This DIY coffee body scrub recipe is a must-have in your homemade beauty stash. Forget spending hundreds of dollars at the spa to get scrubbed and wrapped – this DIY coffee scrub will get you the results, and costs less than a dollar per use!
What makes this DIY coffee scrub recipe so effective?
I’ve heard of using coffee for toning your legs, but I didn’t want to just throw together a random recipe.
I wanted a homemade coffee body scrub recipe that promotes soft, healthy skin – or in more specific terms: it needs to smoothe cellulite, exfoliate dull skin, and increase circulation.
Coffee
Of course, you need coffee for your coffee body scrub! But why is it so special?
Two words: caffeine and antioxidants.
The caffeine helps tissues release excess fluid build-up, which tones and tightens the skin. Caffeine has also been shown to prevent accumulation in fat cells.
This is why exfoliating with coffee is popular for reducing the appearance of cellulite.
Antioxidants nourish your skin, prevent aging, and may also help release toxins.
They can also help your skin produce more collagen, which helps plump up your skin tissue.
It’s a win-win for your skin!
Sugar
It’s more than delicious. It’s also incredibly soothing to the skin.
That’s because the natural glycolic acid found in sugar helps remove dead skin cells and reveal fresh, glowing skin.
Sugar’s texture is also naturally exfoliating.
(Want more sugar scrub recipes? Check out my 21 favorite recipes here.)
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil makes this body scrub luxurious and provides deep moisture to the skin.
It also serves a practical purpose: it “holds” the scrub together so it doesn’t go flying all over the place while you use it!
Ginger
Ginger is warming to the skin and increases blood circulation.
This helps bring nutrients into the skin and remove old toxins, leaving your skin feeling completely rejuvenated.
Warning: I won’t lie – coffee scrubs get the tub a little messy. But a little soap and a wee bit of scrubbing will remove any residue quick as a wink. And believe me, it’s totally worth it. 😉
FAQ for this Homemade Coffee Body Scrub Recipe
1. Can you use old coffee grounds for this coffee body scrub?
You can, but since caffeine is one of the important compounds in the coffee, you might be better off using fresh grounds (since your cup of joe likely contained most of the caffeine in the grounds – that’s why we love it, right?).
2. Can I leave out the sugar?
Yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Remember, the glycolic acid in sugar and its crystallized nature are perfect for exfoliating away dull skin.
The sugar in this DIY coffee scrub helps bring out that youthful, glowing skin!
3. Is it safe to rinse coconut oil down the drain?
Coconut oil goes solid when it’s cold, so there are some legit concerns about washing it down the drain.
However, it’s liquid at shower water temperature, and there’s actually only a little coconut oil peruse of the coffee scrub recipe.
So while my concern is low, if you want to play it safe, you can use grapeseed, sweet almond oil instead.
It doesn’t quite “hold” the scrub recipe together as well, but it still works.
4. How long is this recipe good for?
Because it contains no liquid ingredients, this DIY coffee scrub recipe will stay fresh for weeks or even months.
Since it contains about 5-10 uses and you should use at least once a week, it will definitely stay good until you use it all up.
Homemade Coffee Body Scrub
Forget spending hundreds of dollars at the spa to get scrubbed and wrapped – this DIY coffee scrub will get you the results, and costs less than a dollar per use!
- 1 cup coffee grounds
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1 tsp ginger ((fresh or ground))
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Mix coffee grounds, sugar, and ginger until well blended.
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Stir in coconut oil (melt the oil first if needed).
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Store in an airtight glass jar.
HOW TO USE YOUR HOMEMADE COFFEE SCRUB
How you use your coffee body scrub is just as important as the ingredients.
- To get optimal results, massage a few tablespoons of your coffee scrub into your legs and torso for 3-5 minutes.
- Concentrate on each area and massage as deeply as you comfortably can.
- Use a circular, upward motion to improve circulation.
- Then rinse away with a washcloth and warm water (with soap if desired).
Use 1-2 times per week to tone, tighten, and nourish your skin.
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I love drinking coffee, so this must be amazing as well! ?
