The Dermatology Blog

CoffeeBerry® extract is a new, powerful antioxidant that uses the whole fruit of the coffee plant. It may turn out to be the most potent of natural antioxidants, better than white tea, blueberries, and pomegranates. It is currently available in a limited number of skin care products, but look for many more in the future.

Still using pomegranates or blueberries for your topical antioxidants? Sorry, but you are sooo 2007.

What’s the newest (and, of course, reportedly best) antioxidant? Coffee berry extract (available under the proprietary name CoffeeBerry®).

Coffee berries are the fruit from the Coffea arabica plant, the seeds of which are the coffee beans we know and love. The fruit of the coffee plant (coffee berries) are cherry-like and are highly perishable. Until now, the berries were not used and were discarded, saving only the seeds.

Coffee berries are believed to be exceptionally rich in antioxidants because the plants grow near the equator and at high altitudes, where the sun’s oxidizing rays are strongest. To protect itself from these high doses of ultraviolet radiation, the coffee plants synthesize these powerful antioxidants.

Coffee berries are high in polyphenols and phenolic acids including chlorogenic acid, proanthocyanidina, quinic acid, and ferulic acid. These natural plant antioxidants are found in many berries, nuts, chocolate, and other fruits and vegetables. In the coffee berry, the polyphenols are so concentrated that they have a higher antioxidant activity than other heavyweights including pomegranates, blueberries, white tea, and raspberries (this is according to VDF FutureCeuticals, but I have not found the actual data yet).

Soaking up oxidizing radicals in your skin can help minimize damage to the collagen, preventing wrinkles and other sun damage from developing. The cream itself (even without active ingredients) can smooth the texture of your skin; however, remember that topical antioxidants, no matter how potent or expensive, cannot reverse wrinkles.

The polyphenols from coffee berries appear to have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and now have their first big break in a skin product line called RevaleSkin. RevaleSkin is the first skin care line to use coffee berry extract as an anti-aging treatment.

Stiefel, the company that makes RevaleSkin, claims that their CoffeeBerry extract is 10 times more potent than green tea and that it actually protects against UVA and UVB radation. RevaleSkin comes in a cleanser, SPF15 day cream, and a night cream.

CoffeeBerry is also available in a powder and as an extract. It can be taken as a dietary supplement or added to products like smoothies or health bars.

So why should you be looking out for CoffeeBerry at your market and cosmetics counter?

1. When applied to your skin, polyphenolic antioxidants in CoffeeBerry soak up damaging free radicals caused by ultraviolet light and by other stress to your skin. Oxidation of your skin’s collagen is the main cause of wrinkles.
2. Plant polyphenols, as from CoffeeBerry, might act as a topical anti-inflammatory when applied to your skin to treat inflammatory skin diseases such as contact dermatitis or eczema.
3. When consumed, plant polyphenols can neutralize toxic free radicals throughout your body; there is some data to support that this helps protect you against coronary artery disease (heart disease).
4. Eating foods high in plant polyphenols might help lower your cholesterol.
5. Taking in plant polyphenols might also help protect against Alzheimer’s Disease or diseases such as asthma.

I have not tried these products (nor do I sell them). If you have tried them, then feel free to write me or leave a comment about your experience.

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Photo by Demosh. Nairobi, Kenya. From Flickr.com