Why Caffeine Is Great For You On The Beauty Regimen Tip
As far as food topics go, I don’t know if anything has more polarizing opinions (other than eating meat) than caffeine.
While on one hand, there are health experts who say that consuming coffee (which contains a good amount of caffeine) can help you maintain a healthy liver, lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes, and can even help with women’s longevity overall, other studies reveal that going without it can help to reduce anxiety levels, promote a better quality of rest and help to keep your brain and hormone levels balanced.
Yeah, without question, caffeine/coffee consumption is a mixed bag. Since I grew up without coffee in my home, the only time I have it is in the form of coffee ice cream (go figure). However, thanks to learning more about green tea (another caffeinated drink) and its health perks, I have learned about some ways that caffeine is a major win as far as adding it to my beauty regimen (on the external tip).
If you want to learn more about how caffeine can work for you in this department, I’ve got 10 surefire ones right here that are definitely worth checking out.
1. Caffeine Is Full of Antioxidants
A couple of cups of coffee a day could keep your skin looking great from the inside out.
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When it comes to a simple definition of what caffeine is, it’s a stimulant that is most easily found in coffee, certain teas, and the cacao plant. When consumed, it will stimulate your brain and nervous system and, so long as it’s taken in moderation (according to the FDA, that should be no more than 4-5 cups daily), you should be fine. Since caffeine is chocked full of antioxidants like polyphenols (plant compounds that protect against disease) and hydrocinnamic acids (acids that help to fight against oxidative stress), as far as your skin is concerned, a couple of cups of coffee on a daily basis, could help to keep your skin in great shape from the inside out.
2. Caffeine Increases Blood Circulation
Since caffeine is a stimulant, something else that it does is increase blood circulation throughout your entire body. On the beauty tip, this is a cool thing because that helps your skin and hair follicles receive an extra boost of the nutrients that they need in order for your skin and hair to appear healthy. As an extra bonus, good blood circulation can keep your nails from becoming dry and brittle too.
3. Caffeine Protects from Damaging UV Rays
Even though the vitamin D that comes from the sun is good for your skin, the reason why you should use sunscreen (even during the colder months and even if you’ve got melanin) is that the UV rays that also come from that particular star (yes, the sun is a technically a star) have the ability to damage your skin in a way that could lead to premature aging and, quite possibly, skin cancer.
The way that caffeine helps to keep any of this from being (as much of) an issue is it contains properties that actually act as a “molecular sunscreen” by absorbing the UV rays before they can wreak too much havoc on your skin cells. Pretty cool, right?
4. Caffeine Softens the Appearance of Cellulite
Caffeine in coffee scrubs can soften the appearance of cellulite.
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The next time you see a commercial for a beauty brand that promises to remove your cellulite, please ignore it. The reality is that you can never fully get rid of it. Another reality? Between 80-90 percent of women have experienced cellulite at some point in their life which means it’s nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. Now if you wish to soften the appearance of it, this is where caffeine can come in handy because it has a way of draining the fluid from the fat cells that cellulite comes from which is why coffee scrubs are so effective. If a coffee scrub is something that you’d like to try now that you know that it’s not a rumor that caffeine can help you out in the cellulite department, there’s an easy recipe that you can try yourself here.
5. Caffeine Brightens Your Skin’s Appearance
On the days when you want to go out, totally make-up-free, caffeine can serve as your beauty regimen’s wingman. The reason why I say that is because, when you apply it to your skin, it can actually restrict a certain amount of blood flow; this, in turn, can cause your skin to look tighter and brighter. So, if heading out with a “wake-up face” is your desire sometimes, Aroma Talks is a YouTube channel that offers up recipes like how to make your own coffee skin cream. You can watch the video here.
6. Caffeine Reduces Frizz
Remember how I said that caffeine is packed with antioxidants? Another one that it contains is flavonoids. When it comes to your hair, specifically, flavonoids are beneficial because, not only do they help to protect your scalp and hair from UV damage, they also help to reduce frizz too. That’s because, the properties in it can help to smooth the cuticles of your hair strands, so that your hair both looks and feels healthier. Plus, the less frizz you have, the easier it is to manage your locks while you’re styling it too. A coffee hair rinse on your wash day is the best way to tame your frizz. You can read about a few different ways to apply one here.
