It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of coffee. I love pour-over coffee, I love cold-brew coffee, and I always love it iced. But over the past few months, I have also been experimenting with using leftover coffee grounds as part of my skincare routine. Have you all tried this?
I am no health expert, and will never claim to be. But other experts on the webosphere claim that coffee (and caffeine) apparently do all sorts of good things for your skin. Namely:
1) diminish the appearance of cellulite
2) tighten and tone the look of your skin
3) serve as an exfoliant, when you use the grounds as a scrub
Plus, coffee is naturally a great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. And the smell of coffee is one of my favorite things ever. So I jumped on the bandwagon and have been experimenting with using it as a body sugar scrub. And I have found it to be quite delightful. :)
I have been mixing up DIY sugar scrubs for years, and love experimenting with whatever “hot” new ingredients people are recommending. But the ingredients in this scrub are about as simple and straightforward as it gets. You need:
1) coffee grounds (you can either ground the coffee fresh, or use pre-used grounds like I do)
2) sugar (I used turbinado, but any sugar will work. I would recommend a more finely-ground sugar, like brown sugar, if your skin is sensitive.)
3) oil (coconut oil and olive oil are my two favs)
Just mix them all up, and you will be ready to go with a scrub that smells like your morning cup o’ jo in minutes. I don’t know if it has honestly made that much of a difference for me with cellulite, but I find the smell of the coffee grounds to be totally energizing and delightful. And the coconut oil is a great moisturizer.
The one warning I will give is that the coffee grounds make this one much darker than most scrubs. So don’t freak out if your tub looks looks like it’s full of dirt for a minute before it drains! :) Also, as with any scrub, be sure to use this with hot water so that it doesn’t clog up your drain.
All in all, it’s natural. It’s a great way to use up leftover coffee grounds. And it feels good on my skin. So I’m a fan!
DIY Coffee Sugar Scrub
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: About 1/3 cup
Ingredients
3 tablespoons finely-ground coffee (I used recycled grounds)
2 tablespoons oil (I used melted coconut oil)
1 tablespoon sugar (I used turbinado sugar)
(optional) 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Stir all ingredients together until combined. Store in a sealed jar for up to 2 months.
To the people getting moldy scrubs:
One thing that can help is to make sure your grounds are completely dry before using them. Also, don’t bring the large container in the bathroom with you. Moisture is the enemy here. You can keep it in the refrigerator too, but it will turn into a solid.
Why have I only just found you!!
ahhh I need to go shopping to try allll your recipes!!! ♡♡♡
I am enjoying this coffee scrub a couple of times per week. My skin feels GREAT afterward and much smoother. I wonder if with consistent use, I might be able to smooth out some of those adolescent stretch marks on my legs! Admittedly it does dirty up the tub and I spend a good 5 extra minutes trying to wash the grounds off the tiles and the tub sides and bottom. Also, make sure to swish some soapy water around as well when you’re done, it can make the tub rather slick. FYI, the first time I made a large batch and sealed it in a Weck jar it got moldy in just over a week. Now I only make 2-3 uses at a time.
I’ve been using this recipe for about 2 months now and good LORD it works.
It gives you that summer glow in the dead of winter.
Thanks Nadia, we’re so glad you like it! :)
I’ve been using this regularly and it makes my skin looks awesome!! & it smells great. Thanks for sharing xx
Thanks for sharing, Violet, I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying it! : )
BTW one “serving” fits in a Gerber baby food jar
Je fais la même chose que vous mais à la place du sucre, j’utilise du gros sel de Guérande. C’est vrai que cela diminue l’effet peau d’orange. Bonne journée, Véronique83 (Var en France).
can I please ask, how do you stop the grounds from going furry? Mine get a mould growing on them? Am I doing something wrong?
I love this idea but if we don’t empty our coffee filters into our drains because the grounds will clog, how does it work with this scrub running down our pipes?
Awesome scrub. I also add honey sometimes.