If you like easy DIY recipes and are a fan of body scrubs, this coffee brown sugar scrub recipe might become your new favorite. Coffee grounds smell heavenly and are a great way to help exfoliate dead skin cells. Read on for this easy DIY coffee scrub with cardamon and lime.
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Why Make This Homemade Coffee Scrub
I love the smell of coffee. When we get coffee beans, Dan treats us to fresh ground coffee.
We usually add our fresh coffee grounds to the compost heap. But recently, we've been developing different sugar scrub recipes. So I wanted to experiment with making a homemade coffee sugar scrub that would still be gentle on sensitive skin.
Fresh grounds smell lovely, and as it turns out, they also make a great face scrub and may even reduce the appearance of cellulite. Recent research on the benefits of coffee suggests coffee improves blood flow and even helps protect against damage caused by the sun — all good news for a coffee lover like me.
Natural Ingredients
When the girls and I started experimenting with making our own health and beauty products like beeswax lip balm and goat milk soaps a few years ago, it was important to me to stick to basic but high quality ingredients.
The first time we made this coffee sugar body scrub recipe, I used brown sugar and extra virgin olive oil. The next time we make it, I will try turbinado sugar and organic coconut oil.
What Kind of Sugars for Body Scrubs
Some of our body scrubs, like our Peppermint Foot Scrub, call for granulated sugar or white sugar. My friend tells me that brown sugar, turbinado sugar, or organic cane sugar work better in a homemade sugar scrub because their sugar granules hold moisture better, which is important for dry skin.
Also, brown sugar adheres to the other ingredients without starting to dissolve before you want it to. Olive oil is really good for your body, too. It's an antioxidant, and it also helps keep moisture.
You only use a couple of tablespoons, but it makes all the difference in this brown sugar body scrub. If you prefer a different oil like almond or jojoba, those work well, too, but I like the thickness of the olive oil in a scrub better.
I also used two essential oils in this scrub: cardamom and lime. Only use pure essential oils in your scrubs.
The types made for perfumes and room scents are generally less expensive, but they can also include alcohol, leading to more dry skin. However, the pure forms of these oils have all sorts of health benefits.
The lime brings a great light balance to the scent of the scrub, and it's excellent for the skin. It is a cleansing oil that fights infections, promotes younger-looking skin and rejuvenates.
Cardamom essential oil brings another set of benefits, and it adds a warm, exotic scent to the scrub. Actually, it reminds me of my Indian grandmother and always makes me smile.
Cardamon is also antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, so it helps reduce swelling and aches. It's also anti-bacterial and helps fight infections.
Put all of these great, natural ingredients together, and you have a little powerhouse of a homemade body scrub. If you have a friend or family member who loves coffee, like most of us do, this makes a great gift idea, too.
How to Make This DIY Sugar Scrub
This homemade coffee body scrub is so easy to make, and it makes a great hands-on homeschool activity for older kids, too.
Coffee Brown Sugar Scrub Ingredients
Here's what you need to make your own coffee scrub. I'll include a list of substitutions down below.
- Three 4-oz. glass mason jars with lids
- 1 cup coffee grounds
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 15 drops lime essential oil
- 8 drops cardamom essential oil
Coffee Brown Sugar Scrub Substitutions
Don't like cardamom or lime? No worries. Use your favorite oils and experiment to your heart's content. Or forego essential oils altogether. Instead, add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Although I used olive oil here, this recipe would also work with vitamin e oil or sweet almond oil. If you find the scrub too harsh, add extra oil, ½ teaspoon at a time. Or if you find it too oily, add 1 teaspoon of organic sugar at a time to soak up the excess oil.
Coffee Brown Sugar Scrub Directions
It's easy to make this scrub. Just follow the directions below.
You can use an 8-oz. glass mason jar instead of the three smaller ones for this DIY coffee body scrub. You can cut the recipe down by a third if you like. However, I like splitting it up to gift at least one.
