Coffee benefits our lives. But, did you know it enhances our skin too? Coffee is an essential addition to any cosmetic routine. Pairing coffee and cosmetics lets us reap the most benefits of nutrient-filled coffee beans.
Coffee and cosmetics go hand in hand for both the face and body. There are numerous advantages to applying coffee into your beauty routine. Let’s discover how coffee can brighten your life by boosting your skin health.
Coffee’s Anti-Aging Properties
Coffee is an excellent exfoliator. Ground coffee does not dissolve in water, maintaining its granular shape coffee. Thus, the grounds efficiently scrub the skin, ridding it off lingering dirt and dead skin cells. This leaves the skin feeling smooth and young.
Coffee exfoliation has many long term benefits. Smooth skin is always fabulous and attractive. A well-crafted scrub boosts overall circulation. This stimulates blood flow in the skin, for both your face or body. It results in smooth and firm skin. It also brings more color to the skin, giving a fresh complexion to the skin.
Using a coffee soap or scrub, in particular, has amazing anti-aging properties. A 2013 chemistry study found that caffeic acid in coffee could increase collagen levels and slow the premature aging of skin cells. Collagen is a necessary protein that gives structure to your skin and bones. This boosts your skin elasticity, keeping your skin youthful and bright.
A coffee scrub also minimizes the presence of cellulite. Coffee contains both powerful and antioxidants. Both resist water retention and dehydrate fat cells. When used as a scrub, it helps shrink these cells, giving skin a naturally tighter appearance.
These coffee scrub benefits are also fantastic for those with eczema or scarring. This all makes a coffee scrub a great addition to your daily wellness routine.
Protection from the Sun
Coffee is chock full of nutrients that support anti-aging and sun protection. Protecting your skin from damaging UV rays keeps it looking younger.
Coffee’s incredible nutritional benefits also protect you from skin cancer. The leading cause of skin cancer is radiation from these UV rays. Coffee is plentiful in polyphenols. These are potent antioxidants known to protect the skin from the effects of the sun’s damaging UV rays. Coffee is also full of niacin. The Skin Cancer Foundation reported that this B vitamin can help prevent nonmelanoma skin cancers and other growths as well.
Luckily, we can absorb the protective benefits of polyphenols with coffee! A quality coffee scrub prior to sun exposure boosts skin with antioxidants. Paired with your usual coffee drinking habits, you are strengthening your body’s resistance to harmful UV rays.
DIY Coffee Scrub
Making your own scrub is easy. This allows you to customize ingredients, especially if you have any specific allergies.
What you’ll need:
- 1 cup of organic coffee (grind: medium-coarse)
- ¾ cup of sea salt or raw sugar
- ½ cup of coconut oil*
- 5 drops of sweet orange oil (or any essential oil of choice!)
- Mason Jar with lid (2 small or one large)
Method:
- Wash your hands (you want a clean scrub!)
- Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
*Avocado or olive oil will work instead, especially if you have any allergy!
If you do not have time to make your own scrub, here is our top scrub pick:
Majestic Pure Arabica Coffee Scrub features high-quality Kona coffee and the finest sea salt from the Dead sea. This combination easily exfoliates the skin, with the help of supplementary organic essential oils. Your skin will feel perfectly cleansed, leaving you feeling refreshed!
Radiant Facial Skincare
Coffee promotes clear and blemish-free skin. There are several factors the influence our skin health. The benefits of coffee consumption extend beyond skin health. Regular intake can enhance overall well-being through improved hydration and increased energy levels. Additionally, coffee is rich in antioxidants, which play a crucial role in protecting the skin from damage.
Inflammation is behind many facial skin dilemmas. The naturally occurring chemicals in coffee actually have impressive anti-inflammatory properties. These properties may be attributed to the caffeine in coffee. Caffeine relaxes blood vessels and stimulates blood flow. This reduces fluid build-up that results in a puffy or inflamed looking face. While moderate coffee consumption can have skin benefits, it is important to be aware of caffeine overdose warning signs. Excessive intake can lead to increased heart rate, anxiety, and even digestive issues. Recognizing these symptoms can help maintain a healthy balance for both skin and overall well-being.
Frustrated with your dark circles or increasingly puffy eyes? The chlorogenic acid in coffee is said to specifically help reduce inflammation under your eyes. And, the melanoidins in coffee challenge hyperpigmentation that cause dark circles. In this way, coffee makes you look awake too!
