If you, like me, canโt start your day without a good cup of joe, then youโre in for a real treat. Today, Iโm super excited to share Morning Glory, my DIY coffee scrub! Itโs my personal ode to the magic of coffee, not just for waking up our minds but also for cleansing and exfoliating our skin.
As someone who loves body scrubs and is crazy for coffee, the idea of incorporating them into my skincare routine was too tempting to resist. Coffee is more than just a morning pick-me-up, itโs a fantastic exfoliant, perfect for gently buffing away dead skin cells and leaving you feeling fresh and revitalized.
Introduction
And what better way to treat our skin than with a brown sugar scrub thatโs like a morning cup of coffee for your body?
But this scrub isnโt just about the coffee. Itโs a carefully formulated blend of ingredients that come together to pamper your skin in the most delightful way. Weโve got brown sugar for gentle exfoliation, sweet almond oil for that deep nourishing moisture, and a touch of Vitamin E for its antioxidant benefits. Plus, with Polysorbate 80, Iโve made sure that this scrub washes off easily, leaving no greasy residue, just soft, smooth skin.
One of the things I like about my DIY coffee scrub is its fragrance-free character. Itโs perfect for those who prefer their skincare without a strong scent or for anyone who would enjoy the pure, unadulterated aroma of coffee. My husband uses this scrub for this very reason.
Weโll also chat about how we can take this coffee scrub recipe fully naturally too! I always love to explore ways to make formulations all natural, where possible.
So whether youโre a coffee aficionado, or simply in search of a scrub that will leave your skin feeling softer and smoother โ this homemade coffee scrub is for you. Letโs embrace the power of coffee in our skincare and give our bodies the same wake-up call that we give our taste buds every morning. Trust me, your skin will thank you!
Ingredient Insights: Crafting the Perfect Blend
Exfoliants
Our scrub begins with two powerhouse exfoliants, ground coffee and brown sugar. Ground coffee isnโt just for your morning brew anymore, Itโs also an effective natural exfoliant! It helps to slough off dead skin cells while its rich antioxidants protect your skin from free radical damage, reducing signs of aging.
Brown sugar complements this beautifully, being a gentler exfoliant that works in tandem with our coffee to help smoothen and soften skin. But I also kinda thought it synergized great with our โmorning glory coffeeโ theme! After all, brown sugar is absolutely delicious in a latte or cappuccino!
But If youโre out of brown sugar, regular white sugar works well too, or a fine-grain salt for a more intense scrubbing experience.
Itโs worth mentioning that while coffee and brown sugar are great for exfoliating the skin of the body, both of these exfoliants are unsuitable for use on the face. While sugar scrubs can be formulated safely for the face, you want to make use of rapadura brown sugar in face scrubs. Itโs a much gentler exfoliant than ordinary brown or white sugar, and wonโt cause damage to delicate facial skin.
Carrier Oils
Sweet almond oil is our only true carrier oil for this homemade coffee scrub recipe and has been selected for its excellent moisturizing properties. This nourishing oil hydrates and softens the skin, packed with vitamins A and E which promote skin health and a more youthful appearance.
Iโve only selected the one carrier oil here for simplicity. Not every recipe needs to be overly complicated. In my years as a cosmetic formulator, Iโve found that sometimes less is more. But if you want, you can get creative and blend the almond with carrier oils that you know your skin really benefits from.
But If almond oil isnโt your preference at all, feel free to substitute it with other carrier oils like jojoba, olive, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, or apricot kernel oil. You can also use coconut, but expect a stiffer consistency in the final product (and it will need to be melted in the microwave/double boiler before it can be added to your dry ingredients).
Any of these options would be great choices as like-for-like substitutes, each potentially bringing its unique benefits to your DIY coffee scrub.
Take a look at our carrier oil use guide to learn more about the benefits and uses of these carrier oils, as well as their suitability for different skin types.
Antioxidants & Preservatives
Vitamin E acts as a powerful antioxidant, keeping our oils fresh and adding extra moisturizing properties to the scrub. Oils naturally go rancid as time goes by, so including this ingredient helps to slow this process down.
But itโs important to remember that vitamin e isnโt a preservative, itโs an antioxidant. While this recipe is anhydrous, meaning it contains no water, I still think a preservative is necessary here.
In theory, anhydrous products donโt require a preservative, because the presence of water is required for microbes like bacteria and mold to grow. However, as this product is normally used in the shower or bath tub, cross-contamination (via wet fingers or steamy bathrooms) is highly likely.
Your best option for a natural preservative system here is Geogard ECT known as Preservative Eco in the UK (Inci: benzyl alcohol, salicylic acid, glycerin, sorbic acid). It is accepted in natural skin care and is soluble in both water and oil (up to a certain point).
