skin Buzz.(use of coffee in skin care products)

Byline: Elizabeth Einstein PHOTOGRAPHED BY NICOLAS MOORE

The latest news in the beauty world: Studies show that coffee beans and plant extracts jolt your skin in all the right ways.

Starbucks owes quite a lot to the ninth-century goatherd who noticed that his flock perked up after nibbling on a coffee plant--that discovery has led to zillions of mocha lattes and iced cappuccinos. But the beauty implications of that moment in history are just now beginning to emerge. Various parts of the coffee plant are being increasingly revered as skin-care ingredients for every part of the body. Dermatologists and scientists laud its effectiveness and versatility. "Coffee offers multiple benefits," says Doris J. Day, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center. That's because coffee is more than just the beans we roast, grind, filter, and drink. When broken down and applied to the skin, its most potent elements (caffeine and the berries that contain the beans) can fight wrinkles, calm redness, reduce swelling, and, according to new research, may even help prevent skin cancer. Ways to energize the body and the skin--all thanks to a lone goatherd.

PACKING PROTECTION

In the beauty equivalent of Mario Batali discovering the appeal of beef cheeks, dermatologists have recently found a different part of the coffee plant that could benefit skin. "The CoffeeBerry is one of the most powerful antioxidants in skin care," says Leslie Baumann, professor and director of cosmetic dermatology at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine.

The actual berry (as opposed to its seed, the bean) used to be discarded after a harvest because it spoiled too quickly. "That's the same reason we knew it would be a powerful antioxidant," says Jeannette Graf, clinical professor of dermatology at New York University. "The faster something oxidizes, the more potential it has to protect skin from sun and environmental damage, and therefore wrinkles."

Recently, chemists created a speedy method of processing the fruit that stabilized its potency, and the result is an extract with uncommonly high levels of polyphenols--the antioxidants also found in green tea and pomegranates. RevaleSkin was the first to introduce CoffeeBerry lotions, and other companies, including Therapy Systems, are following suit. "I'm a fan," Day says. "The fact that CoffeeBerry is readily available and relatively cheap is exciting." Heidi A. Waldorf, director of laser and cosmetic dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, recommends RevaleSkin CoffeeBerry Night Cream to her patients and uses it herself for daytime--topped with a broad-spectrum sunscreen, of course. "Although antioxidants such as caffeine and CoffeeBerry may reduce some UV-exposure damage, sunscreen is still crucial," she says.