That morning cup o’ Joe may have more to offer than a caffeine pick-me-up.

It could be the ticket to smoother, clearer skin. Or so Art Watkins suspects.

Watkins knows a thing or two about coffee. He’s been running Tradewinds Coffee Co. in Raleigh, N.C., since 1987.

This year, research by some German scientists got him thinking. It seems the Germans found that methylpyridinium, a highly active compound found in coffee, may help prevent colon cancer.

Watkins wondered if it could have similar benefits for skin. So he got together with his friends, Mike and Barbara James, owners of Person Street Pharmacy.

“We sat down, and with his pharmaceutical background … we came up with the formulas of the Derma Cafe and Derma Cafe With Retinol-E products,” Watkins says.

At $10 an ounce, Derma Cafe helps eliminate blotches and spots, Watkins says. It also targets damaging “free radical” agents on the skin. Derma Cafe With Retinol-E, at $11 an ounce, fights fine lines and free radicals. The cosmetics contain unique properties of roasted coffee extract.

Watkins says response has been favorable.

The new product line’s coffee-inspired slogan: It smooths, soothes and wakes up the skin.

You could just eat them up

The use of food — or at least their yummy scents — in cosmetics isn’t new. Every year companies crank out mouthwatering new takes.

Some of this season’s holiday offerings include Origins’ fruity new concoctions, Ginger Glimmer Whipped Body Cream, Fretnot Glistening Tangerine body powder and Pomegranate Glow Skin-silkening body wash.

Not to be outdone, Philosophy gives us its limited edition Gingerbread House, featuring gingerbread man facial paste, sugar cookie lip balm and cinnamon buns shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

Origins products are available at Origins cosmetics counters. Philosophy can be found online at www.philosophy.com.

A little something

Need a gift for your female office buddy, something cute, useful and inexpensive?

Ohm by Olay suggests a personalized “Office De-Stress” gift basket. They’re easy to assemble.

Start with fun desktop accessories and games, such as unique notepads or squeezable stress balls. Add a colorful coffee mag and a package of your bud’s favorite brew.

Then throw in a middle-of-the-day refreshing mist, such as (of course) Ohm by Olay in Sandalwood & Chamomile.

Package it all in a colorful mini wastepaper basket or expandable file folder, and you’ll have one happy co-worker.

Ohm products are available at most supermarkets and drugstores.

It’s in the bag

Some overnight travel is on the agenda for many of us. Too often, that means bulging bags and wrinkled clothes.

Here are some quick packing tips from the editors of Lucky Magazine to help cut down on suitcase chaos.

Pants: Stack two or three, fold them in half along the seams and roll them up from the waist for a neat bundle.

Sweaters: Lay them flat on the suitcase bottom to save space.

Lingerie: Pack in separate lingerie bags, or risk tangles and devastating hosiery runs.

Shoes: Avoid crushing by filling toes with tissue paper and placing pairs in bags.

Jewelry: Use a compartmentalized jewelry roll to save space and maintain order.

Toiletries: Keep leakable items in zipper bags or inside a plastic-lined cosmetic bag that zips shut. One oozing shampoo bottle can cause a lot of damage.