Of all the household ingredients that you could use in your beauty routine, coffee is probably not one of them! Yet this kitchen staple isn't just good for waking you up, but also has a number of beauty uses. And it's extra good news if you can use something that you'd otherwise throw away. So here's how to use coffee for your beauty routine …
Do you usually toss your coffee grounds in the bin? Why discard them, when you can make a fabulous natural body scrub! Coffee grounds are less harsh than other scrub ingredients such as sugar, so it's a good ingredient to use if your skin tends to be sensitive. Mix with an oil such as coconut, and some essential oils, and you've got a cheap, effective, all-natural scrub!
Are you plagued by dark circles under your eyes? Coffee comes to the rescue again! It's not just drinking it that wakes you up; coffee is popping up as an ingredient in eye creams. It works to open the blood vessels, thus improving the circulation (dark circles are caused by the blood accumulating). You can add some coffee to your existing eye cream if you don't want to buy a new one.
Blondes have their camomile hair rinses - brunettes can use coffee to enhance their color! It's great for maintaining your color between salon visits or home coloring. You'll need two cups of strong coffee (or three if you want to drink one!). Pour over your hair, wrap in plastic or a shower cap, and leave for a couple of hours before shampooing your hair.
When you've been chopping garlic and onion, the smell can stick stubbornly to your fingers, no matter how much you wash them with soap. Here's where coffee has yet another use. Grab some ground coffee and rub it over your fingers; you should find that it quickly deals with that stubborn garlicky smell.
Anti-aging products can be so expensive, can't they? Save some cash and reuse your coffee grounds to make your own super anti-aging product. Mix two parts coffee grounds and one part water, adding a few drops of tea tree oil if you like. Massage onto your skin using circular movements (this won't drag your skin), and rinse off.
If you're not yet in need of anti-aging treatments, you might need to get rid of cellulite. Even stars are plagued by cellulite, but they can afford expensive treatments for it. Make a much cheaper version with your old coffee grounds and some coconut oil - mix together, apply in circular movements, and rinse. Goodbye cellulite!
If you use a lot of styling products on your hair, you'll find that it builds up on your hair and leaves it sticky or heavy. But there's a simple way to deal with it, and yes, it involves coffee grounds. Every couple of weeks, rub the grounds into your hair and roots before you shampoo (avoid if you're blonde, as it may darken your hair).
So don't waste your coffee grounds - wake up your beauty routine with these tips!