Coffee and Acne Project
February 7, 2006 by Christina Jones
Filed under About Me, Diet, Skin Care
As I have talked about many times here, I have terrible problems with acne. Not really classic breakouts, per se, but more blackhead and whitehead problems.
For the last couple of months, I have had a nagging feeling that it has a lot to do with my coffee habit. Although my skin problems in general started just after my second child was born (thanks Noah), it has become worse since I moved to Texas, which was when I started really drinking coffee regularly, every day. I have been blaming it on the heat and dust, but as I have been working diligently on my skin with very thorough and regular cleansing, microdermabrasion and most recently using an AHA peel, and just not seeing results like I would like to see, I am coming quickly to realize that this is an internal problem.
The facts about coffee and acne are pretty fuzzy, just like they are with the pizza and chocolate acne connection. Some say that the problem is with dehydration, and others say that it is acids in the coffee itself that causes the problem. This snip from acnetreatmentcenter.com offers another thought:
Stimulants, like coffee, tea, cigarettes, and excessive sugar from sweets and soda, should be avoided. Anything that affects your entire body, brain, and nervous system — can easily stimulate the sebaceous glands, making your acne worse.
That makes sense too. Something else I am questioning is the well water that I use to make my coffee every day. I don’t drink it at all otherwise, because it is so minerally and salty tasting, but it does brew a fine cup of coffee. 
So, I am going to test out some of these theories one at a time, leaving the elimination of coffee altogether as my last solution. Starting today, I am going to drink one extra glass of water in between cups of coffee (in addition to my regular 8 glasses a day), without changing my skincare routine at all, and see what happens. Watch for my progress report next week!
Christina,
How much coffee do you drink each day?
Gail
Probably about 3/4 of a pot (down in recent months from a nearly full 2 pots). I love nice hot coffee.
Christine,
I admire your scientific approach to this conundrum…have you tried Proactive? It really works.
Also, it doesn’t sound like you get a lot of sleep…being the fantabulous blog-ette and all…maybe some life-balance is needed?
Bummer about the coffe experiment, I was going to tell you about a yummy and quick alternative to the drip machine…instant espresso!
Add some 1/2 & 1/2, a little sugar, and you’ve got yourself a fast little cafe latte!
Sorry don’t mean to tempt you.
lol
Oh, I so remember being there. A major former coffee-holic. I found out that I love the TASTE of coffee, but not necessarily what it does to me (can’t sleep, hands shaky, more stressed out during the day, etc.) I tried the Teeccino all natural coffee tasting that’s really dates and figs. I swear you’d never know it (Amaretto and Mocha are the best.) Tastes just like coffee. I drink it now everyday and don’t miss ‘coffee’ at all!
http://www.teeccino.com
PS No, I DON’T work for the company, I’m a makeup artist, who is forever grateful!
Like you I blamed the pregnancy/kid thing for my new minor but constant small break outs.
Heaven forbid if its coffee – that would really test my resolve to have fabulous clear skin.
Ooh I see this coffee thing is a common problem (and a hot topic)!
Kim – yes, I use and LOVE Proactiv – and that is one of the reasons I am thinking this problem is internal. I have no real breakouts, but terrible things (black and whiteheads) under the skin.
Elke – So nice to see you again-I hope you are doing well! I would love to know your opinion about coffee/bad skin, as a professional, and as a former coffee drinker. And thanks for the teeccino link, I will definitely check it out!
M – I agree – heaven forbid! That is why I am going to try everything else first. Gotta catch up on my water drinking today, but I will get it done (might be going to the bathroom all night…lol)!
Christina,
I have an idea for a blog for the married woman who does not have kids. I think there’s a need for bonding and communication about things like living in the ‘burbs when everyone around is a parent, grocery shopping, where the size of a juice carton is meant for a family of 6…it’s an unusual existance and it’s not talked about much.
Working title: “Nothing against soccer-moms” lol
Let me know your thoughts?
