Amazing Coffee Scrub

Is it cold where you are? I live in Nashville. Our last winter was brutal. Everything around us froze. Christmas 2015 was unusually mild, but came January 1, temperatures dropped into 30’s and 20’s. Crisp, cold winter air can be your skin’s enemy. The heating used indoors makes my skin dry and itchy. So it’s important to me to stock up on the necessary beauty supplies to weather any winter storm. The older I get, the more moisture my body craves. I can’t get enough of lotions and oils, especially during the colder months.  I keep moisturizers all over the house. I have one in my purse and one in my car.  I apply them everywhere – body, face, hair, lips, feet, hands, cuticles, eyelashes (yes, I even rub oils on my eyelashes). 

I am a huge fan of body scrubs. Dry skin and dead skin cells are not pretty to look at, and during cold wintry months you can notice a visible difference. I like to play around with different ingredients and make my own exfoliators. I’ve discovered this coffee scrub recipe in the health section of my local newspaper. I’ve tried it and it feels amazing!

Coffee… one of my favorite things. I can do so much with it. I can drink it, eat it, and scrub my skin with it.

You’ll need:

4 tbsp Ground Coffee

4 tbsp Brown Sugar (the original recipe called for white sugar but I prefer brown sugar because it has finer particles, making it more gentle on the skin).

1/2 cup (or more) Extra Virgin Olive Oil  (other oils such as coconut oil, almond oil, etc. work just as well)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Store in a container.

Exfoliation helps give my skin a fresh start by buffing away dead cells and revealing a smooth layer. I love to apply the scrub to my face, body, and lips. It leaves my skin silky smooth. It really does wonders. You can see the results instantly.

BENEFITS:

• Caffeine in coffee is a natural antioxidant. It also helps increase the blood flow which helps release all the toxins in your skin. As it increases the blood flow, it tightens and tones the skin.
• Olive oil is full of antioxidants. It conditions the skin and restores the moisture.
• Brown sugar is soft and gentle, yet powerful enough to scrub away dead skin.

After exfoliating (I do it twice a week), you’ll need a good moisturizer to seal in this healthy scrub. The best type of moisturizer depends on your skin type,  and whether you personally favor lotions or oils. I love both. In general, I am a huge fan of moisturizers. Everything looks better hydrated. On my cracked heels, I like to use oils and then cover my feet with cotton socks  to let the moisture soak in. I also use extra virgin olive oil on my face.

There’s no sticky residue afterwards either. It only takes a minute or two for my skin to air dry an then I can go about my business.  

It’s just a great way to moisturize your skin and keep it soft for 24 hours, by locking in hydration.

While external hydration is super important, let’s not forget about our internal moisture. Are we all drinking the amount of water that’s recommended for us daily?  I can see and feel the difference when I’m giving my body what it needs. When I’m drinking enough water, I FEEL and LOOK better.

Share with us. What’s your favorite way to get rid of flaky, dry skin?