You might be surprised to know that in 2006, there were over a hundred and forty skin products on the United States market boasting caffeine as an ingredient. That’s up from only twenty-one such products in 2003. Coffee may have had a hard time during the twentieth century, while the US FDA tried to decide whether it was good for you or bad, but now we’re realizing how much coffee can do for us. More and more of the beneficial properties of coffee are showing up, especially in the skin care market.

Caffeine and coffee are primarily showing up in creams and skin lotions, due to their ability to firm and tighten the skin, as well as their antioxidant properties. When applied to the skin, caffeine does three different things. It acts as a diuretic, an antioxidant, and as a vasoconstrictor. Among other makers of skin care products, manufacturers like L’Oreal, Avon and Neutrogena have all included caffeine in their wares.

Caffeine has been part of cellulite reduction products for years. That’s because it’s quite clear that caffeine has the ability to dehydrate fat cells, producing a smoother, cleaner appearing surface. The end result is more attractive legs, arms, and any other area where cellulite appears.

Caffeine’s ability to constrict small veins also means that it’s a favored ingredient when it comes to gels meant to reduce puffiness and dark circles near the eyes. It’s also used for tightening skin in this area. It’s a good idea to remember that no cream, gel or lotion can give permanent results. However, caffeine containing products can create a noticeable improvement for a few hours.

Now, the explosion of coffee use in skin products means that you’ll find it in fragrances, face creams and body scrubs. Lots of products not only smell like coffee, but also have ground coffee in them as an exfoliant. Some manufacturers even suggest that absorbing caffeine through your skin could produce some of the same alertness effects that drinking a cup of coffee does.

Not so fast say the dermatologists. None of the products harbor concentrations sufficient to produce the jolt one might hope for from a cup of java. Moreover, absorption is through the skin slow, so it’s questionable whether enough of coffee’s stuff can penetrate to enhance alertness. Infusing the coffee aroma in products, is thought, on the other hand, to stimulate perkiness by association.

Some promising studies on mice suggest that the caffeine in coffee may kill off skin cancer cells on radiated animals. So far, the results appear promising, but cannot, as yet, be translated to humans. However, many sunscreens do contain caffeine since it has been shown to have some sun blocking effects.

There are even a few people suggesting that it’s unnecessary to invest in expensive commercial skin care products. They say that you can get the same kinds of benefit by making your own body scrubs and homemade soaps using brewed coffee, coffee grounds and more. There are eve recipes out there, letting you shower with your espresso, too.