Kim – send me an email with some more details about exactly what you are thinking, and we can talk about it, ok? christina@b5media.com
Re: your coffee consumption. Holy Cow girlfriend! 3/4 of a pot is an awful lot of coffee!
I have weaned myself down to 16 oz daily (I measured) which is one large coffee mug with 3 tsp. of sugar and a good slug of half&half. (I like it sweet and creamy, and had a huge addiction to the flavored coffeemates in the past.) When I quit smoking 3 1/2 years ago, I whined ‘how will I ever be able to drink my coffee anymore’, because those 2 just went together for me and were a big behavior trap forever. But I learned to give up the smokes and still enjoy my coffee-in moderation.
If you already honestly drink your 64 oz of water daily, don’t add any additional. I’ve heard that’s not beneficial. Have you had your well water tested? I can’t see the mineral & saltiness making for a good cup of joe, but I guess it’s a matter of taste.
As far as acne goes, my personal belief that it’s mostly hormone-related, with a dose of genetics and stress factored in. I had it severely as a teenager through my 20’s. I still have breakouts, but they are obviously timed with my cycle. I also notice more pimples on my chin if I rest my chin on my hand while I read at the computer. So I have to remind myself not to do that.
Anyway, just my 2 cents worth.
Gail
LOL I have to stop myself from drinking more than that, honestly. I love it. I use the low carb international coffee french vanilla..yum! But now I switch to green tea when I am done with the coffee rather than making another pot.
I do think acne is a lot hormonal too. I had gorgeous skin up until my son was born, even thorough my teenage years, but after he was born it went to hell, and it has just gotten worse since I moved to TX. I definitely have the cycle breakouts too – am just getting over this months round. Yuck. But I am trying the water thing anyway, will start there and end with eliminating the coffee.
I love coffee! Yum!
It’s hormonal and coffee,chocolate, red wine,spices,too much meat,etc., are things that can rock your hormones when peri-menopause starts.(Mine started after having a baby too.) Have your doctor check your FSH levels. You will have to adjust your diet(cut back) if it’s hormones but not cut-out things. The good news is that the adjustments are healthy and peri-menopause is a way to get you to focus on your body and get it in balance. If you do it now, then menopause will be much easier to go through naturally without drugs. Try only 1 cup of really good coffe in the morning and then drink water,fruit juice the rest of the day. And buy a really good vitamin supplement(go to the health food store for this) for the stress that hormones cause–with “A” for good skin. Also, reward yourself with a professional facial after a month of cutting back on the coffee!
Let see…coffee-check…chocolate-check…red wine-not so much…spices-check…too much meat-check!(I am in TX..lol). Makes you wonder why my skin is bad, eh?
I am an excellent vitamin-taker, and I think that does make all the difference in the world as far as a lot of things are concerned (see my post on antioxidants and free radicals). And if I could find a decent esthetician in this town, I would definitely be on the prof. facial program! I was so spoiled by my last one! Thanks for the tips and for stopping by and taking the time to comment – hope to see you again!
I googled “acne and coffee” because I wondered if there was a link between the two. After giving up several foods and drink, including coffee, I noticed an absolute difference in my skin. My blackheads and bumps disappeared and even my husband agreed that my skin was much smoother. I could see and feel the difference. I was amazed. After adding certain foods back into my diet I began to think coffee was the culprit. Possibly due to the high nervous energy it gave me, but I also wondered about its effects internally. I have found that it is possible it exacerbates acne due to increased cortisol, and I am also wondering about a linoleic acid link (this fatty acid is supposed to be beneficial to the oil produced on our faces). I am in the process of researching this. I moved to Austin, TX over ten years ago and do not think Texas is the cause of my skin problems, but after my second baby my skin worsened, so I think its diet interacting with hormones and stress.
