Who can resist the soft, rich, well-rounded flavour of a well-made cappuccino, or the energising sharpness of a true Italian espresso? If you can, hats off to you – I know I certainly never could. Since I was old enough to drink coffee (opinions differ on what age that is; my Milan-born and raised husband tells tales of having been given a splash of coffee in his milk at kindergarten!), I have been addicted to its sophisticated, grown-up flavour and kick of energy. But much has changed in the way we view this “black gold” – back in the day, myself and my fellow caffeine-aholics were used to thinking that our drug of choice was bad for us. It stained our teeth and it stopped our hearts, somewhere down the line. But as the years went by and science delved deeper into the art of coffee, things looked brighter. Today, it looks like science is siding with the bean-lovers: new research shows that caffeine, the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world, affects your mood, memory and general cognitive functions positively. It can also lower your risk of liver cancer by around 40%. Take that, all you killjoys who told me to “cut down” back in my early twenties. I’ll make my next cup with a clean conscience.
The Beauty Benefits of Coffee
Aside from drinking it for all kinds of goodness, not to mention an irresistible and often much-needed hit of energy, you can also use coffee as a natural beauty tool. The prettifying properties of caffeine are nothing short of miraculous: it can potentially help brighten your skin and prevent the clogging of the pores when used as a mask. Coffee is also packed full of antioxidants, which can help protect your skin from free radicals and pollution. And if that wasn’t enough, coffee scrub is also an amazing ally in the quest for tighter, smoother skin: the aforementioned antioxidants can help tighten skin and stimulate collagen production, making skin appear plumper and sleeker.
And lastly, despite it being mainly known as a stimulant, coffee can actually be calming to the skin. Using a natural coffee scrub, instead of one filled with harsh artificial ingredients can help calm redness and reduce inflammation.
Our Vegan Favourites
We’ve smelled and scrubbed some of the best vegan coffee scrubs (messing up our bathrooms in the process!) to hand-pick these cruelty-free and natural little gems that can help revitalise your skin and bring that refreshing caffeine hit to your face as well as your mood.
Essential and highly effective, this scrub is made from a blend of coffee, sweet almond oil, vitamin E and sea salt – and that’s literally it. No nasty chemicals here. It smells like a mocha frappuccino and is microbead-free. Using it twice a week helps stimulate blood flow, promote collagen production and get rid of dead skin.
JOE All-Natural + Refreshing Fair Trade Coffee Body & Face Mask
A scrub and mask made from fair-trade organic coffee, Himalayan pink salt and brown sugar, plus a mix of oils: coconut, almond, grapeseed and jasmine. It’s both soothing and exfoliating, leaving your skin feeling refreshed and energised.
Sweet almond oil, coconut oil and rose hip oil are blended with coffee in this repairing scrub for damaged skin. This gentle scrub will moisturise your face and add a touch of nourishment.
Isla Apothecary Coffee + Cinnamon Body Polish
Coffee and cinnamon are a perfect combination for autumn and winter – not just in a cup, but on your face, too. This rich scrub also contains walnut shells and Dead Sea salt to softly exfoliate and support cell renewal. Plus, it also looks gorgeous in your bathroom!
Optiat The Hungover Potent Peppermint Coffee Scrub
Stayed out late last night? This refreshing Sunday-morning scrub contains a hint of peppermint along with coffee to help you scrub up fresh and get ready for a new day.
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Photos by Nathan Dumlao via Unsplash
