Coffee Facial Scrub

I've been in love with coconut oil for this entire winter season because it's the only thing that hydrates my skin.  I have super dry skin and by the end of the day, my face feels so tight and aggravated. Today I heated some coconut oil a little bit and put it on my face with amazing results; my face felt so smooth and silky. Along with a really dry face, my lips are chapped and peeling. Cue: this coffee scrub.

Coconut oil is amazing. It has great health benefits when you use it in the kitchen and it's such an amazing moisturizer. I don't use coconut oil much for cooking so now it's pretty much my skincare routine. I usually put it on my face, arms and legs and just let it seep in. Lately, I spray my face with some refreshing essential oils first then massage the coconut oil on my face while it's cool and tingling. I try to do this twice a day. Try to buy cold-pressed, unrefined oil as it is the least processed. Trader Joe's has a decently priced coconut oil but I've purchased it at Whole Foods and Amazon as well.

There isn't a more awakening scent than coffee, is there? Imagine using it on your face to help exfoliate and hydrate. If you are a huge fan of do-it-yourself, homemade, organic, vegan, all-natural skincare, this scrub is going to be for you. This morning I used this scrub on my face when I woke up and I will probably end up using it in the shower tonight. The steam from the shower will help open my pores so the oil can moisturize while the coffee exfoliates. Keep a little bit of this in your shower so you can use it morning and night.

If you want a more moisturizing scrub, use more coconut oil than coffee. I added some more coconut oil to my scrub this morning so it would be more hydrating.

2 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tbsp of coffee

Combine the coconut oil and coffee and mix well. You don't need to heat the coconut oil before mixing it with the coffee. Use less oil if you want the scrub to be grittier.

My process is this: I mix peppermint, lemongrass and cucumber essential oils in a spray bottle and put it in the fridge. I use this spray to spritz on my face before applying any coconut oil, it wakes me up and hydrates and cools off my face.

Spray the essential oils on your face, or, if you don't have oils, spray your face with cool water. Gently massage the coffee scrub on your face, making sure it's on your entire face and your neck, if you wish. Gently rub the scrub on your lips to exfoliate. Keep the scrub on for about 5 minutes and then rinse off with cool water. Pat dry or just let your face air dry. You will still have coconut oil on your face so you should feel moisturized. I also use grapefruit and sweet orange essential oils to help me feel awake and alert. I use rosemary oil in my hair. Gentle application of a scrub means that you're not putting pressure on her skin as you rub it in, you don't want the scrub to cause irritation or redness to your skin. I also used this scrub on the backs of my hands since my hands are also super dry and cracked.

How do you use essential oils? I usually use them like I would perfume, I put some on my wrist, behind my ears and run some rosemary oil through my hair with my hands after I wash it. You can put a few drops of oil in a spray bottle with some filtered water to use in your hair or on your face, like I described above. Usually the oils come with instructions on how best to use them so check out some different brands and see which ones you like.

If you have sensitive skin, only use the scrub twice a week and ask your dermatologist about the best way to care for your skin. When you don't use the scrub, you can heat coconut oil on the stove, transfer it to a glass dish and let it cool. Once it's cool, apply to your face and body like you would lotion and spray some oils or cold water on your face to feel refreshed. It's the best treatment after a long day out or after you wake up in the morning.

This is a perfect example of self care. This scrub takes just seconds to make and you can spend the afternoon pampering yourself!