I have been dealing with acne for about 5 years. I had perfect “baby” skin all through high-school, then at about 22-years old I started breaking out. Using Pro-Active has helped a lot, but I figured there had to be something that promoted it. I have used acupuncture with a little success but recently have started to question coffee. I have combed through everything in my diet over the years; meats, supplements, proteins, you name it, with no luck. But the more I think about it, the more coffee makes sense to me. I started drinking coffee at 22 (moved to a city that had a Starbucks on every corner) and have been drinking every day since. Sometimes when I am consuming more than one cup a day (school finals), I find the breakouts worse. I have been two days coffee-free and it is really difficult! Headaches and a strong desire to just close my eyes for a little while…lol! I will check back in a while to let you know how it is working for me.
I am curious to see what happens if you stop drinking coffee! My ex-boyfriend would drink maybe 6 cups of coffee a day and he had a lot of acne. I was always trying to get him to stop drinking it so that we could see if it would help, but he never would stop.
I don’t know if the coffee beans somehow have oil in them that makes acne worse. And coffee dehydrates you, which is not going to be good for skin. I drink one or two coffees a day, and I did have horrible acne, but mine was hormonally based, and I managed to “cure” myself after two years of trial and error.
Hello Christina (and Austin):
How did your experiments go? I am curious about the same hypothesis. I tried using a systematic way to tease out the cause but I never manage to fully complete any cycle. I have recently started getting lots of odd looking zits and I think it has to do with me drinking coffee frequently.
I’ve had skin problems as far back as I can remember. And I’ve been drinking coffee that long as well, even as a small child. Only after getting pregnant with my first child, when I stopped drinking coffee entirely, did my skin clear up. It was the first time in my life that I didn’t wear make-up since my pre-teens. It felt wonderful! After my son was born I started the coffee again and immediatly started breaking out again. And I would only drink a small (8oz) cup a day! It took me a while to come to terms with this. And I still battle the daily urge to drink coffee. Especially when I smell my husband making his coffee. What I would like to know is: what is it in coffee that affects me so much? I’ve tried decaf and it has the same effect, possibly even worse. And once I drink coffee, it seems to take a long time to get out of my system, sometimes a month or more. Tea has the same effect, but a little milder. Is it some sort of allergy, or just an intolerance? I feel cursed. But I guess it could be worse.
hey! 2 pots, wow, yeah. i’ve been struggling with acne for 4 or 5 years, i’m now 25. i had my first facial, since all of this business started, today. the first thing she asked me, after inspecting my face, was if i drink coffee. on the nose, and if i like cheese, sure do. i think it’s time to cut out the coffee…boo, but i’m excited to see results. for the blogger who said tea does the same to you, what tea are you drinking?
i’ll keep checking back to read everyone’s experiment results. thank you for this blog, i feel at ease.
Just checking back, been a while! Unfortunately my relief from acne by quitting coffee was short-lived. After many more months of struggling, I finally traced out the source of my problems (more than acne). Turns out I have a major Candida overgrowth in my intestines, apparently pretty common, mine has been developing for 6 years! The fixes for that are not fun, but I am being persistent and am looking forward to feeling better. Coffee and sugars were just fueling the problem, not causing it. Better without coffee anyway though. Good luck!
Dude. It’s coffee. Whoever wrote “it’s hormonal” is correct. I NEVER had acne until I was an adult. In fact, it was right after I graduated college, er, late in life and took up brandy drinking. I looked like a geeky freak at 24, but that lasted a summer, but I see it creep up when I put weird things in my body… and I love putting weird things in my body to excess.
STOP aggravating your face with all that stuff. I did that, too, and it only makes things worse. What type of skin do you have? I have DRY SKIN which BREAKS OUT when over washed in an attempt to produce oil. Aside from watching what I eat… most of the time… I use vitamin e oil. I know. Crazy! But it works. I read a dermatologist’s blog who says wash your face at night and put NOTHING on it. Rinse, not wash, it in the morning and then put your lotion on. I go for the E oil or Olive oil now, but we’ll see what I do in the summer. My boyfriend likes aloe. I gave up on all the product and my face was so clear for months and months. But then the holidays came and I started eating lots of sugar, processed foods, slept erratically, and drank LOTS of coffee. Keep it to one a day, walk a bit to get some exercise and KEEP YOUR BOWELS MOVING. No joke. Supplements that help you break down sugar, keep your hormones and stress in check, and that will keep your intestines clean will keep your skin clean.
