Caffeine: For many of us, it’s what gets us out of bed in the morning (shoutout to our morning coffee and matcha). But what does it actually do and why is it popular in body care products?
This stimulating and energizing ingredient has some serious benefits—which is why it’s found in a few of your Sol de Janeiro favorites. Here, we break down what exactly makes caffeine so useful when it comes to body care. Plus, why we love guaraná, the superstar caffeine-rich ingredient found in products like our iconic Brazilian Bum Bum® Cream.
What Is Caffeine?
First, it might help if we explain more about what this ingredient actually is. Caffeine is derived from the leaves and fruits of various plants, including cocoa trees and, yes, coffee. It is best known for its stimulant properties, helping you “wake up” when you feel sleepy or sluggish. And, it’s not just you who relies on it for an extra boost. According to the Sleep Foundation, approximately 94% of adults drink caffeinated beverages in some form.
In addition to its energizing properties, caffeine is a natural antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals. It's also water-soluble and easily absorbs into the skin, making it a popular addition to body care formulas.
Why Is Caffeine Used in Body Care Products?
Here’s the tea (get it?) on caffeine for skincare: it’s what’s called a vasoconstrictor, meaning it is known to make blood vessels smaller and tighter. These properties have an immediate effect in your body care. Caffeine helps reduce blood flow to the skin, so it appears visibly firmer.
Our best-selling Brazilian Bum Bum® Cream, for example, contains caffeine-rich guaraná extract, which helps visibly smooth and tighten the appearance of skin. Bonus: The added antioxidant benefits help protect against environmental stressors, too.
Benefits of Caffeine for the Skin
So what does caffeine do for your skin, exactly? From visibly tightening to depuffing, here are just a few of the ways it can benefit your routine.
It visibly brightens skin
Caffeine promotes microcirculation, which makes skin appear visibly smoother and brighter. It’s just one reason to use our Bum Bum Body Scrub, which has guaraná extract to help smooth. This best seller also contains crushed cupuaçu seeds to gently buff skin, plus coconut oil to keep it moisturized.
It helps tighten skin’s appearance
Smoothing body cream often includes caffeine, since it helps skin to appear firmer. Don’t sleep on body oil with caffeine either. Bum Bum Body Firmenza Oil features our proprietary Guaraná Caffeine+ Complex™, known to visibly firm and tighten, plus sustainably sourced micro algae extract to help noticeably depuff.
It reduces puffiness
Caffeine can also have a temporary depuffing effect, thanks to its tightening properties we mentioned earlier. According to Health, this is why you’ll often see it in under-eye creams, especially those meant to be used in morning skincare routines.
Meet Our Superstar Ingredient: Guaraná
By now, you’ve already learned a little bit about guaraná, but we think it’s high time for a formal introduction. A fruit native to the Amazon basin, guaraná contains one of the highest concentrations of caffeine of any plant—in fact, it has five times more caffeine than coffee!
But it's not just the caffeine that makes guaraná so great in body care. It also includes other beneficial compounds known for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and astringent properties—all of which help improve the overall appearance of your skin.
How to Use Caffeine in Your Routine with Sol de Janeiro
If you’re interested in trying out caffeine-rich products, you’re in the right place. Brazilian Bum Bum® Cream, Bum Bum Body Scrub, and Bum Bum Body Firmeza Oil all contain guaraná, in addition to many more skin-loving ingredients. Here’s what to add to your routine to amplify their effects.
Cleanse: Shower with Brazilian Play Body Wash to cleanse and hydrate your skin. Bonus: It features the same irresistible Cheirosa 62™ fragrance as the other products in this routine.
Scrub: Exfoliate with Bum Bum Body Scrub, which combines guaraná extract with crushed cupuaçu seeds. And thanks to moisturizing coconut oil, it leaves skin silky and soft.
Massage: Give yourself some extra self-care with a lymphatic drainage massage using Bum Bum Body Firmeza Oil. Enriched with our Guaraná Caffeine+ Complex™, this oil visibly firms skin, while the massage helps depuff and sculpt.
Moisturize: Follow up with Brazilian Bum Bum® Cream, enriched with guaraná extract to help visibly tighten skin. All the while, it provides intense moisture thanks to cupuaçu butter and coconut oil.
Who Can Benefit from Caffeine-Based Skincare Products?
Caffeine-infused products are great for anyone looking to add a visibly tightening and smoothing boost to their body care routine. And because they also have loads of antioxidants, these products can also help prevent environmental damage to your skin. Whether you use one caffeine-infused product or multiple, you’ll love how your skin looks and feels.
There you have it. Everything there is to know about caffeine and skincare. And because it’s so easy to incorporate into your routine with our Brazilian Bum Bum collection, there’s no reason not to take advantage of its many benefits.
