One of the popular trends today is the use of caffeinated soap. According to proponents of the product, caffeinated soap is a great way to get a boost in the morning when there is no time for morning coffee. However, there is some doubt about the effectiveness of caffeine in soap, at least as a means of getting a lift in the morning.
The basic idea behind soap with a healthy dose of caffeine is that people who tend to be sluggish in the morning can achieve a boost with the use of the product. This is accomplished by absorbing caffeine through the skin during the morning shower. Many brands claim to offer two hundred milligrams of caffeine per use, offering just the right amount to help get the morning in progress.
While there are a lot of testimonials regarding the effectiveness of caffeinated soap, there are a number of detractors that claim the product is more hype and less effect. Some point out that there are not at present any reliable scientific experiments conducted in controlled conditions to prove the claims made for caffeinated soap. Also, some users report that the morning boost they receive could be from the heavy peppermint scent that is included as part of the ingredients in many popular brands of the product.
There is also some concern that even if it is possible to absorb caffeine through the skin, chances are that caffeinated soap is not capable of offering as much of a dose as claimed. Given the fact that the water would dilute the soap very quickly, even if a thick lather were applied to the body before rinsing, there would not be much chance of absorbing more than one to two milligrams at best. Generally, this is understood to not be sufficient to cause much of a jump start first thing in the morning.
While there is no doubt that caffeinated soap can cleanse the body, it is doubtful that the product actually provides much in the way of augmenting or substituting for a cup of coffee. However, the power of suggestion, combined with the strong aroma of peppermint, may be sufficient to make waking up in the morning a little easier.