The comprehensive anti-inflammatory properties in coffee also help reduce acne flare-ups. Acne is a direct result of dead skin build-up and inflamed clogged pores. A gentle coffee skin scrub provides immediate acne fighting action. It will clean out these pores while also safeguarding skin from future breakouts.
Coffee also has fantastic anti-wrinkle features. As we know, coffee protects the skin from the sun, which is also a cause of major wrinkling. But, the caffeine in coffee also does wonders for resisting wrinkles. Caffeine is known to challenge the photoaging process of the skin. This keeps skin looking young. Also, when used in skincare, caffeine can boost the microcirculation in the skin.
Moreover, caffeine in skincare products was found to increase microcirculation in the skin. This increases the growth of new skin needed and maintains skin elasticity. Microcirculation also leads to a rosier and restored complexion.
DIY Coffee Face Mask
Everyone has a unique skin type. Yet, coffee benefits all sorts of skins, when paired with the right ingredients! Below are two excellent face masks, one for dry and one for oily skin. Each will cleanse and refresh your skin. The recipe makes one mask.
For Dry Skin:
What you’ll need:
- ½ cup coarsely ground organic coffee beans
- 1 cup of unsweetened milk (whole milk, oat milk, or almond milk works best)
- 2-3 tbsps of extra virgin coconut oil (cold-pressed olive or avocado oil are fantastic substitutes!)
- 1 tbsp of raw honey (if you can find it, manuka or linden honey work best!)
- 3 drops of frankincense essential oil
Method:
- Carefully mix the coffee grounds, milk, and oil to create a paste. This will judge how thick your mask will be, so feel free to adjust to your preferred thickness by adding more or less milk.
- Gently mix in honey and frankincense essential oil.
- Make sure everything is well mixed. Apply to your face.
- Let sit for at least 30 minutes and relax!
- Rinse and embrace your fresh skin!
For Oily Skin:
What you’ll need:
- ½ cup coarsely ground organic coffee beans
- 1 cup of unsweetened milk (whole milk, oat milk, or almond milk works best)
- 3-4 tbsp of lemon juice
- 2-3 drops of sweet orange essential oil
Method:
- Carefully mix the coffee grounds, milk, and lemon juice to create a paste. This will judge how thick your mask will be, so feel free to adjust to your preferred thickness by adding more or less milk.
- Incorporate the sweet orange essential oil.
- Make sure everything is well mixed. Apply to your face.
- Let sit for at least 30 minutes and relax!
- Rinse and embrace your fresh skin!
If you are short on time, there are also face masks for purchase. We love the Nicaragua Coffee Intense Awakening Mask from The Body Shop. It is made of community trade ingredients, the equivalent to Fair Trade in the beauty world. It works for all skin types. And, it has a wonderful coffee scent that awakens your senses while refreshing your skin!
Boosts Hair Health
Last but not least, coffee is fabulous for maintaining beautiful hair. Coffee has incredible properties that help boost both scalp and hair follicle health. It keeps your hair and scalps pH balance in check. This improves hair strength and color. Also, the primary flavonoids in coffee are regenerative antioxidants that promote glossy and soft hair.
Most importantly, coffee is said to fight off baldness. Instead, it stimulates hair growth. The caffeine in coffee suppresses the chemical phosphodiesterase. This chemical is known to cause alopecia or baldness.
DIY Coffee Hair Rinse
Maintaining hair health with coffee is simple and affordable! It is important to note that if you have lighter colored hair, too much of the rinse can mildly stain your hair. Make sure to choose a lighter roast and rinse carefully if you have blonde or light brown hair.
What you’ll need:
- 1 cup of strongly brewed coffee (pour-over or drip coffee works best)
- 1 cup of water (this is optional, but a good option if you are worried about staining your hair)
- Shower cap
Method:
- Brew coffee as usual. Allow to cool off to room temperature
- Mix with water. After your normal shampooing routine, rinse your hair with the coffee solution. The rinse can stain, so be attentive to any clothing present.
- Wrap your hair and fit it in a shower cap. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
- Rinse hair carefully, along with any parts of your body stained by the coffee rinse (the coffee will come out easily!)
If you are not feeling a coffee rinse does, there are excellent coffee shampoos out there. Our recommendation is the TruePure Natural Caffeine Shampoo.