First! Hahahahaha... no, but seriously, I'm kind of excited about my first post on a new blog. I have no frickin' clue why I'm doing this. Maybe I have some delusion that people might actually be interested in my creative projects. I am pretty creative! Anyway, I've been doing a lot of internet research (or internet "research" if you prefer ;) ) on homemade face washes and creams, trying to find something that will clean my face and soothe my eczema at the same time. This is my first attempt, so I have NO IDEA if it will work! Awesome! Let's dive right in:
I'm combining a few recipes I found online to create a coffee-based facial scrub that will make you smell like breakfast-- hence the title. Here's what you'll need:
- An 8-oz wide-mouth mason jar, or similar receptacle that will close tightly.
- 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-4 tbs coffee grounds-- I just scooped some out of what was in the coffee maker from this morning. Don't get too much water in the mix, but you don't have to press the water out of them or anything. Just don't use the soupy stuff at the bottom of the filter.
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- (optional) 1/4-1/2 tsp essential oil depending on your skin type. I used tea tree oil, but I'm going to make another one with peppermint oil-- I didn't have any in the house when I decided to do this on the fly this morning. I think the peppermint would smell better, too. You don't actually have to add any essential oils, but they can be helpful if you have problem skin like I do.
Hey, that reminds me, here's a cool thing:
Okay, have all your stuff? Great, here's what you do:
(Oh, and I apologize for the lack of process pictures. I'll add some when I make another one of these with peppermint oil.)
Step 1: spoon coconut oil into the jar until it takes up about a third of the jar. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Heat in microwave for about 45 seconds and stir until it's all melted.
Step 2: add coffee grounds up to about an inch from the top of the jar.
Step 3: add lemon juice and essential oil. Stir.
Step 4: let the mixture cool to room temperature. I put mine in the freezer for half an hour, which, in retrospect, you may not want to do since if it gets too cold it will be difficult to mix. Stir again until mixture is smooth (aside from the coffee grounds, obviously. We just don't want to see any chunks).
If you skipped the essential oil, you could also eat it if you ran out of food.
Step 5: put it on your face and rub it in gently with your hands. Rinse with warm water and a soft cloth.
Step 6: you will smell like a cafe and it will be wonderful. Or it will disgust you and you'll wonder why you ever thought this was a good idea. I make no guarantees here.
How it works: the lemon juice in this recipe acts primarily as an emulsifier: it helps the water in the coffee grounds not to separate from the oil (you may have a bit of separation anyway, if this happens, pour off as much of the liquid as you can, and add a bit more lemon juice if the scrub is too thick). Lemon juice also acts as a preservative and an astringent. The coffee exfoliates and it also has astringent properties. As for the oil, some of the other recipes I saw just called for olive oil or just coconut oil. I like the consistency produced by the combination of oils-- it stays on your face but it's easy to work with. I also think the coconut oil helps it smell delicious, which is important if you have the mentality of a five-year-old, like me. These two oils are also the best at moisturizing that you can find on your grocery shelf, which is why you'll find them in a lot of DIY face and hair products instead of other easily-available oils like, say, Canola.
This was my first foray into making a face scrub, but I'm definitely liking the results. If you don't count the time it takes to cool, it only took me around 10 minutes to put it together, and my skin feels soft, smooth, and supple-- and I smell awesome. Hopefully, you'll have similar results. If you try it, let me know how it worked out for you!
