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.
Very eager to try this. Is there a reason to use the vanilla other then smell? Thank you:)
I just love the flavor/smell of it. :)
If you don’t like Vanilla, you can also use 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder. That’s my personal favorite.
Love Coffee
I just love the smell of coffee sugar scrub!!!
Made it for friends and family. Awsome for feet… Fabulous for face… Everyone just loves it…
Thanks for giving this a try, Louise — we’re so happy it’s a hit with folks!
Can I use any other oil like almond oil ???
We think that should be fine — we hope you enjoy it!
Not being a fan of iced coffee, can I use this same recipe and just heat it up in the microwave for hot coffee? I’m hoping cold brew will prevent the bitterness of regularly brewed coffee!
Hi Renee! We’re a little confused about your comment — we think maybe you meant to leave this comment on the iced coffee recipe, instead of the coffee sugar scrub recipe? There is no iced coffee in this sugar scrub. If that is the case, yes, you should be able to use the iced coffee recipe and just heat it up.
ive just found this and its amazing ????? thank you it works so well !!
Thanks — we’re glad you’re enjoying it!
Hi,
I don’t take coffee so no coffee grounds for me. If I have to get grounds from the office or coffee shop will any flavor be ok to use?
Also can I use store bought ground coffee instead?
Hi there! Yes, you can use any kind of coffee grounds for this. We hope you enjoy!
Great recipe! Looing forward to reading more from your blog. I’m obsessed with homemade beauty recipes.
Thanks Heather — we hope you enjoy the scrub!
Hello
I have used straight up used coffee grinds and not only is it a self tanner but it does tighten the skin. The problem is that it does stain the shower. We have upgraded to marble so I will be bringing it to the gym…lol
Came across this DIY scrub. Definitely will give it a try. Good thing I am a coffee drinker. Thanks for sharing :D
We hope you enjoy! :)
I love this too! I use a coffee grinder to fine-grind both the sugar and the coffee. And I add some turmeric for more anti-inflam action! It’s a lovely brown-yellow mess all up in my face – luckily once I wash it off my face just glows!
We think that sounds like an awesome idea Em! :)