I’ve been through the dust, allergies, new climate… everything you’re thinking… you googled coffee for a reason! Just have one cup a day or think out the caffeine content. Sorry
I’ve been drinking three cups a day this week and guess what… I broke out. But it’s not the wine, the dairy, the coffee, the sugar, the chocolate… it’s the excess. And that includes what you’re putting on your face, too.
After reading this article, I feel that I need more information on the topic. Can you suggest some resources ?
Online Shop Pharmacy http://mvasoftware.com/members/order-phentermine-pill/default.aspx – cheap phentermine ,
http://support.harlander.com/index.php?/user/22-phentermine-onoine/ – phentermine online ,
http://www.atlantis-ro.com/foro/index.php?showuser=34778 – buy phentermine online ,
http://www.finalsayanforum.com/v2forum//index.php?showuser=7210 – drug phentermine ,
http://www.warrock.it/forum/index.php?showuser=60500 – purchase phentermine ,
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showuser=167096 – phentermine adipex ,
http://stemisystems.org/members/buy-in-the-uk-phentermine.aspx – phentermine online ,
http://www.napolisoccer.net/public/forum/index.php?showuser=15149 – cheap phentermine ,
http://forums.imperian.com/index.php?showuser=7021 – phentermine adipex ,
http://boards.wild.com/index.php?showuser=17504 – order phentermine ,
http://www.sharepointblogs.com/members/cheap-phentermine-rx-no/default.aspx – phentermine diet pills ,
http://www.deathsoft.com/forum/index.php?showuser=193911 – phentermine no prescription ,
http://ukazurenet.com/members/Cheap-Pheentermine/default.aspx – phentermine ,
http://ms-bel.net/members/cheap-phentermine-rx.aspx – phentermine information ,
http://www.nissansilvia.com/forums/index.php?showuser=68810 – buy phentermine ,
http://nowloaded.org/forum/index.php?showuser=148291 – adipex phentermine ,
http://www.dotnetspider.com/member/cheapest.aspx – buy phentermine online ,
http://www.emtcity.com/index.php?showuser=23279 – order phentermine ,
http://dynamicscom.be/members/order-phentermine-where.aspx – buy phentermine ,
http://cvmtb.com/members/phentermine-no-rx.aspx – discount phentermine ,
http://forums.mp-gaming.com/index.php?showuser=1803 – cheapest phentermine ,
http://forums.edmontonoilers.com/index.php?showuser=23621 – phentermine no prescription ,
http://www.eiit.de/v2/index.php?showuser=5101 – discount phentermine ,
http://utcodecamp.com/members/cheap-diet-phentermine-pill.aspx – cod phentermine ,
http://lnx.fansclubpablo.it/forum/index.php?showuser=10524 – phentermine diet pills ,
http://www.bluemanlibrary.com/boards/index.php?showuser=10324 – phentermine side effects ,
http://www.jaxstreetscene.com/forums/index.php?showuser=2589 – purchase phentermine ,
http://digitalinsight.no/members/order-phentermine-cod-online/default.aspx – adipex phentermine ,
http://sassychik.com/communityserver/members/phentermine-no-rx.aspx – drug phentermine ,
http://www.studiorientali.it/forum/index.php?showuser=4868 – cod phentermine ,
Overnight Pharmacy Shipping With Online http://mvasoftware.com/members/order-phentermine-pill/default.aspx – cheap phentermine ,
http://support.harlander.com/index.php?/user/22-phentermine-onoine/ – phentermine online ,
http://www.atlantis-ro.com/foro/index.php?showuser=34778 – buy phentermine online ,
http://www.finalsayanforum.com/v2forum//index.php?showuser=7210 – drug phentermine ,
http://www.warrock.it/forum/index.php?showuser=60500 – purchase phentermine ,
