The Glory of Coffee and the Skin
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008
Coffee and its main ingredient of caffeine have a variety of positive effects on the skin, including antioxidant properties, and tightening and firming qualities. It also is commonly used as an ingredient ion products that help to reduce cellulit, and diminish puffiness and dark circles around the eyes.
Coffee and its skin friendly benefits also are included in a variety of home care products like Naturopathica’s Espresso Mud Body Scrub, which exfoliates dead ksin and removes impurities and seals in moisture.
Althought its health benefits may be widely disputed, there is no denying that coffee is here to stay. In fact, the berry that houses the coffee seed, or bean, is poised to become the next hot ingredient due to its high concentration of the beneficial antioxidant phenolic acid. It also recently has come to light from work done at the School of Pharmacy at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in New Brunswick, that coffee coupled with regular exercise may help prevent skin cancers better than either factor individually.
Some coffee Facts:
• Coffee beans are actually the seeds of the coffee plant and are housed in coffee berries.
• The first European coffee house opened in Italy in 1645.
• Darker coffee roasts are generally smoother because they have less fiber content and a more sugary flavor. Lighter roasts have more caffeine.
Make this coffee scrub and see how well it makes your skin feels:
1/2 - 1 cup extra-light olive oil
1/3 cup ground coffee
6 Tbsp cinnamon (or more if you really like cinnamon, mmm)
reusable coffee filter, in a coffeemaker basket
3 lb. container of Epsom salts
1 cup baking soda (optional)
2 - 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup
large flat saucepan
mixing bowl
1. Warm the olive oil in the Pyrex container in a saucepan of boiling water. Mix in the coffee first, then the cinnamon, stirring to blend as the mixture heats. Continue to infuse for 20 minutes on the stove, stirring from time to time.
2. Pour the coffee-cinnamon-oil mixture through the coffee filter into the large mixing bowl, one-third at a time. Careful not to burn yourself here! Discard the grounds and keep the oil. Let it cool to room temperature.
3. Mix the infused oil with the salts (and soda if you’re using it). You’re done!
Variation: green tea-ginger. Substitute 1/3 cup green tea and 1/4 cup powdered ginger (cheaper if you buy it in bulk) for the coffee and cinnamon. (Sources: Skin 2007 and Crafters Alley)
**”Eagle vs. Shark” is a quirky little New Zealand comedy full of wit and charm says Keith over at Pop Culture Buzz. Read more about it here.**
______________________________________________________________
WAX AND BUBBLES PRODUCT SHOWCASE:
Bramble Berry is a company that carries fragrance oil, essential oils, soap colorants, soap bases and soap making supplies. They carry lotion making kits as well as all types of molds. They are a basic company that has a lot to offer the soap making crafter.
