No. 165

All Ingredients: Coffea Arabica (Green Coffee) Oil

• Incidecoder Rating: Goodie
• EWG Rating: 1 (Best)
• PETA Rating: Cruelty Free & Vegan
• Origin: Cold pressed from coffea arabica beans, sustainably grown in Brazil.

Honest Research

Green coffee oil is obtained by cold pressing green (unroasted) coffee beans. Researchers from several universities in Brazil, the largest coffee producing country in the world, have shown that administration of green coffee oil to fibroblast cultures results in the upregulation of collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycans as well as growth factors, such as transforming growth-β1 (TGF-β1) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). In addition, results from the same research team demonstrated an increase in aquaporin levels due to green coffee oil treatment in keratinocyte cell cultures. Green coffee oil contains lipids that consist triacylglycerols, sterols, and tocopherols in addition to diterpenes, which have important pharmacological properties.

A great deal of interest in using coffee in skin care products stems from the effects of caffeine on skin biochemistry and physiology, in which case it has been shown to prevent accumulation of fat in the skin, act as a photo-protectant against UV radiation, and assist in drainage of lymphatic tissue.

Recent work focuses on the solar protection properties of green coffee oil and the oil fraction of spent coffee grounds. In sunscreen systems containing ethy-hexyl-methoxy-cinnamate, addition of green coffee oil provided an increase of 20% in sun protection factor (commonly known as SPF). Botanical oils, typically found in cosmetics, contain large amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, which are susceptible to lipid oxidation. Green coffee oil was found to improve efficacy of other botanical oils, probably due to increased protection of the oil from the elements.

Some proof

• J. Marto et. al., The green generation of sunscreens: Using coffee industrial sub-products, Industrial Crops and Products, volume 80, pp 93-100, 2016.
• M. del Carmen Velazquez Pereda et. al., Effect of green Coffea arabica L. seed oil on extracellular matrix components and water-channel expression in in vitro and ex vivo human skin models, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology., volume 8, pp 56-62, 2009.
• K. Speer and I. Kölling-Speer, The lipid fraction of the coffee bean, Brazilian Journal of Plant Physiology, volume 18, pp 201-216, 2006.

When to use

At night, before sleeping.

How to apply

Apply 2-3 drops and wait for 3-4 minutes for your skin to absorb. Repeat this until you find excess on your skin. Use a damp cloth to remove the excess.

Frequency of use

If your concern is severe, use every night. Otherwise, use every alternate night.

Safe to use during

• Menstrual pain
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Menopause

Use with other products

Mix 1 drop of every product on your palm, rub your palms, and apply the mixture. Wait for 3-4 minutes for your skin to absorb. Repeat this until you find excess on your skin. Use a damp cloth to remove the excess.

Best practices

• Keep away from children
• Patch test before use
• For external use only

Consult your doctor

For frequency of use, if you are being treated for

• Dermatitis or eczema
• Third-degree burns
• Skin cancer

Afterlife

Re-use the bottle, or empty the glass bottle and place in the recycling bin.