Anything with coffee is awesome, right?! 😉
The problem with this recipe is the coconut oil washing down the drain. Since it is an oil that hardens at a low temperature, it easily coats pipes and can lead not only to plugged sewer outlets but even rupturing sewer lines. Our municipality sends out yearly warnings about this. Oils are bad but oils that have a low hardening temperature are especially dangerous. Something to think about…
I’ve fortunately never had a problem with this, but I assume it’s because it’s very little coconut oil going down the drain each time. You can always trade it out with a liquid oil like olive oil.
Ouch .. didn’t think of that, we are on a septic tank too! This story is about the fat in the sewers of London!
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/apr/21/huge-10-ton-fatberg-removed-chelsea-sewer-london
Just to play devil’s advocate, we had a septic system in our last home where we lived for 7 years and I used coconut oil frequently in the bath and shower (in normal amounts — not dumping it down the drain, obviously). We had our system maintained and cleaned right before we moved away and the system was in very good shape, no problem with the oil at all. Not saying it’s impossible to have a problem, but I haven’t experienced this issue in the slightest.
Hi!
I’ve got a question. What does the mixture of the coffee & the coconut oil do for your drain? Won’t it stop up your drain? Do I grind whole coffee beans, or do I buy pre-ground
organic coffee? Must I grind the coffee into a fine consistency? Please answer ASAP.
Thanks a lot,
Patti Mc. ?
Since it doesn’t end up being a lot of coconut oil going down the drain at once, I’ve never had a problem with it. You can buy pre-ground coffee or grind it yourself. Either way is fine. 🙂
Love it.
Love it!
This sounds divine, but I do not favor oil so much! Would honey work as a substitute?
Yes, honey would work as well. 🙂
I have a question; can fractionated coconut oil be used in this recipe?
Yes, it can. It won’t hold it together in quite the same way, but it will definitely work.
Can i add in ginger essential oil?
Yes! I do this myself.
would like to try this recipe, can I use instant coffee? or buy ground coffee from a store? does it have to be organic?
Regular ground coffee is fine if that works better for you. I’m not sure about instant grounds – I’ve never tried it and I’m not sure they’d exfoliate in the same way.
This coffee scrub is awesome! I used it twice a week for three weeks now and my legs look and feel amazing. I couldn’t get over how soft my legs were, seriously, like silk. I used fractionated coconut oil instead of unrefined coconut oil, it was a little runny, but worked perfectly. Not greasy or irritating to the skin. I also have a touch of psoriasis around my ankles that did not get inflamed after using this scrub.
Thank you for this great recipe!
So glad to hear it’s working for you! It’s such a fun recipe and you can really feel the difference.
Coconut oil also creates the problem in my skin. It’s alergetic . As soon as I took it on skin, it starts itching on my skin! Probably it does not suit my skin. What a bad luck!
That’s a good point! Allergies make a big difference in what oil is best for you in this recipe.
CAN I take out the ginger since I do not have ginger at home?
Yes, it’s still a pretty good scrub even without the ginger.
Just bought everything and made the recipe. Is it supposed to be very runny? I used folger’s coffee grinds after making fresh coffee, organic cane sugar, ground ginger and unrefined coconut oil. Excited to try this out when I get home from work in the morning. I have a problem with cellulite on the back of my thighs so I think this will help.
It will probably be more runny in the warm months when the coconut oil is more likely to be liquid. Otherwise, it doesn’t change the effectiveness at all. 🙂
Does is need to go into the fridge?
No, it shouldn’t. Since this has no water-based ingredients, it will keep for at least a few weeks out of the fridge, if not longer. However, if you add used coffee grounds, the moisture in them could cause a problem, so in that case refrigeration is recommended.
Hi. Can I use the brewed coffee I make in the morning. I feel this works better than just ground cover. Like using the coffee water as well in my scrub.
Water-based ingredients won’t work well in this recipe, so I wouldn’t recommend it. This is an oil-based recipe.
How about the texture of the coffee grounds? Does it have to be fine ground or medium ground?
I just use regular, but the texture isn’t too important. Both will exfoliate the skin, although fine grounds may be gentler.
Can I use brown organic sugar instead of plain organic sugar
Yes, brown sugar will work just as well.
Hi can I use instant coffee powder instead of grounds?
I can’t guarantee it will work the same, especially since the instant powder is meant to dissolve quickly.