What you need to know about caffeine.

Caffeine is an alkaloid from the methylxanthines family. It is particularly found in coffee, from which it derives its name, but also in tea, guarana, mate, kola nuts, cocoa beans, etc. In its natural state, it protects plants from insects by killing or paralysing them.

Derived naturally, caffeine is obtained through supercritical fluid extraction from plants, an alternative to distillation processes. This gentle extraction method allows for the collection of highly concentrated lipophilic plant substances, rich in the plant's active ingredients, extremely pure and without any alteration of the components, all without the use of petrochemical solvents and leaving no solvent residue.

Here, CO2 has been used as an extraction solvent for caffeine from coffee beans, maté, cocoa, or tea leaves, due to its physicochemical properties (colourless, odourless, non-toxic, non-polluting, non-flammable). In short, once the desired compound is dissolved in the supercritical CO2 environment, we obtain a pure and concentrated extract through depressurisation, which then triggers the separation of the CO2, returning it to a gaseous state, and the extract, recovered in liquid or solid form.

Well-known for its stimulating and energising effects, caffeine is found in many body and facial care products: toning body products, eye contour treatments, creams against signs of ageing or redness, as well as products against hair loss. We detail these for you:

• Decongesting effect : By stimulating microcirculation of blood and combating water retention in its capacity as a vascular tonic, caffeine will decongest the sensitive area around the eye, reducing the visibility of bags as well as unsightly dark circles in order to restore radiance to the eye contour.

• Lipolytic Effect : The application of caffeine induces lipolysis in adipose cells (fat destruction) and inhibits their lipogenesis (production of fatty substances), resulting in a decrease in adipocyte volume and thus an improvement in skin surface. Therefore, caffeine possesses slimming properties due to its lipolytic activity on adipocytes and contributes to reducing the appearance of cellulite. However, caffeine alone is not enough. To enhance its action, the practice of a kneading-rolling massage is essential. Indeed, treatments containing the molecule should be accompanied by a vigorous massage.

• Soothing effect: The vasoconstriction caused by caffeine also has applications in facial care. The reduction of blood vessels will help to decrease redness and other skin irritations in sensitive or dry skin, for example in cases of rosacea.

• Antioxidant effect: Thanks to its polyphenol content, caffeine also has antioxidant properties. Indeed, it helps to combat free radicals and their harmful effects on the skin, factors responsible for premature skin ageing. This property also makes it a good active ingredient to fight against the signs of ageing, as it helps to slow down the skin ageing process and delay the appearance of wrinkles.