How to Clear Your Skin with Coffee

Use coffee grounds to make an exfoliating scrub.

Coffee can give your skin a boost from the outside, just as it gives your brain a boost from the inside. The caffeine in coffee can reduce puffiness under your eyes, according to the National Institutes of Health. The grounds can act as an exfoliant and remove dead skin cells, which is important in skin care. After you brew your morning cuppa joe, make the grounds do double duty in a body scrub.

Things You'll Need

• Coffee grinder
• 2 cups coffee beans
• 1 cup sour cream

Instructions

1. Bring the sour cream to room temperature.

2. Grind the coffee beans to a grainy consistency, or use the coffee grounds from your morning coffee.

3. Combine the ground coffee beans and the sour cream in a bowl.

4. Apply the mixture in a circular motion for about a minute in the shower, then wash it off. It works on both your face and body.

5. After getting out of the shower, apply a lotion or moisturizer to lock in the moisture.

6. Alternatively, use the mixture as a face mask. Apply it to your face and leave it for 20 minutes. Wash it off and apply a moisturizer.

Tips & Warnings

• This recipe makes enough for about 10 uses, so store what's left in the refrigerator. If you want enough for just one use, mix about 1/4 cup of sour cream with 1/2 cup coffee.

References

• National Institutes of Health: The Anti-Inflammatory, Analgesic and Antipyretic Activities of Non-Narcotic Analgesic Drug Mixtures in rats.