7. Caffeine Helps to Prevent Hair Loss
Experiencing hair loss? Caffeine can help.
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Did you know it’s estimated that over 50 percent of women will experience some level of hair loss at some point in their life? Those are big enough odds to also mention that caffeine has been proven to help prevent hair loss from being an issue. The method behind the madness is it helps to block DHT. If you don’t know what that is, DHT is short for dihydrotestosterone, and what it ultimately does is shrink your hair follicles while also shortening your hair growth stages. Anything that can get in the way of that happening is doing you a solid. And yes, caffeine is indeed one of those things.
Honestly, something as simple as putting a teaspoon or two of coffee grounds in your shampoo can help exfoliate your scalp and treat your hair follicles, so that hair loss will be less of a concern. It’s an easy hack that can make a significant difference over time.
8. Caffeine Stimulates Hair Growth
Are you currently on a mission to grow out your hair? Caffeine can help with that. Not only does research reveal that it helps to lengthen and widen the roots of your hair, but caffeine can also extend the anagen part of your hair growth cycle. This is super helpful considering that the anagen phase is literally called “the growing phase” when it comes to your tresses. This is where creating a coffee scrub that consists of ground coffee beans, honey, and olive oil could come in super handy. Read more about how and why here.
9. Caffeine Decreases Eye Puffiness
If your eyes are puffy, what that typically means is there’s some sort of swelling going on whether it’s due to not getting enough rest, consuming too much salt, congestion being in your system, not getting enough exercise, or consuming too much alcohol (it could also indicate that you’ve got a bit of a thyroid issue happening as well).
Caffeine can help with reducing puffiness by constricting the blood vessels that are causing it and increasing circulation to your eye area at the same time. There are many caffeinated eye creams that can help to get the puffiness under control or you can make your own.
I happened upon a YouTube video that has a quick and easy recipe for you to try, thanks to the Way of Being channel. You can watch it here.
10. Caffeine Contains Anti-Aging Properties
Drinking coffee in moderation can slow down aging and fight against free radicals.
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And finally, since caffeine has so many antioxidants in it, it’s also a proactive way to slow down the aging process as far as your skin is concerned. Since it fights against the free radicals that can create fine lines and wrinkles, this is just one more reason to not feel bad about having a couple of cups or applying coffee (or green tea) to your skin on a regular basis. I also read a Harvard study where drinking coffee can increase your chances of longevity by 30 percent — and if that ain’t the greatest form of anti-aging, I don’t know what is! So, if coffee is indeed your thing — with moderation…enjoy, sis! From the inside out, it’s got your back. CLEARLY.
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Different puzzle pieces are creating bigger pictures these days. 2024 will mark a milestone on a few different levels, including the release of my third book next June (yay!).
I am also a Professional Certified Coach. My main mission for attaining that particular goal is to use my formal credentials to help people navigate through the sometimes tumultuous waters, both on and offline, when it comes to information about marriage, sex and relationships that is oftentimes misinformation (because "coach" is a word that gets thrown around a lot, oftentimes quite poorly).
I am also still super devoted to helping to bring life into this world as a doula, marriage life coaching will always be my first love (next to writing, of course), a platform that advocates for good Black men is currently in the works and my keystrokes continue to be devoted to HEALTHY over HAPPY in the areas of holistic intimacy, spiritual evolution, purpose manifestation and self-love...because maturity teaches that it's impossible to be happy all of the time when it comes to reaching goals yet healthy is a choice that can be made on a daily basis (amen?).
If you have any PERSONAL QUESTIONS (please do not contact me with any story pitches; that is an *editorial* need), feel free to reach out at missnosipho@gmail.com. A sistah will certainly do what she can. ;)
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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The Champion's Path: How Cari Champion Is Redefining Roles For Black Women In Media
Cari Champion has had many dream jobs. All of them have helped inform what she does and does not want for herself moving forward. “I get more and more curious. My dreams evolve. My desires change,” she said. “And I feel sorry for people who can’t experience that because it’s a beautiful feeling, it’s a beautiful challenge, and it makes you everything that you are.”
