Coffee has been reported as a rosacea trigger for some people. But, is this true for everyone? Learn more about caffeine, coffee, hot drinks, and rosacea here.
Coffee and other caffeinated beverages have long been taught to be a potential trigger for people dealing with rosacea.
However, we might have gotten a few things wrong by telling rosacea patients to avoid caffeinated beverages altogether.
As it turns out, caffeinated coffee may actually have a protective effect. However, there are a few catches -- the temperature may still matter.
Below, we will outline the new information on drinking coffee and rosacea, including why caffeine was tagged as a no-no in the past, go over the highlights of recent studies, explain why other caffeinated items may not deliver the same benefits, and talk about why temperature is key.
Caffeinated beverages have long been on the “avoid” list for people looking to stay away from potential rosacea triggers.
The idea behind this recommendation probably stems from the fact that most of the caffeinated beverages that people drink tend to be served (and consumed) pipping hot.
When you drink hot beverages, this actually causes dilation of the blood vessels in the face, and can trigger flushing. Since many people with rosacea tend to have an abnormal or extreme facial flushing response, this is why hot beverages can be bad news for rosacea patients.
Because of this, many well-meaning doctors and guidance documents on rosacea gave coffee and other usually hot beverages a no for those with rosacea.
An interesting cohort study was conducted in 2018 looking back into the Nurses’ Health Study II, specifically, looking into the connection between caffeine intake and the incidence of rosacea.
This study reported a strong negative correlation between caffeinated coffee intake and rosacea. Meaning that the higher the reported caffeinated coffee intake, the lower the incidence of that person also reporting having rosacea. For this study, it was the consumption of 4 or more servings of caffeinated coffee per day to get this correlation.
This probably came as a shock to the researchers considering the previous advice to avoid hot caffeinated beverages to help reduce rosacea flares.
Interestingly, that same cohort study did not report the same negative rosacea correlation for tea, soda, chocolate, or even decaffeinated coffee.
While the explanation behind this is not currently fully understood, it seems that there may be something behind having both the caffeine contained in the coffee, as well as some component of the coffee bean itself, possibly the polyphenols, to elicit this protective effect.
We do know that caffeine itself is a vasoconstrictor, meaning that it narrows the vessels. This effect may be part of the explanation behind why caffeinated coffee seems to win over decaf for rosacea patients, as it may help counteract that unusual vessel dilation and flushing that occurs during flares.
As you might have noticed at this point. Flushing vs not flushing with rosacea is a delicate interplay between the vasodilation and vasoconstriction of the vessels in the face.
And, when it comes to very hot beverages, we know that vasodilation can occur.
So, if you want to keep up your coffee habit but worry about rosacea, you are still better off opting for cooler preparations for your caffeinated coffee beverages.
In a fun change of events for coffee lovers -- caffeinated coffee may actually provide a protective effect against rosacea, and not trigger it as was previously thought. But, decaf coffee and other caffeinated items like tea, chocolate, or soda, were not found to have this same effect.
And, while more studies need to be done to confirm just what is going on behind the scenes here, it is probably safe to assume that you can continue your caffeinated coffee consumption as desired.
The study found these results in people who were consuming 4 or more servings of coffee daily. So, this is a little high, and might cause jitteriness, anxiety, or even palpitations in some.
For this reason, we wouldn’t suggest trying to get up to that number if you don’t already, for the purposes of rosacea avoidance. Successful and well-studied rosacea treatments exist, and you shouldn’t use large amounts of coffee as a “treatment”.
Also, if you are going to mix in coffee as someone with rosacea, you may be better off going with less hot preparations like iced coffee, cold brew, or even just a regular cup of coffee that has been given ample cooling time.
I’m sure you are very excited about being able to continue your coffee consumption with less worry about rosacea flares. But, it is important to note that coffee is in no way a treatment for rosacea.
If you are looking for innovative and customized rosacea treatment creams, Strut can help you out there.
At Strut, we work with compounding pharmacies to deliver rosacea creams that can combine multiple rosacea-fighting ingredients into 1 simple formulation. (No more layering of products, or having to pay out for multiple prescriptions.)
If you are interested in seeing what prescription active ingredients we offer, and if it may be a good fit for you, simply select Strut Rosacea Formula, and complete a free online questionnaire and image-based consultation with our U.S. doctors in under 15 minutes.
If you are a good candidate for treatment, our doctors will craft a formula for you according to your information and preferences. Then, your prescription will be made up at a U.S. compounding pharmacy and shipped to your front door with free shipping.
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