Dhaka, 7 Dec, Abnews: No matter how many articles we see about the importance of whittling down our daily coffee intake (i.e. many), we’re more than happy to admit that we aren’t exactly inclined to give up that morning cup. Brushing off the haters comes easily to us, especially when you consider the slew of undercover beauty uses that coffee has been hiding all this time on top of being our favorite morning wake-up call. Here, we’ve rounded up eight ways to incorporate coffee into your beauty routine that even a tea drinker could love.
Eliminate Puffy Eyes
In a world packed with stressful work deadlines and family obligations, the vast majority of us are not getting enough sleep, which is the best way to go about acquiring puffy eyes and dark circles. Game changer: coffee can help you get a morning pick-me-up for your eyes, not just your brain. Lynda Torrey, Director of Education at The Woodhouse Day Spa, recommends saving the grounds from your morning pot of coffee and setting them aside to cool before applying to the under eye area and eyelids. Hang out or soak in a relaxing bath for about twenty minutes, then rinse off the grounds with cool water.
Minimize Cellulite
No matter how much we work out—or even how naturally thin we are!—cellulite is something we all struggle with. A coffee scrub can be immensely helpful in minimizing the appearance of cellulite, as the exfoliation and massage work together to help stimulate blood flow and tighten the skin, Torrey says.
Tinting Your Hair
Beauty guru Bryce Gruber of The Luxury Spot mixes one or two teaspoons of ground coffee—even the freeze-dried stuff gets the job done!—into a handful of conditioner and lets it sit on her hair for at least five minutes to enhance her chestnut brown hair color. Genius.
Exfoliating
No surprise here: coffee grounds are the perfect consistency for a great exfoliator. In addition, coffee beans contain caffeic acid, which boosts collagen production, says Torrey.
Brightening Skin
A hot cup of joe can perk up your morning and your face. Mix two tablespoons of organic plain yogurt with one tablespoon of ground coffee and apply to your freshly washed face. Leave the mixture on for 15 minutes, then rinse. The caffeine in coffee stimulates circulation, which leads to a more radiant, glowing complexion, says Christina Marrale of Beauty Queen Blog.
Exfoliating Your Scalp
Just as with your face and body, exfoliating your scalp is key for eliminating buildup and dead skin cells. Ground coffee makes a great scrub for this purpose, and imparts an incredible shine to hair, too, says Marrale. Apply 1/3 cup of ground coffee to your wet scalp, massage in circular motions for 60 seconds, and then rinse, following with your usual shampoo and conditioner.
Increase Circulation
Three words: coffee ice cubes. Make ’em in advance and keep them in your fridge to rejuvenate the skin and increase blood circulation to the face for brighter, healthier skin. Just take one of the cubes and gently trace your eye area, as well as the bone structure of the face, each morning to reduce puffiness and make everything a little bit more brighter, says Katherine Dorn of Pierre Michel Salon.
Soothe Your Feet
Carolyn Doe, spa director at The Umstead Hotel and Spa, whips up a DIY coconut and coffee foot scrub recipe to soothe weary feet at home. The blend of antioxidant-rich coffee and moisture-locking coconut oil makes for the perfect combination of natural ingredients to remove and repair rough skin. Doe’s recipe includes one cup of virgin coconut oil, 1/2 cup of your ground coffee of choice, and one to two teaspoons of vanilla extract blended together. Prepare a tub of warm soapy water, then soak your feet for 10 minutes. While soaking, apply one teaspoon of the scrub to feet in a circular motion to exfoliate the dead skin. Rinse feet in warm water and pat dry—and feel free to use the scrub on the rest of your body in the shower, too. – Style Caster
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