Caffeine Spray Could Soon be Available

A caffeine mist called Sprayable Energy could soon be available to consumers via online stores.

The product is the brainchild of Ben Yu, a Harvard Undergraduate studying molecular biology, and it allows consumers to spray a caffeine mist onto their neck and absorb the stimulant through the skin, much the same way a nicotine patch works, according to NPR’s All Tech Considered blog.

"One day, I was spontaneously looking at the molecular and chemical structure of caffeine in nicotine," Yu told the blog. "Like if you think about a nicotine patch, nicotine goes through skin really well, and I realized caffeine might be able to permeate the skin, too. I sprayed it on myself, and I verified it was going through the skin and showing up in my bloodstream."

Steven Meredith, a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said although caffeine has been widely studied, it’ll be interesting to see how spray on caffeine works because there are so many variables that could impact the product’s effectiveness.

"It’ll be interesting to see how well the product works," Meredith said.

But there are some concerns about the product, and whether the Food and Drug Administration will step in and try to prevent Sparyable Energy from reaching the market.

Meredith said the product could pose a threat of "caffeine intoxication" if it’s over used, and that the FDA has taken a greater interest in products with caffeine since an assortment of energy drinks, and even caffeinated alcoholic beverages, have become available on store shelves.

"I think that what I’m most curious to see is how the FDA reacts to this product because it’s so unusual," Meredith said.

What do you think of spray on caffeine? Tell us in the comments section.