This is a guest post by Louisa Maccan-Graves, who is a celebrity body parts model and writer of HollywoodBeautySecrets.com.
Everyone enjoys a beauty bargain! Even I use kitchen ingredients and budget-friendly products to keep my skin looking “picture perfect.” One of my beauty secrets is using coffee grounds, left from my morning cup of organic coffee. Coffee grounds keep my complexion looking more youthful and flawless. A cup of coffee contains well over 300 antioxidants and 100’s of polyphenols that can help provide many health benefits. But did you know that the grounds left from making your morning brew can help improve and protect your skin from aging?
So don’t throw away those precious “skin repair & rejuvenating” grounds. Use them to exfoliate skin, help prevent and diminish fine lines and wrinkles, balance the pH of skin (great for those with acne or blemish-prone skin), pull toxins from the skin, as a natural astringent, and help moisturize the skin.
Here’s my two-part Café Latte Facial Scrub & Mask Recipe:
STEP I:
Slightly warm the grounds in the microwave. Before bed, cleanse face. Then place a piece of newspaper or paper towel in the sink basin to prevent grounds from going down your drain. While standing over the basin, grab a handful of grounds and gently rub them in a circular motion on face and neck for about 60 seconds. Much of the grinds will fall off, but the antioxidant-rich residue will work it age-proofing magic when left on for10 to 15 minutes. Remove soiled newspaper from basin and rinse face with tepid water.
STEP II:
Pour 1 cup of milk in a large glass bowl and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds, until slightly warm. Use fat-free, 2% or whole milk – whatever is on hand. Wash your face with the warm milk to remove the residue. The lactic acid in the milk also helps further exfoliate and brighten skin tone. Then rinse face with warm water. If any brown residue is still remaining, dip a clean face cloth into the milk and rub face in a gentle circular motion until all residue is removed. Then rinse with tepid water.
Afterward, apply an antioxidant or peptide-rich moisturizer. And don’t forget to apply sun screen over moisturizer in the morning. Use a 30 SPF sun screen that contains either Parsol®, Titanium Dioxide or Zinc Oxide for best protection.
NOTE: Place the cooled grounds in a zip lock bag, or clean jar and leave in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. Be sure to discard any unused grounds after 48 hours. For recipes: Warm the used grounds in the microwave for 10 seconds to 15 seconds and check temperature before use.
UPDATE: A reader says many Starbucks give away their grounds, which you can also use in your garden. Just ask!
For more recipes, check out HollywoodBeautySecrets.com and Louisa’s book, Hollywood Beauty Secrets: Remedies to the Rescue.
June 17th, 2009 at 6:56 am
love this recipe…will try now. thanks so much.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
GREAT post – I read her book many moons ago. Coffee grinds are also good for cellulite! An inexpensive way to wash off eye make-up is to use olive oil… rub in and tissue off. Organic is best!
June 17th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
I’m going to give this a try and see if I scare myself…lol
I’m tired of reading the monthly Santa Clarita Magazine filled with ads for face lifts, botox, makeovers, etc.
It’s maddening.
Anyone who lives in Santa Clarita knows what I am talking about, that big fat magazine filled with insane amount of ads to make yourself look better that comes in your mail each month.
I like these suggestions much better.
Botox, you have now been discontinued…lol
SO_CAL_RETAIL_SLUT–Expanding In July!!
June 18th, 2009 at 1:44 am
thanks for the tips! I’m going to try this right away. Love the tip about olive oil for taking off make up. I have
some other “good” oils that I use for my face or hands
sometimes just to sooth them. Flaxseed oil, hemp
seed oil. these oils have lots of omega 3 fatty
acids that when you eat have lots of great
results health wise, such as lowering cholesterol
(the bad kind) and raising the good kind. When I
have put them on my skin they feel so soothing.