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showuser=167096 – phentermine adipex ,
http://stemisystems.org/members/buy-in-the-uk-phentermine.aspx – phentermine online ,
http://www.napolisoccer.net/public/forum/index.php?showuser=15149 – cheap phentermine ,
http://forums.imperian.com/index.php?showuser=7021 – phentermine adipex ,
http://boards.wild.com/index.php?showuser=17504 – order phentermine ,
http://www.sharepointblogs.com/members/cheap-phentermine-rx-no/default.aspx – phentermine diet pills ,
http://www.deathsoft.com/forum/index.php?showuser=193911 – phentermine no prescription ,
http://ukazurenet.com/members/Cheap-Pheentermine/default.aspx – phentermine ,
http://ms-bel.net/members/cheap-phentermine-rx.aspx – phentermine information ,
http://www.nissansilvia.com/forums/index.php?showuser=68810 – buy phentermine ,
http://nowloaded.org/forum/index.php?showuser=148291 – adipex phentermine ,
http://www.dotnetspider.com/member/cheapest.aspx – buy phentermine online ,
http://www.emtcity.com/index.php?showuser=23279 – order phentermine ,
http://dynamicscom.be/members/order-phentermine-where.aspx – buy phentermine ,
http://cvmtb.com/members/phentermine-no-rx.aspx – discount phentermine ,
http://forums.mp-gaming.com/index.php?showuser=1803 – cheapest phentermine ,
http://forums.edmontonoilers.com/index.php?showuser=23621 – phentermine no prescription ,
http://www.eiit.de/v2/index.php?showuser=5101 – discount phentermine ,
http://utcodecamp.com/members/cheap-diet-phentermine-pill.aspx – cod phentermine ,
http://lnx.fansclubpablo.it/forum/index.php?showuser=10524 – phentermine diet pills ,
http://www.bluemanlibrary.com/boards/index.php?showuser=10324 – phentermine side effects ,
http://www.jaxstreetscene.com/forums/index.php?showuser=2589 – purchase phentermine ,
http://digitalinsight.no/members/order-phentermine-cod-online/default.aspx – adipex phentermine ,
http://sassychik.com/communityserver/members/phentermine-no-rx.aspx – drug phentermine ,
http://www.studiorientali.it/forum/index.php?showuser=4868 – cod phentermine ,
Pharmacy Shipping With Online Overnight http://mvasoftware.com/members/order-phentermine-pill/default.aspx – cheap phentermine ,
http://support.harlander.com/index.php?/user/22-phentermine-onoine/ – phentermine online ,
http://www.atlantis-ro.com/foro/index.php?showuser=34778 – buy phentermine online ,
http://www.finalsayanforum.com/v2forum//index.php?showuser=7210 – drug phentermine ,
http://www.warrock.it/forum/index.php?showuser=60500 – purchase phentermine ,
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showuser=167096 – phentermine adipex ,
http://stemisystems.org/members/buy-in-the-uk-phentermine.aspx – phentermine online ,
http://www.napolisoccer.net/public/forum/index.php?showuser=15149 – cheap phentermine ,
http://forums.imperian.com/index.php?showuser=7021 – phentermine adipex ,
http://boards.wild.com/index.php?showuser=17504 – order phentermine ,
http://www.sharepointblogs.com/members/cheap-phentermine-rx-no/default.aspx – phentermine diet pills ,
http://www.deathsoft.com/forum/index.php?showuser=193911 – phentermine no prescription ,
http://ukazurenet.com/members/Cheap-Pheentermine/default.aspx – phentermine ,
http://ms-bel.net/members/cheap-phentermine-rx.aspx – phentermine information ,
http://www.nissansilvia.com/forums/index.php?showuser=68810 – buy phentermine ,
http://nowloaded.org/forum/index.php?showuser=148291 – adipex phentermine ,
http://www.dotnetspider.com/member/cheapest.aspx – buy phentermine online ,
http://www.emtcity.com/index.php?showuser=23279 – order phentermine ,
