Nothing beats your morning cup of coffee, and there’s no reason you should be ashamed of that. Coffee packs some serious health benefits; the human body absorbs the most antioxidants from it, its smell alone is therapeutic and drinking it prevents premature skin aging. But once your cup is empty, you feel prepared to start your morning and likely toss out an important ingredient that has some seriously magical powers: the used grounds.
>> Read more: Coffee: Is is Good or Bad For You?
Coffee grounds (fresh or used) can be used as a natural exfoliant to scrub away dead skin and reveal smooth, healthy, moisturized skin underneath. Because it’s a natural means of rejuvenating your body, it’s known as a mechanical exfoliant as opposed to chemical exfoliants that use acidic means of clearing the skin.
While Women’s Health Magazine’s natural beauty expert Renée Loux suggests using fresh ground coffee to maximize results, many DIYers reveal that reusing their morning grounds is still an effective (and free) way to reap the scrub’s benefits. Fresh coffee grounds have more antioxidants and caffeine that used grounds, but either method is effective as an exfoliant.
Aside from cleaning and revitalizing your skin, the caffeine in coffee grounds can temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite and give your skin a tighter, firmer look and feel by dilating blood vessels. It also acts as a stimulant to increase circulation and reduce your body’s water retention which can smooth the bumpy appearance of cellulite. (via Fox News)
Although coffee has the power to smooth your rumpled trouble spots, it’s not a permanent solution to reducing cellulite. In fact, the exfoliant’s cellulite-reducing effects only last a few hours and it shouldn’t become a part of your daily beauty routine. Scrubbing too much can actually cause skin irritation and inflammation, creating more rough patches and redness.
>> Ready to rid your body of cellulite for good? Try this workout: Cya Cellulite!
Ideally, using your used or fresh coffee grounds as a natural skin exfoliant about 10 minutes twice per week should give you positive results over time. A Huffington Post home remedies study participant found that, when following this regimen, her skin was firmer and smoother after four weeks.
If you’re ready to give it a go, check out this DIY Coffee Sugar Scrub by Gimme Some Oven. You’ll only need about five minutes and three ingredients that you probably already have stashed in the pantry! This recipe includes oil, too, so it’s also a great moisturizer while cleaning your skin.
For an all-natural skincare line that stars these powerful coffee grounds, check out Frank Body products. Frank says, “Just like it wakes you up from the inside, coffee can wake up on the outside, too. That’s why all my products contain this key ingredient.” All products are free of parabens, PEGS, phthalates or sulfates.