People don’t realize what they’re throwing away when they toss their used coffee grounds post-brew. 

A complaint I often hear is that disposing of grounds is a hassle, but I argue that some people aren’t being creative enough. In fact, saving your used grounds can do wonders for your skincare and beauty routines if you want to try a new, natural alternative. 

The best part is that all ingredients necessary to my three recipes are all everyday items in your kitchen, so the cost of making any of them is next to nothing. 

#1 Face/Beard Scrub

Whether you’re a man or a woman, you need to take care of the skin on your face. The two most important things to keep in mind are hydrating dry, cracked skin and exfoliating to smooth out lines and work off dead skin. 

The caffeine your skin will absorb with a coffee scrub will help eliminate puffiness and dark circles, too. The scrub ultimately softens and smooths your face’s delicate skin, as well working as a natural toner. For those of you with facial hair, it will leave your hair as well the skin beneath it softer, cleaner and more manageable.  

Mix all dry ingredients well before adding your desired oil. Your face’s skin is sensitive, so as with any coarse exfoliant, remember to be gentle when massaging the scrub onto your face. Rinse with cool water and pat dry. 

A light flush to your skin is normal, but full-blown redness is indicative of irritation. You want a glow about your skin, not an injury.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons coffee grounds

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon brown sugar 

#2 Tinted Hair Mask

Hair masks are all the rage right now and coffee grounds are a great choice of ingredient if you want more than just a cleanse. 

By nature, coffee beans are oily. The oil is beautiful in color, has a soothingly rich scent and is full of antioxidants, which are not only great for revitalizing your skin, but can help strengthen hair follicles. Because of the grounds’ natural oil, using this hair mask leaves your hair softer, shinier, stronger and stripped of build-up from other products. Wet your hair thoroughly and gently massage the repurposed grounds into your scalp and work it through all of your hair. Gather all of your hair to the top of your head in a towel or shower cap and let it sit for 20 minutes before rinsing thoroughly with warm water only. 

For those with lighter brown hair, your hair will be temporarily tinted a shade or two darker and your natural highlights will be brought out. For those with dark brown or black hair, it adds a rich undertone to your naturally dark tresses. 

The stronger and darker the roast of grounds (dark roast being the most dramatic), the more noticeable impact on your hair color, tints ranging from caramel to mahogany.

It should be noted that anyone with blonde, red or dyed hair should probably avoid this hair mask unless a brown tint is what you’re after. 

The color will fade naturally after around 10 to 15 days’ worth of showering. I recommend doing this treatment every two weeks at the most.

#3 Body Scrub

Our bodies reflect the damage of our day: cracked skin, callouses, ripped cuticles, blemishes and cellulite. While a hot shower can fix a lot, indulging in a coffee scrub can feel like hitting the reset button on our skin. 

Shower first, then gently massage the scrub in with a washcloth or brush to work off all of the dead and damaged skin while the oils do the repairs. This recipe is a lot coarser than that of a facial scrub, so I recommend not venturing above the neck with it. 

Ingredients:

1 cup coffee grounds

2 cups ground oats

1 cup olive, coconut or almond oil

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon