coffee contains beneficial antioxidants that can be good for skin and overall health. However, drinking too much caffeinated coffee and adding sugar or milk may make acne worse.

People who are prone to acne may wish to cut back on caffeine, dairy, and sugar to see if it helps improve their skin.

If acne continues to get worse or does not improve, people may wish to consult a dermatologist.

Enjoying a morning cup of coffee is part of a daily routine for millions of people and as ingrained within our morning as showering and dressing. Coffee fiends look forward to a caffeine hit for a burst of energy and without it, some people feel sluggish as our bodies can become reliant on it. Others prefer a cup of tea which contains almost as much caffeine, and both beverages have their pros and cons when it comes to their effects on your body and your skin.

HOW DOES CAFFEINE AFFECT YOUR SKIN?

COMBATTING POTENTIALLY NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TEA AND COFFEE ON SKIN

Caffeine in moderation is actually a good thing and studies have shown that caffeine intake can help increase well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability. Once you exceed four or five cups of either tea or coffee however, you might experience symptoms like jitteriness, migraines and nervousness. Caffeine can also interfere with the compound in your body that helps you fall (and stay) asleep.

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HOW DOES CAFFEINE AFFECT YOUR SKIN?

But what about the effects of coffee and tea on our skin? Caffeine is a dehydrator, similar to alcohol and sodium, and when our bodies lack all important hydration, it can show up on your skin, too.

And acne? While coffee doesn't cause acne, some studies suggest it can make it worse. Caffeine makes you feel alert and awake but also leads to a heightened stress response in the body. Stress hormones, such as cortisol, may increase the amount of oil produced by your sebaceous glands, meaning you can be more prone to breakouts.

In addition to caffeine, how you enjoy your coffee may also have an effect on your skin. Key ingredients of a cup of coffee or tea include milk and sugar, two of the top four dietary acne triggers making skin more prone to breakouts (1).

Dairy For latte lovers, milk could be affecting your skin too, as there's enough evidence to strongly suspect that dairy milk plays a role in acne – especially seen around the mouth and jawline area.

Sugar Chances are, unless you are drinking plain black coffee, your cup will contain sugar and that too can be affecting your skin. Excess sugar in your bloodstream can cause Glycation, a natural chemical reaction which happens when sugar levels in the bloodstream spike beyond what our insulin can handle. Glycation affects the part of our skin that keeps it ‘springy’ – collagen and elastin. When these two proteins link with sugars they become weaker and when these essential skin building blocks are impaired, the signs of ageing become more apparent; skin becomes drier and less elastic, resulting in wrinkles, sagging and a dull skin appearance (2).

COMBATTING POTENTIALLY NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TEA AND COFFEE ON SKIN

Drinking coffee and tea isn’t all bad and as the saying goes, everything in moderation. So how much is too much coffee? The suggestion is no more than two to three cups per day, and ensure you drink enough water to hydrate from the inside, while keeping skin moisturised with products such as Olay Total Effects 7in1 Anti-Ageing Moisturiser SPF15.

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But did you know that caffeine and tea extracts can also be powerful skin care ingredients? Anti-oxidants found in green tea extract have been shown to have anti-ageing properties, and caffeine is used in some brightening and firming skincare products. Enough reasons to enjoy your favourite beverage as a morning drink as well as your new skincare buddy.

What is the side effects of black coffee?

Coffee is a drink made from coffee beans, which are the roasted fruit of the Coffea arabica bush.

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People most commonly drink coffee to relieve mental and physical fatigue and to increase mental alertness. Coffee is also used to prevent Parkinson disease, dementia, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support many of these uses.

How does it work ?

Coffee contains caffeine. Caffeine works by stimulating the central nervous system (CNS), heart, and muscles. Coffee also contains other chemicals that might have other benefits.

Uses & Effectiveness ?

Likely Effective for

Mental alertness. Drinking coffee and other beverages that contain caffeine throughout the day seems to increase alertness and clear thinking. Caffeine can also improve alertness after sleep deprivation. Even one drink of coffee can reduce fatigue and increase alertness.

Possibly Effective for

Impaired movement of food through the intestines after surgery. Drinking coffee might speed up the first stool and a person's ability to eat solid food after certain gut surgeries.

Diabetes. People who drink more coffee seem to have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The greater the intake of coffee, the lower the risk. People with type 2 diabetes who drink more coffee might also have a slightly lower risk of dying.

Death from any cause. Drinking coffee every day is linked to a slightly lower risk of dying from any cause or from heart disease. It's unclear if drinking coffee is linked with a lower risk of death from cancer.

Parkinson disease. There is evidence that people who drink caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea, and cola have a decreased risk of Parkinson disease. Interestingly, coffee does not seem to help prevent Parkinson disease in people who smoke cigarettes.

Possibly Ineffective for

Cancer of the esophagus. Most people who drink more coffee don't seem to have a lower chance of developing cancer of the esophagus.

Insufficient Evidence for

Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). The buildup of calcium-containing plaque in the arteries is an early sign of possible atherosclerosis. Drinking coffee doesn't seem to be linked with a lower buildup of calcium-containing plaque in the arteries.

Irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation). Drinking more coffee doesn't seem to be linked to a lower risk of atrial fibrillation.

Bladder cancer. Drinking coffee doesn't seem to change the risk of bladder cancer.

Brain cancer. Some early evidence suggests that Asian people who drink more coffee have a lower risk of developing brain cancer. This does not seem to be true for non-Asian people.

Breast cancer. People who drink more coffee don't seem to have a lower chance of developing breast cancer.

Heart disease. It is unclear if drinking coffee lowers the chance of developing heart disease. But it might lower the risk for heart failure and the likelihood of death from heart disease.

Long-term kidney disease (chronic kidney disease or CKD). People who drink coffee seem to have a slightly lower chance of developing CKD. People with CKD who drink coffee might have a slightly lower risk for kidney failure or death due to kidney failure.

Memory and thinking skills (cognitive function). There is developing evidence that drinking more coffee over a lifetime might improve thinking skills among women older than 80 years of age. Coffee also might improve the thinking speed and certain types of memory in healthy adults.

Colon cancer, rectal cancer. There is some evidence that Japanese people who drink more coffee have a lower chance of developing colon or rectal cancer. But research conducted in North America and Europe has not found a link between drinking coffee and the risk of colon and rectal cancer. Drinking more coffee seems to slightly reduce the risk of death in people who have colon or rectal cancer.

Diseases, such as Alzheimer disease, that interfere with thinking (dementia). People who drink more coffee don't seem to have a lower chance of dementia.

Depression. People who drink more coffee might have a lower chance of depression.

Cancer of the lining of the uterus (endometrial cancer). The effect of coffee on the risk of endometrial cancer is unclear. Some research suggests that women who drink more coffee have a lower risk of developing endometrial cancer. But other research has not found a link between drinking coffee and the risk of endometrial cancer.

Gallbladder disease. People who drink beverages such as coffee that provide at least 400 mg of caffeine per day seem to have a lower risk of developing gallstones. The greater the intake of caffeine, the lower the risk.

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Stomach cancer. People who drink more coffee don't seem to have a lower risk of stomach cancer.

Gout. There is some evidence that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee seem to help to prevent gout. But caffeinated coffee seems to work better.

Hearing loss. Males who drink at least one cup of coffee daily seem to have a slightly lower chance of hearing loss. But drinking coffee doesn't seem to have this effect in females.

High levels of cholesterol or other fats (lipids) in the blood (hyperlipidemia). Some research suggests that drinking caffeinated coffee seems to reduce levels of total cholesterol, LDL or "bad cholesterol", and blood fats called triglycerides by a small amount. But other research suggests that drinking coffee increases triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

High blood pressure. People who drink coffee long-term might have a lower risk for high blood pressure. But smoking might eliminate this benefit. Drinking 1-3 cups daily seems to be most beneficial.

Low blood pressure. Drinking caffeinated beverages like coffee seems to increase blood pressure in elderly people who experience dizziness after meals due to low blood pressure.

Kidney failure. People with long-term kidney disease who drink coffee seem to have a slightly lower chance of kidney failure or death due to kidney failure.

Liver cancer. People who drink more coffee might have a lower risk of liver cancer.

Liver disease. People who drink more coffee might have a lower risk of liver disease.

Lung cancer. Some research suggests that drinking caffeinated coffee may help to prevent lung cancer, but other research disagrees. It's too early to draw firm conclusions. Meanwhile, some research suggests that drinking decaffeinated coffee may help to prevent lung cancer.

The most serious type of skin cancer (melanoma). When factors such as age and sun exposure are taken into account, drinking coffee doesn't seem to be linked with a lower chance of developing skin cancer.

Build up of fat in the liver in people who drink little or no alcohol (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD). It's unclear if drinking coffee reduces the risk of NAFLD.

Nonmelanoma skin cancer. Some research shows that drinking many cups of coffee per day might reduce the risk of a specific form of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma. But drinking decaffeinated coffee does not seem to have any effect on skin cancer risk.

Obesity. The effect of coffee on weight loss in people who are overweight or obese is unclear. Results from research are conflicting. Some research suggests that taking coffee chemicals, called mannooligosaccharides, for 12 weeks might help with weight loss in men, but not women. Drinking a dark roast coffee seems to help reduce food intake and help with weight loss, whereas a light roast coffee does not. Other research suggests that drinking coffee with or without caffeine does not help with weight loss.

Mouth cancer. People who drink more coffee don't seem to have a lower risk of mouth cancer.

Ovarian cancer. Drinking coffee doesn't seem to change a person's risk for ovarian cancer.

Swelling (inflammation) of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Some early research suggests that drinking 3 or more cups of coffee reduces the pancreatitis risk.

A type of throat cancer (pharyngeal cancer). People who drink more coffee might have a lower chance of developing pharyngeal cancer.

Prostate cancer. In general, people who drink more coffee seem to have a slightly lower risk of developing prostate cancer that has not spread outside the prostate.

Thyroid cancer. Drinking more coffee seems to be linked with a lower risk of thyroid cancer.

Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Constipation.

Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of coffee for these uses.

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Side Effects

When taken by mouth: Coffee is LIKELY SAFE for most healthy adults when consumed in moderate amounts (about 4 cups per day). Coffee containing caffeine can cause insomnia, nervousness and restlessness, stomach upset, nausea and vomiting, increased heart and breathing rate, and other side effects.

Caffeinated coffee is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth for a long time or in high doses (more than 4 cups per day). Drinking large amounts of caffeinated coffee might cause headache, anxiety, agitation, ringing in the ears, and irregular heartbeats. Larger doses might cause headache, anxiety, agitation, and chest pain.

When given as an enema (rectally): Coffee is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when given rectally as an enema. Coffee enemas have been linked to cases of severe side effects, including death.

Special Precautions and Warnings

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Caffeinated coffee is POSSIBLY SAFE for pregnant women in amounts of 3 cups per day or less. This amount of coffee provides about 300 mg of caffeine. Consuming larger amounts during pregnancy or when breast-feeding is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. Drinking more than 3 cups per day during pregnancy has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and low birth weight. These risks increase as the amount of coffee the mother drinks during pregnancy increases. Also, caffeine can pass into breast milk, so nursing mothers should closely monitor caffeine intake to make sure it is on the low side (1-2 cups per day). High intake of caffeine by nursing mothers can cause sleep problems, irritability, and increased bowel activity in breast-fed infants.

Children: Caffeinated coffee is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by children and adolescents in amounts commonly found in foods and beverages.

Anxiety disorders: The caffeine in coffee might make anxiety worse.

Bipolar disorder: The caffeine in coffee might make symptoms of mania worse.

Bleeding disorders: There is some concern that coffee might make bleeding disorders worse.

Heart disease: Drinking unfiltered (boiled) coffee increases the amount of cholesterol and other fats in the blood, and also raises the level of homocysteine, all of which are associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease. Some research suggests an association between heart attacks and drinking coffee.

Diabetes: Some research suggests that caffeine contained in coffee might change the way people with diabetes process sugar. Caffeine has been reported to cause increases as well as decreases in blood sugar. Use caffeine with caution if you have diabetes and monitor your blood sugar carefully.

