#beautypost: Brew-tiful Skin. DIY Coffee Body Scrub

I don't know about you but my days don't function too well without my morning cup of coffee, not to mention the other three daily cups supplied by my java obsessed, V60 brewing boyfriend. You'll find me, brew in hand, at the dining table scrolling through the mornings latest Instagram/Pinterest feeds. Most often I'm waking up my sleepy eyes looking at other people's coffee pots and other foody whatnots but recently coffee has caught my attention for a completely different reason.

With the New Year here and ready to give me a kick up the bum, I needed a New Year's resolution that I could actually try and stick to and no.. if you're thinking that this is leading to me telling you that I'm quitting coffee, that just isn't going to happen. 

I don't think my other half would ever, ever forgive me.

No, this year I'm doing the most predictable thing... I'm going to get my skin and body in better condition and shape. Yes, living abroad takes it's toll on my physical situation.... as soon as Friday (most weeks I don't even wait until then) comes I eat and drink like I'm on some sort of weekly occurring holiday. And with a 3-month trip to South America on my horizon, I've never had a better excuse to cut down and get into better shape. I can't see myself stopping completely with the food-cocktail fuelled weekends but I suppose I can curb a few of them and between these 'mini breaks' I'm going to try my best to exercise more, eat a little smaller and greener and give my skin some well needed TLC.

So where does coffee come into this? 

I've read tonnes of things about how good coffee is for the skin and it's benefits and results. I also found Frankbody... a coffee scrub that's all over Instagram for all the right reasons and I almost bought it. That's when I realised, why buy when you can make? To be honest, the Frank range is quite affordable, starting at £11.95 a pack and up depending on the ingredients you're after, but for a fraction of the price and a little project to play with, I've made my own coffee scrub, face and body friendly. Please don't try this until you've tested a patch of skin first.

Here are some benefits of using coffee on your skin that might distract your mind from the not so appealing appearance of this scrub...

Health benefits of using coffee on our skin

Coffee grounds, when applied onto our skin, work as a great exfoliant whilst not being too harsh unlike some scrubs that include beads and seeds. Exfoliating our skin improves the skin's circulation and removes any dead skin cells, giving our skin a much brighter, softer glow and because of this it can really help to ease the appearance of blemishes, scars caused by acne and stretch marks.

Coffee not only affects above our skin but underneath as well; the caffeine in coffee helps temporarily eliminate the appearance of lumpy, bumpy cellulite so say hello to plump bums and thighs. Now, I've had a good scour on the internet and sadly the word temporarily isn't used lightly... doctors say that this elimination is best up to 2-3 hours after use and then returns back to normal. But all isn't lost... the circulation improvement that I mentioned earlier is the trick to eliminating cellulite on a more permanent basis.

Coffee also holds tonnes of antioxidants which eases inflammation and swelling... yes, this includes our puffy morning eyes when used on a regular basis. These antioxidants also keep premature skin ageing at bay caused by our terrible daily bad habits and those pesky UV rays... (the colourant in brown sugar is also extremely helpful in protecting our skin from the sun's UV)

This might not be your thing and the results will probably vary from person to person but when it's this easy and cheap, surely it's worth a go at least once... no?

Ingredients

3 parts coffee grounds

1 part sugar

Squeeze of lemon

Small drop of water (enough to make a thick paste) On this occasion I used to left over green tea

When your scrub is ready to use start from feet and work your way up to neck or face, rubbing in circular motions. Wait for 5-10 minutes and jump in the shower!

I've read it's better to keep away from soapy products when washing the scrub off as it removes any oils that have been left on your skin by the coffee. It's a messy job but so worth it.

Scrub away!

Notes

• You can use fresh or used coffee grounds however we use a whole load of coffee each day so for me it's 100% worth using old grounds. Waste not, want not.
• Whether you use white or brown sugar is completely up to you as both have there benefits and both are common in shop bought scrubs however, brown sugar is much softer on the skin which works better if you're planning to use this scrub on your face too. If you want a stronger scrub for your body only then go for it with white sugar.
• If you find your scrub is way too runny then just add a few straws of kitchen roll for 5 minutes or so. Once removed, you'll be back to a thick paste... scrub saved!
• Remember, if you want to keep your scrub for longer than a day then make sure to store it in a cool, dry place and keep it air tight... this way it will last 1-2 weeks.

Now why can't I hear your shower running?

#beautypost - Eat your greens

As Winter settles in and the glitz and glam of Christmas is on the horizon, there's always an odd few weeks in-between. Not quite Autumn, with the excitement of Halloween and Bonfire night, and a good few weeks until we can even consider getting into the Christmas spirit, these subdued November nights (weekday or not) are left feeling a little empty.

Sitting in front of the TV (surprise, surprise) on a Friday night, I realised that these few weeks shouldn't be wished away. In 3 weeks time, women all over (I being one of them) will be stressing over their NYE dress dilemma, spending a fortune on make up to cover up their tired, Winter skin and swearing they should never of had that last pack of mince pies.

So why don't we use these few weeks to prepare for the party season? Within the month we could brighten dull skin, give our hair a lift and bring back our natural youth. It doesn't matter how beautiful that Maje dress is... if you're bloated from Christmas choc and your skins lost it's glow then it'll never be worth the hard earned pennies (or time contemplating) that you spent on it. So grab your purse, get to the supermarket and buy the fruit and veg your body deserves before you're let loose on the shortbreads, chocolates and mince pies.

The list of health benefits from fruit and veg is endless. Each one has greater benefits than the last... so I've chosen 3 fruit and vegetables to try this week whether it be for breakfast, lunch or dinner. My mission... to choose 3 new ingredients each week until Christmas. That way, my conscious will be clear when the biscuit tins are opened and wine bottles popped.

Pomegranates. Not only do they prevent breast cancer cells from growing, promote blood circulation and reduce inflammation, pomegranates are filled with antioxidants (even more than the sometimes not so tasty Green Tea.). Because of this, they slow down the ageing process of our skin, in turn, helping with our dry, Winter skin and producing a healthy glow. Not forgetting their natural properties that give extra energy for those dark mornings and cleanse your body, which can help with weight loss. So next time you're about to grab for those honey roasted nuts, cut open a pomegranate and munch on that instead.

Carrots. Get beautiful skin on the inside and out. The vitamin A and antioxidants found in carrots not only protect your skin from sun damage but they also protect your hair, skin and nails from drying, blemishes, acne and wrinkling. They cleanse your body of toxins, clean your teeth and gums (they really do) and if that's not enough...  they prevent heart disease, breast cancer and anti-ageing.

If you want faster results for a quick fix, try using carrots and honey as a face mask.

Mix carrots - antiseptic and regeneration of skin cells

honey - antiseptic and reduces swelling

olive oil - nourishes and cleans the skin

lemon juice (optional) - keeps in moisture, keeps out germs

Leave for 5 minutes and jump in the shower

Avocados. Great with a salad as an easy meal or fresh guacamole; avocados are bursting with Omega-9 fats which help reduce redness and skin irritation... a problem prone to the Winter months. They're also ridiculously high in vitamin E & C, helping us with wrinkles and creating collagen to help with our skin's firmness and elasticity. It should be noted that avocados are high in fat and calories so should be eaten within reason but despite this... the mono saturated fatty acids within avocados are more likely to be used as slow burning energy rather than body fat. This energy keeps your body happier, for longer throughout the day without feeling the need to snack on high sugar, fatty snacks and reducing your hunger and appetite. So.... one good meal with an avocado might hold the same calories as other meals but your body will be energised for much longer, therefore cutting down on other snacks during your day.