You probably washed your face this morning (I hope so) and had some coffee.
Beauty products like face and body cleansers and coffee, two of the most traded commodities in the world, have a huge impact on sustainability. Make it yourself and you can cure two acne problems with one product. Homemade coffee scrub With leftovers from your morning coffee.
We're always looking for ways to reduce waste to landfills and conserve the earth's limited resources, and using leftover household materials like coffee grounds is a great way to reduce waste.
Explore How to Make Coffee Face Scrub
1. Why make a scrub with used coffee grounds?
The coffee industry is estimated to produce 54 million tonnes of used coffee grounds each year, much of which ends up in landfills along with 120 billion pieces of cosmetic packaging each year.
Additionally, as an inexpensive filler, water is a common ingredient used by beauty brands in skincare and cosmetics. The average skincare product contains 60% to 85% water. With the average price of a major cleanser being $8.20, beauty products contain high amounts of expensive water, and with two-thirds of the world's population expected to face water shortages by 2025, water is becoming a major problem.
Microbeads, the tiny plastic particles used in body washes and exfoliants, have been found to be so harmful to the environment that they were banned by the UK government in 2018. It's easy to see why replacing your commercial cleansers with homemade cleansing oils and scrubs that reuse coffee waste is the first step towards a more sustainable skincare routine.
The good points are Exfoliating with coffee grounds Don't stop there.
Coffee grounds contain coarse particles that remove dirt and dead cells from the surface of the skin, making them an excellent skin exfoliant, fulfilling the role once played by microbeads.
Other substances in coffee also help promote healthy skin: Caffeic acid, an antioxidant, may boost collagen levels, reduce premature cellular aging, protect against sun damage, and improve blood circulation, which is why many people turn to homemade coffee scrubs to combat cellulite and wrinkles.
2. How to Make a Coffee Body Scrub
Firstly, do you use fresh or used coffee grounds for your body and face scrubs?
You can use either, unbrewed coffee grounds will have a higher caffeine content, but we recommend using used coffee grounds for sustainability reasons.
As for what to do next, Hackney Herbal founder Natalie Maddy shares her recipe for a DIY coffee sugar scrub.
- 1 cup of used coffee grounds (from a biodegradable coffee pod, French press, or whatever coffee maker you use)
- 1 cup sea salt, Epsom salt, or brown sugar
- 5ml carrier oil (add more or less depending on how dry your scrub is)
- Up to 10 drops total of rosemary, mandarin, and sage essential oils
- Optional: a little honey, a sprig of rosemary, grated mandarin or orange peel
“If you prefer, you can also make your own scrub without the coffee using sea salt, Epsom salt and sugar,” Nutley explains.
“Adding herbs and essential oils enhances the benefits of a scrub, turning it into a luxurious body treatment. This scrub combines rosemary, sage and mandarin essential oils with fresh rosemary and mandarin peel sprigs. Rosemary stimulates blood flow and circulation, sage purifies and cleanses, and mandarin invigorates and rejuvenates the mind and body. Choose from a range of essential oils and fresh herbs to suit your mood and desired effects.”
Combine all ingredients, stir well and store in an airtight container. If using fresh ingredients, it is best to use the scrub within 5 days as fresh ingredients will wilt and spoil. Make small batches frequently and use when needed.
this Homemade Coffee Scrub It can be used on both the face and body, and you can also mix coffee grounds with a little honey to use as an exfoliating lip scrub.
3. Exfoliate with Coffee Grounds
When you're ready to actually use it Coffee ground exfoliantApply the mixture to dry skin using circular motions. Leave it on for a few minutes (2-3 should be enough), then rinse it off in the shower like any other body scrub. If using it as a facial scrub, rinse it off in the sink.
Coffee grounds can also be used as a hair mask. Contrary to what they claim, shampoos, conditioners and styling products often leave residue on hair that can make it dull and weigh down. However, one of the many benefits of shampoo bars made with natural ingredients is that they leave much less of this residue.
Either way, exfoliating your scalp with coffee grounds can help remove buildup and dead skin cells, and the caffeine may also stimulate hair growth.
Before shampooing, massage the coffee grounds into your scalp and hair for a few minutes, then rinse, shampoo, and condition as usual. As with the apple cider vinegar cleansing rinse, you should only do this once or twice a week, as too much exposure to acidity can throw off the pH balance of your scalp.
Summary of Homemade Coffee Sugar Scrub
Getting creative with ingredients that you would normally throw away is a great way to reduce waste and keep things from going to landfills. Who would have thought that the leftovers of a caffeine addiction could become the beauty secret we've spent so much money on?
Most people spend an average of $20 a month on coffee, which adds another item to your monthly expense list, so you'd better make the most of every cup and avoid waste.
If you're a tea drinker but want to try the exfoliating properties of coffee, ask your local coffee shop what they do with their coffee grounds, and if they usually just throw them away, consider offering to take them away.
Add some green coffee (or beans) to your skincare shelf and share this recipe with your friends so they too can put their coffee grounds to good use. Happy scrubbing!