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Diarrhea: Coffee contains caffeine. The caffeine in coffee, especially when taken in large amounts, can worsen diarrhea.

Epilepsy: Coffee contains caffeine. People with epilepsy should avoid using caffeine in high doses. Low doses of caffeine should be used cautiously.

Glaucoma: Drinking caffeinated coffee increases pressure inside the eye. The increase starts within 30 minutes and lasts for at least 90 minutes.

High blood pressure: Drinking caffeinated coffee might increase blood pressure in people with high blood pressure. However, this effect might be less in people who drink coffee regularly.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Coffee contains caffeine. The caffeine in coffee, especially when taken in large amounts, may worsen diarrhea and other symptoms of IBS.

Loss of bladder control: Coffee contains caffeine. Caffeine can make bladder control worse by increasing frequency of urination and the urge to urinate.

Osteoarthritis: Drinking 7 cups or more of coffee per day has been linked to a greater chance of knee osteoarthritis in Korean men, but not women.

Thinning bones (osteoporosis): Drinking caffeinated coffee can increase the amount of calcium that is flushed out in the urine. This might weaken bones. If you have osteoporosis, limit caffeine consumption to less than 300 mg per day (less than 3 cups of caffeinated coffee). Taking calcium supplements may help to make up for calcium that is lost. If you are generally healthy and getting enough calcium from your food and supplements, taking up to 400 mg of caffeine daily (about 4 cups of coffee) doesn't seem to increase the risk of getting osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women who have an inherited condition that keeps them from processing vitamin D normally, should be especially cautious when using caffeine.

does coffee cause acne

Interactions ?

Major Interaction

Do not take this combination

Ephedrine interacts with COFFEE

Stimulant drugs speed up the nervous system. The caffeine in coffee and ephedrine are both stimulant drugs. Drinking coffee and taking ephedrine might cause too much stimulation and sometimes serious side effects and heart problems. Do not take caffeine-containing products and ephedrine at the same time.

Moderate Interaction

Be cautious with this combination

Adenosine (Adenocard) interacts with COFFEE

The caffeine in coffee might block the effects of adenosine. Adenosine is often used by doctors to do a test on the heart. This test is called a cardiac stress test. Stop consuming coffee or other caffeine-containing products at least 24 hours before a cardiac stress test.

Alcohol (Ethanol) interacts with COFFEE

The body breaks down the caffeine in coffee to get rid of it. Alcohol can decrease how quickly the body breaks down caffeine. Taking coffee along with alcohol might cause too much caffeine in the bloodstream and caffeine side effects including jitteriness, headache, and fast heartbeat.

Alendronate (Fosamax) interacts with COFFEE

Coffee can decrease how much alendronate (Fosamax) the body absorbs. Taking coffee and alendronate (Fosamax) at the same time can decrease the effectiveness of alendronate (Fosamax). Don't drink coffee within two hours of taking alendronate (Fosamax).

Antibiotics (Quinolone antibiotics) interacts with COFFEE

Coffee contains caffeine. The body breaks down caffeine to get rid of it. Some antibiotics might decrease how quickly the body breaks down caffeine. Taking these antibiotics along with coffee might increase the risk of side effects including jitteriness, headache, increased heart rate, and other side effects.

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Some antibiotics that decrease how quickly the body breaks down caffeine include ciprofloxacin (Cipro), gemifloxacin (Factive), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), and others.

Birth control pills (Contraceptive drugs) interacts with COFFEE

The body breaks down the caffeine in coffee to get rid of it. Birth control pills can decrease how quickly the body breaks down caffeine. Taking coffee along with birth control pills can cause jitteriness, headache, fast heartbeat, and other side effects.

Some birth control pills include ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel (Triphasil), ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone (Ortho-Novum 1/35, Ortho-Novum 7/7/7), and others.

Clozapine (Clozaril) interacts with COFFEE

The body breaks down clozapine to get rid of it. The caffeine in coffee might decrease how fast the body breaks down clozapine. Taking coffee along with clozapine can increase the effects and side effects of clozapine.

