Oh I love to save money. To reuse and repurpose. To get creative with the resources I have….and to get beautiful while I’m at it!
Coffee grounds are a little known beauty secret that pack a powerful punch for pampering. The beans contain over 300 naturally occurring antioxidant compounds. It has the same pH as your skin, making it a gentle and effective choice for facials. Coffee is a natural astringent, antioxidant, detoxifier and exfoliant all rolled into one. It has been used for thousands of years to moisturize dry skin, heal cuts and abrasions faster, and soothe chapped hands and feet.
Here’s How:
1. I store used coffee grounds (the grounds that are left in the filter after you make the coffee) in a glass jar and keep it in the bathroom.
2. At night I mix a small handful of the grounds with a cream cleanser and massage my face in small circles. (you could just use the grounds without a cleanser as well)
3. Then I rinse and pat dry.
4. Sometimes, if I have a few more minutes I will mix the coffee grounds with some honey (another fantastic skin salve) and apply as a mask.
This can benefit other areas of your body as well. Studies show that massaging coffee grounds into the skin helps smooth away cellulite and get rid of bumps and dimples. The caffeine in the coffee grounds constricts blood vessels so skin appears tighter, firmer and smoother.
What kind of natural, inexpensive beauty secrets do you have?
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Heating up coconut oil and leaving it in your hair for about 20 minutes is great! It makes your hair look healthy and soft, and brings a boost of shine
Renee
Do you have sensitive skin at all? I think I’ll try this (interesting) idea although I do have sensitive skin. I look forward to more of your site!
@Renee- I use cocnut oil for so many things already…I’ll have to try that one.
@Kika- I personally don’t have sensitive skin…but the pH of coffee should render it suitable for even sensitive skin types…maybe try to start with finely ground coffee (like for espresso) to be sure the texture doesn’t irritate? I’d love to hear from you if you do try it!
Aha! Now my husband won’t get the coffee grounds for his compost any more!
I am going to try this, sounds really great! Coffee is even better than I thought! haha
Oh how I love coffee! Now not only can I drink it, but now I can make myself even more beautiful with it!!! You’re the greatest!
Hi again- I tried this twice and although my (sensitive) skin remained pink for two to three hours afterward, I had no irritation from the coffee scrub. In the end, though, the smell and mess in the shower discourage me from using this scrub again. I wonder if others have made home-made scrubs using colloidal oatmeal (like that in oatmeal bath packets)?
@Kika: Glad to hear your skin was able to tolerate the scrub…I generally don’t use this in the shower, but add just a bit to my face cleanser and the clean up seems doable for me…I’ve never used colloidal oatmeal– has anyone else had experience with this?