If youโre not bothered about the natural status of your ingredients, there are several other preservatives available.ย
A preservative, combined with our lovely vitamin e, will keep your coffee scrub fresh for up to 6 to 12 months!
Polysorbate
Polysorbate 80 plays a key role in our scrub, helping to emulsify the oils with water, ensuring your skin and shower are less oily and slippery post-scrub. However, itโs worth noting that this ingredient is not natural.
If you decide to skip it, you do so at your own risk and must expect a more oily scrub. Be mindful of using it on slippery surfaces. A non-slip bath or shower mat is a must in this scenario for your safety.
Quick Substitution Guide
- Ground Coffee: No direct substitute is recommended for its unique scrubby feel and aroma.
- Brown Sugar: Can be substituted with white sugar for a similar effect or fine-grain salt for a more intense exfoliation.
- Sweet Almond Oil: Alternatives include jojoba oil, olive oil, coconut oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, or apricot kernel oil.
- Vitamin E: Rosemary CO2 extract can be used in small amounts (no more than 0.05% or 0.1g in this recipe).
- Preservative Eco: Can be swapped for Optiphen Plus. Using a preservative is recommended due to the risk of cross-contamination in wet environments.
- Polysorbate 80: Omitting this will result in a more oily scrub. If omitted, ensure safety measures in the bath or shower due to increased slipperiness.
A DIY Coffee Scrub Recipe
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Equipment
- Mixing Bowl (Glass, Aluminium or PET)
- Spoon or Spatula
Ingredients
- 76 g Brown Sugar
- 48 g Ground Coffee
- 48 g Sweet Almond Oil
- 24 g Polysorbate 80
- 2 g Vitamin E Oil
- 2 g Preservative
- Cosmetic Jar 8oz (200g)
Video
Instructions
- Place the brown sugar and ground coffee into a mixing bowl. Give them a quick stir to combine them.76 g Brown Sugar, 48 g Ground Coffee
- Mix the sweet almond oil, polysorbate 80, vitamin E, and preservative in a small beaker.48 g Sweet Almond Oil, 2 g Vitamin E Oil, 2 g Preservative, 24 g Polysorbate 80
- Now it's time to combine our wet and dry ingredients, so go ahead and pour the oils into the sugar and coffee mix. Stir the scrub until you are happy that everything is fully combined.
- Transfer the scrub into a suitable container, ready for use.Cosmetic Jar 8oz
How To Use This DIY Coffee Scrub
Using your DIY coffee scrub sounds straightforward, but Iโve got a few tips to help you get the most out of your scrub in the easiest way possible.
First up, set yourself up for success and make the skin damp with some warm water. It helps to use this scrub in the shower by first stepping into the stream to prep the skin. Then, step out/away from the water and apply a generous amount of the scrub to the skin.
Itโs worth mentioning that this method is entirely unsuitable if you donโt use a broad-spectrum preservative in your formulation. Do yourself and your skin a favor and include one as recommended in my recipe.
Gently massage the product into the skin using circular motions, being sure to target those tough areas where dead skin builds up more readily. These include the elbows and knees, but also the feet. Be careful not to overdo it, and watch out to make sure youโre not rubbing the skin raw. If the skin is red, youโre working it too hard.
Once youโre done exfoliating, itโs a piece of cake to wash this scrub off. Just hop back into the shower and itโll slip right off. This is because weโve used some polysorbate 80, but if youโre going the all-natural route (with an ecocert, natural preservative system) you might need to spend a bit more time under the water.
Final Thoughts
As we come to the end of our aromatic journey with the Morning Glory Coffee Scrub, itโs clear that this isnโt just any ordinary skincare routine โ itโs a sensory experience that invigorates both your skin and your senses. Whether youโre a coffee enthusiast or simply looking for an effective, natural way to rejuvenate your skin, this scrub promises to deliver.
Remember, the beauty of DIY recipes is the personal touch you can add. This recipe is more than a set of instructions; itโs a canvas for your creativity. Feel free to play around with the ingredients to suit your skinโs needs and preferences. And donโt forget the importance of a good preservative, especially when using the scrub in the shower, to keep your skincare routine safe and enjoyable.
Using this scrub is like treating yourself to a mini spa session, right in the comfort of your own bathroom. The simple act of exfoliating with this coffee-infused wonder not only leaves your skin feeling softer and smoother but also adds a moment of indulgence to your day.
So go ahead, embrace the joy of creating and using your own DIY coffee scrub. Let this be a delightful step in your journey towards natural, effective skincare. Hereโs to starting our days with a little extra self-care and a lot more skin love!