If you want healthy, glowing skin, exfoliation, about twice a week, is a must! As our skin ages (and p.s if you're like me and tan in the sun then we're only accelerating that process), the process of cell regeneration slows down. Which is basically our body naturally shedding dead skin. If we don't exfoliate, then dead skin piles up on the surface of our skin making it look dull and dry. And basically, without exfoliation, all these amazing and expensive moisturizing and anti aging skin products we're all obsessed with these days is doing no good whatsoever because we're putting it on dead skin cells so we can't absorb it. If we exfoliate first and slough off that dead layer, we're putting it where it needs to be, which is the fresh and generating skin cells, allowing it to penetrate deep into our skin.
All that being said, I want to share with y'all my new favorite way to exfoliate my body (we can talk about face exfoliation later if y'all want). With all the sun and salt we are getting in the summertime, exfoliation is super important for soft and glowing skin. Who doesn't want that?! I'm not kidding when I say I can look at my skin and know when I've been lacking on exfoliation because it looks so dull and just plain ugly! And what we do for our skin now we will be thanking ourselves when we're older! Trust me, ask your moms.
This coffee scrub is the NATURAL way to exfoliate. Unlike the list of ingredients of things you can't pronounce in an exfoliator on the shelf, this scrub has three simple ingredients without all those added chemicals and toxins that our skin absorbs directly into our bloodstream. Yuck! And it literally didn't even take me five minutes to make. When I was in the Bahamas, I went to an all natural skin care store and the lady that owned the shop had the most beautiful, young, and glowing skin I have ever seen! She was like 60 and had wayy better skin than me with hardly any wrinkles! I asked her what her secret was and she said "honey, everything I have ever put on my skin is all natural. All these chemicals in skin care products is doing more harm than you think. Your skin is simple and it just needs simple and natural things to stay healthy." The conversation I had with her was such an eye opener and has made me pay so much more attention to what I put on my skin!
In addition to the exfoliating properties of coffee that is in this scrub I also want to share with y'all the benefits of putting coffee on your skin. (And from drinking it, ohh yeahh)
- It's a rich source of antioxidants, which bolsters our body's natural defenses against the free radicals in he environment that wreak havoc on our skin.
- Protects against skin cancer!!
- Makes skin smooth and bright
- Minimizes the appearance of CELLULITE by drawing fluid from fat cells and dehydrating them. Heck yes!
- Protects skin against aging
Brown sugar is a gentle exfoliator (because exfoliators that are too coarse can actually irritate your skin) and coconut oil penetrates your newly exfoliated skin with a surge of intense moisture.
Here's how:
1 cup of coffee grounds (I used leftover coffee that I didn't use)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup of organic, unrefined coconut oil - I found a jar at tj maxx for $5
Some people will say to melt the oil so you can mix it, but I just mixed it with my hands and the warmth from my hand has it all mixed up perfectly in seconds.
WARNING: It smells so good you will want to eat it. Hence Laylo's interest in it LOL
Wet your skin and rub the scrub in a circular motion all over your body, focusing especially on areas of cellulite and extra dry skin. If you're patient enough, let it sit on your skin for a few minutes to give the coffee some extra time to work its magic. Then rinse it off with water. I like to wash my skin first instead of after because the coconut oil is left on your skin and makes it soooo soft and shiny but not that greasy feel you get when you put coconut oil directly on by itself. Your skin will eventually absorb the oil, leaving you super moisturized.
P.S. be careful not to slip in the shower/tub on the oil!
You can also use this on your face if you would like since it's a gentle recipe, but my face is super acne prone so I try to avoid a lot of oils.
Y'all try this out and let me know what you think! I'm super excited about using it this weekend at the beach for smooth, soft, healthy, glowing, tan skin just in time for the 4th! What are y'alls plans for the 4th?!
xoxo,
mDk
