Residue of one of our favorite caffeinated drinks, coffee grounds are an ingredient with unsuspected beauty virtues. How to use it on face and body? The answer in beauty recipes!
It is often thrown away after drinking a cup of coffee, yet coffee grounds are far from being just waste. This caffeine-based powder is even an active ingredient which can be very useful in our beauty ritual and which readily replaces certain cosmetics because it has interesting properties for our skin (and sometimes even our hair). Its main use? Use it as a scrub for the face and body because it is a good exfoliant (or even as a scrub for the scalp in case of oily hair). Beauty rituals that are generally practiced every week using fairly expensive beauty products. So we do not hesitate to take advantage of this coffee residue which is an effective and economical product because it deserves to be transformed rather than thrown away.
What are the benefits of this natural active ingredient? How to recycle your coffee grounds into exfoliators yourself at home? Which DIY recipe to choose for which part of the body?
What are the benefits of coffee on the skin?
It is known to be effective in boosting our energy in the morning thanks to the good dose of caffeine it contains and beneficial for our health because studies show that it prevents cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic diseases liver disease, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and even depression. But the benefits of coffee don’t stop there. Rich in powerful antioxidants – polyphenols – it is also perfect for counter the action of free radicals that age our epidermis, the very ones that are at the origin of the appearance of wrinkles and pigment spots, a loss of firmness or even a dull complexion.
Drinking coffee would even be useful in case of rosacea to reduce inflammation in the skin and reduce associated redness.
How to make a scrub with coffee grounds?
It’s quite simple because all you need is a few spoonfuls of coffee grounds and one or two other ingredients to whip up a homemade body scrub. Generally, the coffee powder must be mixed with a little vegetable oil (coconut, olive, argan, etc.) and/or honey, for example. You can also add a few drops of essential oil to your home treatment to perfume your scrub or give it a very useful anti-cellulite action on the buttocks and thighs.
Our step-by-step DIY recipe:
- In a bowl, put a tablespoon and a half of coconut oil (or olive, or argan).
- If it has solidified and is too hard for mixing because the ambient temperature is below 24°C, it is possible to heat it for a few minutes over low heat in a saucepan in order to create your treatment more easily.
- Add two to three drops of grapefruit essential oil with draining and destocking properties and mix well.
- Then add the equivalent of two tablespoons of coffee grounds and mix again.
- Here you are with a body scrub that smells like coffee! All that remains is to apply it in the shower by massage, making sure to make small circular gestures by spreading it on your legs, arms, stomach, etc.
- Rinse with clean water and enjoy your well-exfoliated skin!
No time to do your scrub from A to Z? Just mix a tablespoon of coffee grounds with a dose of shower gel to benefit from the exfoliating effects. This instantly transforms your cleansing cosmetics into a coffee scrub!
What about its effect on cellulite?
If the scrub smooth the captions a bit thanks to the exfoliation – and therefore we can see a change on our skin right after having one because it becomes firmer – coffee grounds do not have a miracle effect on cellulite when used in this way. It certainly improves its appearance somewhat but will not make the difference if you want to effectively remove your orange peel skin. The caffeine it contains will not act in depth since it is a rinse-off treatment.
On the other hand, nothing prevents you fromcombine with anti-orange peel skin care which also contain it and whose effectiveness is proven. Following the coffee scrub (which rids the epidermis of dead skin to improve treatment penetration) by applying a caffeine-rich cream is a very good idea to fight against cellulite and maximize the effectiveness of treatments anti-cellulite.
How to use coffee grounds for the face?
Exactly the same way as on the body! The beans in the coffee grounds are of a fairly great sweetness to be able to be applied on the fine and fragile skin of the face and even on the delicate mucous membrane of the lips to make them soft. Simply add it to an oil that suits your skin type before application.
We recommend more precisely that ofAlmond which is moisturizing enough for dry skin but non-comedogenic for oily skin prone to pimples and other blackheads. You will see, used in this way, it removes dead skin while activating blood circulation to revive the radiance of the complexion and make you look good.
Recipe :
- In a bowl, put a tablespoon of oil and the same amount of vegetable oil (you can also add a dash of honey if you wish).
- Stir well with a spatula to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
- Apply it to your face, including your lips, and treat yourself to a delicate fingertip massage to exfoliate your face. Make good small circular movements to peel off dead skin.
- Rinse with lukewarm water.
And don’t forget to forward this coffee scrub by applying a moisturizer like after any exfoliation.
How to use coffee grounds for dark circles?
Coffee grounds can also be used as a mask on the eye contour to decongest, minimize signs of fatigue by boosting blood circulation and awakening the eyes.
How to do ?
- Mix a spoon of coffee grounds with an egg white and a teaspoon of honey.
- Apply the mixture to the eye contour, around dark circles but also crow’s feet wrinkles for a lifting effect.
- Leave on for about 5 minutes before rinsing.
- Your dark circles will be reduced.
Good to know : this mask recipe for the eye contour can also be used on the whole face because it is a very good lifting mask. Also apply it to the neck and around the lips for a youthful boost.
Not a fan of DIY recipes? Try these ready-to-use products:
Choose your coffee scrub:
And on the hair?
Just mix ground coffee powder with your usual shampoo to benefit from its exfoliating and purifying properties.
Coffee grounds, a natural mosquito repellent that works miracles!
Passionate about writing and beauty, Elodie swaps her lipstick for her laptop to find you the best makeup, hair and skincare trends, and pro tips…