Starbucks is a pop-culture phenomenon / obsession…and let’s not forget the fact that we’re talking about something with an ADDICTIVE PROPERTY here…caffeine!

The MAJORITY of the population are coffee drinkers. According to the National Coffee Association, 61% of all Americans drink coffee daily and the average consumption is around three cups.

BUT IS COFFEE GOOD FOR US…and what about our SKIN??

Here’s how coffee affects your skin and the science behind it all.

1. Dehydration

Like sodium and alcohol, caffeine dehydrates our bodies. They make the liver work in overtime, which causes toxic build up in the body. When our bodies are in toxic overload, the presence of low-level toxins that make their way to your skin disrupt healthy skin function. While we can sing coffee’s praises as a laxative, it is a diuretic, which means it causes you to lose hydration, which has a direct effect on your skin. Dehydrated skin causes inflammation (redness) and premature aging (collagen loss).  Additionally, without enough water flushing your system, toxic buildup in the skin can also cause acne.

2. Clogged by Creamers

If you are acne-prone, check to see how much dairy you are consuming. When you consume caffeine in the form of light or sweet coffee, you run the risk of consuming additional acne boosters. According to the good people at Clear Skin Forever, any milk or sugar that’s in your coffee can trigger acne. Clear Skin Forever calls milk the worst thing to consume if you want to maintain clear skin, because it’s loaded with hormones, negatively effects the production of sebum, and glues dead skin cells together.

3. Destructive Sweeteners: Glycation

Aside from causing dehydration and creating acne, sugar causes glycation, which results in inflammation and premature aging.

THE SOLUTION?

MODERATION.  Overall, consuming too much coffee, and all the milk and sugar that may be in there, will age you faster than want. So what do you do? My motto: less is more. Wean yourself slowly, but try. Try hard. Drink more water to flush out toxins and combat dehydration. Consume less caffeine or switch to decaf or green tea. It’s not easy, but worth the attempt.

It’s all about balance and moderation!  So enjoy your morning Cup of Joe…and then make sure to drink plenty of WATER throughout the day!!