Dipyridamole (Persantine) interacts with COFFEE

The caffeine in coffee might block the effects of dipyridamole. Dipyridamole is often used by doctors to do a test on the heart. This test is called a cardiac stress test. Stop drinking coffee or other caffeine-containing products at least 24 hours before a cardiac stress test.

Disulfiram (Antabuse) interacts with COFFEE

The body breaks down the caffeine in coffee to get rid of it. Disulfiram can decrease how quickly the body gets rid of caffeine. Taking coffee along with disulfiram might increase the effects and side effects of coffee including jitteriness, hyperactivity, irritability, and others.

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Estrogens interacts with COFFEE

The body breaks down the caffeine in coffee to get rid of it. Estrogens can decrease how quickly the body breaks down caffeine. Taking estrogen pills and drinking coffee can cause jitteriness, headache, fast heartbeat, and other side effects. If you take estrogen pills limit your caffeine intake.

Some estrogen pills include conjugated equine estrogens (Premarin), ethinyl estradiol, estradiol, and others.

Fluvoxamine (Luvox) interacts with COFFEE

The body breaks down the caffeine in coffee to get rid of it. Fluvoxamine can decrease how quickly the body breaks down caffeine. Taking caffeine along with fluvoxamine might cause too much caffeine in the body, and increase the effects and side effects of caffeine.

Levothyroxine (Synthroid, others) interacts with COFFEE

Drinking some types of coffee might reduce the amount of levothyroxine that is absorbed when taken by mouth. This can decrease how well levothyroxine works. Avoid drinking coffee at the same time that you take levothyroxine and for an hour afterwards.

Lithium interacts with COFFEE

Your body naturally gets rid of lithium. The caffeine in coffee can increase how quickly your body gets rid of lithium. If you take products that contain caffeine and you take lithium, stop taking caffeine products slowly. Stopping caffeine too quickly can increase the side effects of lithium.

Medications for depression (MAOIs) interacts with COFFEE

The caffeine in coffee can stimulate the body. Some medications used for depression can also stimulate the body. Drinking caffeinated coffee and taking some medications for depression might cause too much stimulation and serious side effects including fast heartbeat, high blood pressure, nervousness, and others.

What Caffeine Does to the Body

Some of these medications used for depression include phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate), and others.

Medications for depression (Tricyclic antidepressants) interacts with COFFEE

Coffee contains chemicals called tannins. Tannins can bind to many medications and decrease how much medicine the body absorbs. To avoid this interaction avoid coffee one hour before and two hours after taking medications for depression called tricyclic antidepressants.

Some medications for depression include amitriptyline (Elavil) or imipramine (Tofranil, Janimine).

Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with COFFEE

Coffee might slow blood clotting. Taking coffee along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding.

Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), and others.

Pentobarbital (Nembutal) interacts with COFFEE

The stimulant effects of the caffeine in coffee can block the sleep-producing effects of pentobarbital.

Phenothiazines interacts with COFFEE

Coffee contains chemicals called tannins. Tannins can bind to many medications and decrease how much medicine the body absorbs. To avoid this interaction, avoid coffee one hour before and two hours after taking phenothiazine medications.

Some phenothiazine medications include fluphenazine (Permitil, Prolixin), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), haloperidol (Haldol), prochlorperazine (Compazine), thioridazine (Mellaril), and trifluoperazine (Stelazine).

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Phenylpropanolamine interacts with COFFEE

The caffeine in coffee can stimulate the body. Phenylpropanolamine can also stimulate the body. Taking caffeine and phenylpropanolamine together might cause too much stimulation and increase heartbeat, blood pressure, and cause nervousness.

Riluzole (Rilutek) interacts with COFFEE

The body breaks down riluzole to get rid of it. Drinking coffee can decrease how fast the body breaks down riluzole and increase the effects and side effects of riluzole.

Stimulant drugs interacts with COFFEE

Stimulant drugs speed up the nervous system. By speeding up the nervous system, stimulant medications can make you feel jittery and speed up your heartbeat. The caffeine in coffee can also speed up the nervous system. Drinking coffee along with stimulant drugs might cause serious problems including increased heart rate and high blood pressure. Avoid taking stimulant drugs along with coffee.

Some stimulant drugs include diethylpropion (Tenuate), epinephrine, phentermine (Ionamin), pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), and many others.

Theophylline interacts with COFFEE

The caffeine in coffee works similarly to theophylline. Caffeine can also decrease how quickly the body gets rid of theophylline. Drinking coffee and taking theophylline might increase the effects and side effects of theophylline.

Verapamil (Calan, others) interacts with COFFEE

The body breaks down the caffeine in coffee to get rid of it. Verapamil can decrease how quickly the body gets rid of caffeine. Drinking coffee and taking Verapamil can increase the risk of side effects for coffee including jitteriness, headache, and an increased heartbeat.

Medications for asthma (Beta-adrenergic agonists) interacts with COFFEE

Coffee contains caffeine. Caffeine can stimulate the heart. Some medications for asthma can also stimulate the heart. Taking caffeine with some medications for asthma might cause too much stimulation and cause heart problems.

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Some medications for asthma include albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin, Volmax), metaproterenol (Alupent), terbutaline (Bricanyl, Brethine), and isoproterenol (Isuprel).

Nicotine interacts with COFFEE

Taking caffeine in coffee along with nicotine might increase rapid heart rate and blood pressure.

Water pills (Diuretic drugs) interacts with COFFEE

The caffeine in coffee can reduce potassium levels. "Water pills" can also decrease potassium levels in the body. Taking caffeine with water pills might cause potassium levels to drop too low.

Some "water pills" that can deplete potassium include chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Thalitone), furosemide (Lasix), hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, HydroDiuril, Microzide), and others.

Minor Interaction

Be watchful with this combination

Cimetidine (Tagamet) interacts with COFFEE

The body breaks down the caffeine in coffee to get rid of it. Cimetidine can decrease how quickly your body breaks down caffeine. Taking cimetidine along with coffee might increase the chance of caffeine side effects including jitteriness, headache, fast heartbeat, and others.

Fluconazole (Diflucan) interacts with COFFEE

The body breaks down the caffeine in coffee to get rid of it. Fluconazole might decrease how quickly the body gets rid of caffeine. Taking fluconazole and drinking coffee might increase the effects and side effects of coffee including nervousness, anxiety, and insomnia.

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Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with COFFEE

Coffee might increase blood sugar. Diabetes medications are used to lower blood sugar. By increasing blood sugar, coffee might decrease the effectiveness of diabetes medications. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.

Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.

Mexiletine (Mexitil) interacts with COFFEE

Coffee contains caffeine. The body breaks down caffeine to get rid of it. Mexiletine can decrease how quickly the body breaks down caffeine. Taking Mexiletine along with coffee might increase the caffeine effects and side effects of coffee.

Terbinafine (Lamisil) interacts with COFFEE

The body breaks down the caffeine in coffee to get rid of it. Terbinafine can decrease how fast the body gets rid of caffeine and increase the risk of side effects including jitteriness, headache, increased heartbeat, and other effects.

Dosing

The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

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BY MOUTH:

For headache or improving mental alertness: The typical dose of caffeine is up to 250 mg per day, which is about 2 cups of coffee. Even a single cup of coffee with caffeine can be used.

For Parkinson disease: 3-4 cups of caffeinated coffee per day or 421 mg to 2716 mg total caffeine. However, a significantly lower risk of developing Parkinson disease has also been associated with as little as 124 mg to 208 mg of caffeine (approximately one to two cups of coffee).

For death from any cause: At least one cup of ground, instant, or decaffeinated coffee per day has been used long-term.

For diabetes: 900 mg caffeine per day (six or more cups of coffee per day) long-term.

Impaired movement of food through the intestines after surgery: 100 mL of coffee three times a day starting after surgery and continuing until the first bowel movement has been used.

The choice of coffee, grind, amount of coffee to water, and other factors determine flavor and strength of coffee.

Brewed coffee contains around 100-150 mg caffeine per cup. Instant coffee contains 85-100 mg caffeine per cup. Decaffeinated coffee contains approximately 8 mg caffeine per cup. Darker roasts contain less caffeine due to the roasting process.