Stand Your Grounds

Keeping your used coffee grounds to apply to your skin might sound a little bit disgusting but trust me when I tell you that one woman's trash is another woman's exfoliating and rejuvenating treasure. The caffeine in coffee is a super skin tightening agent and also helps perk up tired skin. There are many ways you can use coffee grounds for beauty and we'll be talking about a few of them today.

The simplest way to use used grounds is to apply them directly to your skin without any other additives. You want to only use cool grounds, because you don't want to burn your skin. You can simple grab a handful and work over your skin in small circular movements. This will slough off dead skin cells and perk up the skin.

If you want a more moisturizing exfoliant you can add oil, like olive oil, to the grounds and apply to your skin in the small circular movements. If that's not enough exfoliation you can even throw in some brown or white sugar or even salt. Adding salt to the scrub will add a detoxifying effect. I have only ever used coffee grounds as a body scrub but I have often read about people using it on their faces as well.

Coffee also acts as an antibacterial and will help to minimize sagging and puffiness. It will tighten your skin temporarily, so this scrub is especially great before a first date or a special event. It also helps minimize redness.

You can even make a face mask using coffee grounds by mixing them with yogurt or honey. Coffee is also widely used as a treatment for puffy, tired eyes. Wrap a small amount of grounds in a paper towel or tissue and get it slightly damp before placing over your eyes for about 20 minutes. It will decrease dark circle and heavy baggage. If you have darker hair you can add coffee grounds to your shampoo to help get rid of build-up, increase shine, and add a little tint.