Grab a large bowl, liquid measuring cup, dry measuring cup, and spoons. You'll also need a rubber spatula, whisk, and regular spoon, and you should be ready to go.
Measure out the coffee grounds first and place into the mixing bowl.
Watch for Lumps
Next, measure the brown sugar and check for lumps in it.
Take the back of a metal spoon and press the lump against the bowl; it generally works to get rid of it. Sometimes, smaller, harder ones need to be removed or squished with your fingers.
Whisk together the coffee and sugar. Most of the larger lumps will be at the top surface, which helps spot them faster. Sift through with your fingers and check for any more lumps before proceeding to the next step.
Add the Oils
Once the coffee and sugar are well-mixed and lump-free, measure and add 2 tbsp. of the olive oil. You'll add the rest later. Whisk together and turn the ingredients to be sure they spread to the grounds at the bottom of the bowl.
Now add the essential oils. The lime oil is runny and will flow out fast. In fact, the cardamom is also a bit runny.
The scrub should be damp but not wet. One mistake people make when making their own scrubs is adding too much of the wet ingredients. You don't need a ton; you just need a little. Otherwise, the scrub gets messy.
Using the spoon, add to the jars until they are just below the top. It takes about four spoonfuls. Then, use the back of the spoon to press the scrub down, making a little concave area at the top.
Next, top it off with ⅓ of the remaining olive oil. This helps to moisten the scrub, and it will settle through quickly.
Let the oil move down into the scrub before you put the lid on. Also, wipe the top edges of the jar to clear them of any grounds beforehand.
Makes a Great Gift Idea
Once your jars are filled, you are ready to use the scrub. If you like, add some twine and a label and you'll have a unique homemade gift idea.
Exfoliating sugar scrubs like this one work well on rough spots on the body. Use it on feet and elbows, hands, and rub on thighs, butt, tummy or any areas you have unwanted cellulite or want silky smooth skin. Wet the skin first, add it, rub it in, then rinse well.
If the scrub seems too dry when you open it, put the lid back on and place it upside down for a while. This lets the oil run back to the top again.
How to Make DIY Coffee Brown Sugar Scrub
Make your own homemade coffee brown sugar scrub to use or as a fun gift idea. Use your favorite oils and coffee grounds for this all natural soothing scrub perfect for dry skin.
Materials
- 1 cup coffee grounds
- .5 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 15 drops lime essential oil
- 8 drops cardamom essential oil
Tools
- 3 4-oz. jars with lids
- large mixing bowl
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Rubber spatula
- Whisk
- Regular spoon
Instructions
- Measure coffee grounds into the mixing bowl.
- Measure the brown sugar and check for lumps.
- Use the regular spoon to press out lumps.
- Whisk together the coffee and sugar. Most of the larger lumps will be at the top surface, which helps spot them faster.
- Use your fingers and check for additional lumps.
- Once the coffee and sugar are well-mixed and you have removed any lumps, measure and add 2 tbsp. of olive oil. You will add the rest later.
- Whisk together and turn the ingredients to ensure they spread to the grounds at the bottom of the bowl.
- Add in the essential oils.Whisk the oils in.
- Spoon into the jars leaving about ½ to ¼ inch at the top.
- Use the back of the spoon to press the scrub down, making a little concave area at the top.
- Top it off with ⅓ of the remaining olive oil to further moisten the scrub. Let the oil move down into the scrub before you put the lid on.
- Wipe the top edges of the jar to clear it of any grounds
- Once your jars are all filled, you are ready to use the scrub!
- Add some twine and a label.
Notes
Use this coffee brown sugar scrub on rough spots on the body like feet and elbows, hands, or any dry areas. Wet the skin first, then rub it in gently with circular motions. You will find that your skin feels amazing.
If the scrub seems too dry when you open it, put the lid back on and place upside down for a while and the olive oil will run back to the top again.
Like this post? Save it, share it, and read it!