When we speak in late April, the journalist and media personality is preparing for a visit to Atlanta for The Black Effect Podcast Festival. The trip would allow her to spend time in a city that she said taught her a lot about herself and working in the media industry.
Champion was still early in her career when she worked for Atlanta’s CBS affiliate news station, where she was fired, reinstated, and subsequently quit after being accused of accidentally cursing on air in 2008. (“I didn’t. They knew I didn’t. I said ‘mothersucka,’” she said of the hot mic incident.) Still, the Los Angeles native insists she only has the fondest memories of her time in the southern city.
“I grew up in West LA, then moved to Pasadena, and those kinds of familial, tight-knit Black groups just didn’t exist. LA is spread out in a lot of ways,” she said. “To me, Atlanta ultimately built this woman that I am today and [is] why I speak so comfortably for us and for Black people. I had to have that entire experience.”
"To me, Atlanta ultimately built this woman that I am today and [is] why I speak so comfortably for us and for Black people."
It’s been 16 years since Champion moved from Atlanta and her career, as well as her desire to center Black voices in her work, has soared. After working as an anchor and court-side reporter for The Tennis Channel, she spent nearly a decade working as a host and anchor on ESPN for shows such as First Take and SportsCenter.
By the time she began hosting Cari & Jemele: Stick to Sports, on Vice TV with Jemele Hill in 2020, Champion had increasingly become determined to shun the notion that only sports reporters and athletes could credibly discuss sports. The Vice show featured guests such as LeBron James and Magic Johnson, but also Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and Sen. Cory Booker.
At a time when America was reckoning with its racial history, Champion solidified herself as a trailblazer for Black women in sports media, as well as a crucial voice for cultural commentary. Today, she regularly appears on CNN discussing sports, culture, and politics.
Champion is now hosting the fourth season of the podcast Naked with Cari Champion on The Black Effect Podcast Festival, which is a partnership between iHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God, a media personality and a friend. “We kind of grew up together in this game. And when we first started figuring out or getting attention on a different type of level than we were used to, we learned a lot together,” she said of Charlamagne. “He put this network together for people who are beginning [and] people who are old-heads in the business. He wanted to make sure that all of us had a voice.”
It’s been an adjustment for a traditional TV reporter to transition into podcasting, but Champion said she’s found the medium to be a “much more freeing world.” When she’s speaking to guests such as talk show host Tamron Hall, singer Muni Long, or retired athlete Sanya Richards-Ross, she can “get lost in a conversation” and embrace a more casual environment than the structure of a cable TV show would allow.
Behind the scenes, Champion’s still doing her part to make sure there continues to be a pipeline of Black and brown women in journalism and beyond, too.
In 2018, she launched the nonprofit Brown Girls Dream and enlisted her celebrity friends to help mentor young women in a way that she felt she was never able to receive in the early years of her own career. “When I was at ESPN, I used to get all these emails from different Black and brown girls in the business. They wanted to talk to me about how they could [have the opportunity to] do the same thing [as me],” Champion said. “It fills my heart to see somebody actually get an opportunity to talk to somebody who can guide them through their career.”
Current Brown Girls Dream mentors include journalists Jemele Hill and Nichelle Turner, marketing executive Bozoma Saint John, and more. “These women are just the dopest ever and they take time out to give back to brown girls,” Champion said. “It’s special.”
When she reflects on representation in sports media roles, the Naked host said she’s inspired by the women of color she sees on television today. “I think women of color are doing great. It’s become more and more common to be on air and be Black girl magic,” she said.
“I think that the next level for us, in terms of Black and brown women in this business succeeding, is having true power over what our words are and what the content is,” she added. “Because, when push comes to shove and we want to really tell a story, we sometimes have to acquiesce, and we can't tell the story the way we want to. The next level is that we actually do have editorial control.”
"I think that the next level for us, in terms of Black and brown women in this business succeeding, is having true power over what our words are and what the content is."
Ultimately, Champion is still dreaming and looking to make an impact. She said she wants to eventually launch her own Black news network. “I would love to have a huge platform that focused on the stories that I think Black and brown women care about,” Champion said. “There are so many stories that are being missed.”
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