For me, my morning doesn’t really start until I get my caffeine fix. It seems to be the magic key that unlocks the part of my brain that gets me moving in the morning, especially since becoming a mum! I’m a long black gal (sometimes with cream), and the smell of my morning coffee brewing can literally get me out of bed and into my day.
My go-to morning kickstart got me thinking - can I use this same powerhouse ingredient to boost my daily skincare routine? Some mornings, especially after long nights up with my daughter, my skin can look and feel a little dull, drained and puffy. And don’t even get me started on the dark circles that love to appear after a sleepless night!
I know what caffeine can do for my tired mind, so I took a deep dive into how I could add this energy boost to my morning skincare routine, and the best way to achieve it.
What is caffeine?
I know I’m not alone when it comes to my coffee-habit, and our general love of coffee (and tea!) means that most of us are familiar with its hero ingredient: caffeine. In fact, caffeine is one of the most commonly used ingredients worldwide.
Caffeine is a natural stimulant, often found in your favourite coffee and teas, as well as fizzy and energy drinks. Apparently, coffee was discovered in Ethiopia after a shepherd noticed the extra energy it gave his goats, but that’s a different story for another day. We know that black tea (which contains caffeine) has been brewed since B.C times, and soft drinks have been around since the late 1800’s. Basically, we’ve been ingesting caffeine for a very long time.
When consumed, caffeine quickly enters your bloodstream and works its magic on your brain. It blocks the effects of adenosine, which is responsible for making you feel tired. Your adenosine levels build over the day, which is why your afternoon coffee hit can feel like a must-do.
It can also increase adrenaline and brain activity, to stimulate your brain for enhanced alertness and focus.
What does caffeine do in skincare?
Similar to the pick-me-up you get from your favourite coffee, caffeine helps wake up and revive your skin in the morning - but in different ways.
Caffeine for puffy eyes
Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor, which is a fancy way of saying it restricts blood vessels. By restricting the flow of blood, it helps to reduce inflammation and soothe your skin. In turn, it helps to reduce puffiness or under eye bags, as well as redness. Applying caffeine to your eye area after a big night out - or long night up with kids - can help fight signs of fatigue to help you look like you got more sleep than you actually did.
Caffeine for dark under eye circles
Similarly, reducing puffiness under your eyes can help reduce the appearance of dark under eye circles.
As caffeine is absorbed so quickly into your bloodstream, it can help the microcirculation of blood in the skin which in turn helps decrease discoloration under your eyes.
It’s important to note that your under-eye bags or dark circles might not be caused by puffiness, but rather handed down as a family heirloom (thanks, parents!) or other factors. If this is the case, caffeine will help reduce the puffiness, but it can’t get rid of your under eye bags and circles all together.
Anti-aging effects of caffeine
Caffeine is a powerful antioxidant, which is personally one of my favourite types of active ingredients. Let me tell you why! Antioxidants work hard to halt the damage caused by UV radiation, sun exposure and free radicals.
Sun damage is one of the main culprits for causing premature aging in our skin, so adding an antioxidant boost to your skincare routine is a great way to reduce signs of aging.
It’s good to keep in mind that these results aren’t long term, so it’s important to add a caffeine-enriched product to your daily routine.
How can you add caffeine to your skincare routine?
You may have noticed that all the benefits for skin we’ve chatted about have revolved around your eye area, so it’s a no-brainer that an eye cream is the most beneficial caffeine product to add to your skincare routine.
I’m excited to share with you Tailor’s new brightening eye cream, Awaken. Awaken helps deliver an immediate glow and lasting hydration to your eye area while reducing the appearance of dark circles and early signs of aging. It’s made with powerhouse caffeine extract to leave you feeling revitalised and ready to take on the day in less time than it takes your morning coffee to brew.
Awaken is made with hyaluronic acid, an incredible humectant (something that preserves moisture) that can hold up to 1000x its weight in water. By actively drawing water into your skin, it gently plumps the delicate skin around your eyes to help reduce fine lines.
While caffeine does an amazing job on its own to reduce dark circles, I wanted Awaken to take it one step further to help brighten your under eyes. We added responsibly sourced golden mica which adds a subtle shimmer and instant brightness and glow.
Your caffeine skincare ritual
Step one: get your coffee or favourite morning beverage brewing - this step is essential!
Step two: skincare
After cleansing your skin with warm water or cleanser and your Tailor Towel, apply your serums like Renew and Hydrate.
Now’s the perfect time to add your eye cream. Dab a small amount of Awaken your eye area. Using the cooling ceramic tip on the tube, gently massage the cream into your skin to help refresh and reduce puffiness.
Finish up with your favourite moisturiser, or a facial oil if you prefer.
3 holistic ways to awaken your skin
I believe in taking a holistic approach to all things skin health. In addition to adding caffeine-enriched skincare in your routine, the following lifestyle habits can greatly help awaken your skin.
A good night’s sleep
This goes without saying but even the most amazing eye cream can’t hide all signs of missing out on a good night’s rest. Not getting enough beauty sleep can increase your cortisol levels (the stress hormone) which can cause premature aging. It can also affect your skin's barrier function, leaving you with dull, dry skin.
Lymphatic facial massage
This is one of my favourite ways to wake up my skin, because it feels so good! Proper facial massage techniques with a facial oil can help remove built-up fluid from your face, as well as reduce tension for a relaxing moment of self care.
Stay hydrated
Hydration is essential to reduce the appearance of both puffy and dark eyes. It might feel counterintuitive, as puffy eyes can often make you feel like you’re retaining excess fluids. However, your kidneys will help fight fluid retention, and they need to be hydrated for optimal performance. Make sure you're drinking at least eight glasses of water a day.
In need of some skincare inspiration? Explore our range of Tailor Skincare products.
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