http://dynamicscom.be/members/order-phentermine-where.aspx – buy phentermine ,
http://cvmtb.com/members/phentermine-no-rx.aspx – discount phentermine ,
http://forums.mp-gaming.com/index.php?showuser=1803 – cheapest phentermine ,
http://forums.edmontonoilers.com/index.php?showuser=23621 – phentermine no prescription ,
http://www.eiit.de/v2/index.php?showuser=5101 – discount phentermine ,
http://utcodecamp.com/members/cheap-diet-phentermine-pill.aspx – cod phentermine ,
http://lnx.fansclubpablo.it/forum/index.php?showuser=10524 – phentermine diet pills ,
http://www.bluemanlibrary.com/boards/index.php?showuser=10324 – phentermine side effects ,
http://www.jaxstreetscene.com/forums/index.php?showuser=2589 – purchase phentermine ,
http://digitalinsight.no/members/order-phentermine-cod-online/default.aspx – adipex phentermine ,
http://sassychik.com/communityserver/members/phentermine-no-rx.aspx – drug phentermine ,
http://www.studiorientali.it/forum/index.php?showuser=4868 – cod phentermine ,
Pharmacy Online Prescription for Drugs http://mvasoftware.com/members/order-phentermine-pill/default.aspx – cheap phentermine ,
http://support.harlander.com/index.php?/user/22-phentermine-onoine/ – phentermine online ,
http://www.atlantis-ro.com/foro/index.php?showuser=34778 – buy phentermine online ,
http://www.finalsayanforum.com/v2forum//index.php?showuser=7210 – drug phentermine ,
http://www.warrock.it/forum/index.php?showuser=60500 – purchase phentermine ,
http://forums.nvidia.com/index.php?showuser=167096 – phentermine adipex ,
http://stemisystems.org/members/buy-in-the-uk-phentermine.aspx – phentermine online ,
http://www.napolisoccer.net/public/forum/index.php?showuser=15149 – cheap phentermine ,
http://forums.imperian.com/index.php?showuser=7021 – phentermine adipex ,
http://boards.wild.com/index.php?showuser=17504 – order phentermine ,
http://www.sharepointblogs.com/members/cheap-phentermine-rx-no/default.aspx – phentermine diet pills ,
http://www.deathsoft.com/forum/index.php?showuser=193911 – phentermine no prescription ,
http://ukazurenet.com/members/Cheap-Pheentermine/default.aspx – phentermine ,
http://ms-bel.net/members/cheap-phentermine-rx.aspx – phentermine information ,
http://www.nissansilvia.com/forums/index.php?showuser=68810 – buy phentermine ,
http://nowloaded.org/forum/index.php?showuser=148291 – adipex phentermine ,
http://www.dotnetspider.com/member/cheapest.aspx – buy phentermine online ,
http://www.emtcity.com/index.php?showuser=23279 – order phentermine ,
http://dynamicscom.be/members/order-phentermine-where.aspx – buy phentermine ,
http://cvmtb.com/members/phentermine-no-rx.aspx – discount phentermine ,
http://forums.mp-gaming.com/index.php?showuser=1803 – cheapest phentermine ,
http://forums.edmontonoilers.com/index.php?showuser=23621 – phentermine no prescription ,
http://www.eiit.de/v2/index.php?showuser=5101 – discount phentermine ,
http://utcodecamp.com/members/cheap-diet-phentermine-pill.aspx – cod phentermine ,
http://lnx.fansclubpablo.it/forum/index.php?showuser=10524 – phentermine diet pills ,
http://www.bluemanlibrary.com/boards/index.php?showuser=10324 – phentermine side effects ,
http://www.jaxstreetscene.com/forums/index.php?showuser=2589 – purchase phentermine ,
http://digitalinsight.no/members/order-phentermine-cod-online/default.aspx – adipex phentermine ,
http://sassychik.com/communityserver/members/phentermine-no-rx.aspx – drug phentermine ,
http://www.studiorientali.it/forum/index.php?showuser=4868 – cod phentermine ,