June 18th, 2009 at 3:24 am
OK, I tried the recipe, I love the way my skin looks and feels. WOW, do not need to pay for a facial now! Thanks Bargain Babe, I am going to Louisa’s site to buy her book. happycamper
June 18th, 2009 at 3:31 am
Forgot this, Bargain Babe, I found your site from a blog about Louisa on the Doctors Show TV blog. They talk about Louisa a lot on that site, they love her wisdom too. Keep up the good work.
June 18th, 2009 at 9:05 am
This is great! Products are so expensive these days and it’s so confusing as to what will work and what’s just hype. I’m going to try this!
June 18th, 2009 at 10:34 am
First off, Botox is not the evil Santa that everyone seems to make it out to be. It’s taken at least 10 years off my face. Secondly, anything coarse like coffee grounds will exfoliate the face leaving it soft and with a healthy glow. Exfoliation is always good to do since we grow new skin cells daily that come to the surface of our skin and die. With those on your face, your skin looks lifeless and dull. Don’t be confused about products. Use those with scientific research behind them, such at Retin-A. It’s a topical vitamin A product. It must be prescription strength to work. It exfoliates the surface of the skin and is still the only product scientifically proven to stimulate collagen and elastin growth. That helps minimize fine wrinkles today and prevent them from getting worse over time. I swear by it. SPF 30 should be your best friend and used daily.
June 18th, 2009 at 11:26 am
I can no longer afford botox or Retin-Aorphoto facials otherwise I woudl agree with you. So solutions like this are good for me, I have heard about LED lights and that after a while you no longer need botox. I have to admitt that I would always freak after my injections wondering if the bacteria would kill me. Also with collagen being made from cows blood and injecting it into my lips I was concerned about madcow!!! Think if all the women that used collagen got that illness, now that is a sci-fi flick!! Bargain Babe can we ask you to add a beauty tip topics tab to your site?
June 18th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Oh good lord! Retin-A in Mexico is about $10 and lasts for 4 months. If you can’t afford that, you need a new job. If you are uncertain about something, do the research. Don’t just be afraid and say things that don’t make sense. Botox is a purified protien derived from the botulinum toxin. It’s much like the flu vaccine is derived from the flu virus but not actual flu. Botox was approved by an extremely conservative FDA in 1996 and has been used sucessfully by millions since then. There is a cosmetic division and a medical division to Allergan. In the medical division, they use Botox to treat life threatening disabilities. Some of these severely ill folks die. But it’s not from the Botox. And to Botox your frown lines you are talking about probably less than $200. Collagen–where do I begin????? First off it was NEVER made from cow’s blood. Secondly, we don’t even use collagen today. It’s been passe for years now. Our dermis is composed of elastin and collagen floating in a sea of hyaluronic acid. Our fillers today are composed of synthetic hyaluronic acids. They just replace the hyaluronic acid that’s beginning to go away as we age. Others are composed of calcium like what’s in your teeth and bones. They are totally safe and very affordable.
June 18th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Oh good lord, I never go to Mexico and collagen used for injections come from some part of the cow, maybe it is the skin. Sorry for my error but the fact that the collagen cows were supposedly kept separate and fed from a different food source illustrates that the concern was real and addressed by the pharm co’s. Second of all, you should not take a stance on my financial situation as that is none of your business and if I want to save money, that is my prerogative. About Botox, I only said that it creeped me out and I know many other women that feel the same, it may be safe but also the doctor injecting it is a factor. BTW, I have a friend that goes to a high end BH doc and she still gets C injections. Hope you do not fall getting off your high horse!
June 18th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Granted, your finances are none of my business and for that, I apologize. Indeed, the practitioner injecting is of the highest importance (the only person that will ever inject me is me–I don’t trust anyone else). Do warn your friend about her fancy schmancy doctor in BH. The reason we don’t use collagen anymore is that it requires skin testing prior to treatment AND it only lasts 2 months or so. The hyaluans last up to 9 months and the calcium products last up to 18 months. I wouldn’t want to be injected every 2 months when I could go 18. Best, Gigi
June 19th, 2009 at 2:37 am
I’ve just read this blog post out loud to a room of women and they all agree that this sounds like way too much work. With kids running around, work, husband etc, who has time to rub coffee grounds on their face?
I don’t have kids myself, nor do I drink coffee, but either way, even I think this is a bit over the top.
I might try it once, but regularly? Oh boy.
I’m all for a bargain, but I have my limits.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Thanks so much for sharing BargainBabe.com with a room full of women – yay! I’m hoping Louisa will share another beauty tip next week, so stay tuned!
June 19th, 2009 at 8:40 am
Tonya, have a category for “salon & beauty” so all the beauty tips will be in there!
June 19th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
I use to listen to Luisa on KEARTH a few years ago but they change thier format and they stopped having guests
. I really missed her, I am so happy I saw bargain babe on TODAY and then found this lady again. On the radio show you could call in and ask her questions, it was really fun and informative. She covered many problems and now that my teenage daughter is breaking out I would love to be able to ask her advice, can we send her questions to this blog? barb
June 19th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Thankie 4 lettin me no bout da salon & beauty cat!
tawnytonie
June 19th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
hey, cool! now after I have my espresso & read the newspaper, I can use the grounds & paper for a morning facial….talk about eco friendly…resused, composted & recyled.
June 21st, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Be careful about putting coffee grounds in your garden if you have dogs…this can be very dangerous to them.
June 26th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
I tried coffee grounds for a facial scrub I was extremely sensitive to it. Is any other homemade products can ya put on the site?
June 29th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Maybe try decaf next time!!!
: )
July 2nd, 2009 at 12:52 am
I read all the comments “oohing” and “ahhing” about trying this wonderful coffee grounds facial, wondering if I was the only reader who didn’t want to get up 20-30 minutes earlier to use this routine while getting ready for work. (Too little sleep can’t be good for the skin.) So it was nice to read Jamey’s comment. I exfoliate each day and night, using a facial cleansing sponge from Walgreens while showering or just washing my face. I use moisturizer with 15-30 SPF and get compliments on my complexion, which always surprises me because I don’t see what others see. Also, regular exercise is good for the skin.
Common sense dictates the old acronym, KISS–Keep It Simple, Stupid.
July 2nd, 2009 at 4:41 am
@Diane – Thanks for supporting my comment, I was beginning to wonder if everyone was really up for this time-consuming facial routine.
I read your comment post-morning run and lather of SPF moisturizer. It made me smile.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:36 am
AND although saving money is great AND exfoliation is necessary, we must be careful about what we exfoliate with. If looking at product (coffee grounds or others) under a microscope and they have jagged edges, they can cause microscopic tears in the skin and thus irritation. Be very careful about what you choose to exfoliate with.
July 5th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
I tried the recipe and reported back that it worked and that I liked it. I just read these comments about the time to do the recipe…I did it in the morning it took a few minutes not 20. The second time I did it was late afternoon and I just reheated the grinds. For the person that made the beware of jagged edges comment, if you have even used an exfoliating scrub you’d know that all facial scrubs are made with much more abrasive ingredients such as crushed nuts, pearl powder and more. Microdermabrasion uses crystals! Coffee grounds are soft and warm!!
AND I got berated on a comment by a woman telling me that if I cannot afford botox, I need a better job! This is a bargain site — is it not? I was kinda shocked that the bargainbabe did not stick up for me. It was very obvious that the woman that said this, makes her living giving filler and botox injections, which is fine, but I cannot spend $$ on things like that right now.
Needed to vent, I will not reply again.
TawnieTonya
July 5th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
thanks for sharing that Tonya! Even if I had a million dollars OR MORE (for that matter), I would not subject my face or body to Botox! And I have been offered it for PAIN of all things! What happens to their face and body 10 years from now?
Forget Botox – DETOX!!! It’s the best anti-aging remedy around!