Give Skin A Java Jolt With The LUSH Cup O’ Coffee Face And Body Mask

National Coffee Day may have come and gone (it was technically celebrated yesterday, on September 29th), but we believe in celebrating a nice Cup of Joe every day of the week! Not only is the smell of coffee “the best part of waking up,” to quote Folgers, but the caffeine in a nice cup of java helps to awaken the senses and get that heart pumping. And, as it turns out, caffeine can have a similar effect on the skin, energizing tired complexions, helping to make droopy skin look more taut and firm, and even lessens the visibility of cellulite. Before you get dressed and take a sip of your Starbucks, then, let your skin enjoy the stimulating benefits of some ground-up coffee beans by applying the new LUSH Cup O’ Coffee Face and Body Mask ($19 at LUSHUSA.com). 

Like all LUSH products, the mask is handmade (each jar has a sticker with the name of the person who produced the product and an illustrated rendering of that individual) using only natural ingredients. Each 5.2 oz. jar (or cup, if you will) contains a mixture of ground coffee beans, agave syrup, roasted cocoa extract, kaolin, fair trade vanilla absolute, caffeine powder, coriander seed oil, and vetiver seed oil. Each ingredient has a specific purpose: the kaolin clay draws out impurities and toxins from deep within skin’s pores and helps to control oil production without over-drying the skin; the ground coffee beans gently polish the skin, sloughing off dead skin cells to reveal more glowing and vibrant skin; the coriander oil is teeming with antioxidants that help to protect the skin from free radicals and which also contains vitamin C, which helps to boost the skin’s luminosity; the agave syrup both hydrates and rejuvenates the skin; the caffeine powder constricts blood vessels and thus temporarily reduces swelling, minimizing the appearance of puffy eyes, saddle bags, and cellulite; the vetiver seed oil works as an anti-inflammatory and, over time, helps to make any spots and scars less visible, yielding a more even skin tone; and the cocoa powder promotes collagen production, leading to firmer skin, and also works to illuminate the skin.

Because of its handmade quality, the LUSH Cup O’ Coffee has the look of a DIY mask —minus all the hard work that would go into grinding these products and mixing them together! Below, check out what the mask looks like (though keep in mind I’d already used it several times before snapping this photo!):

Technically, you can apply this product to your face or your body (or both!) and use it as either a scrub or a mask. If you want to use it as a mask, smooth it all over the skin, avoiding the eyes and mouth, and let it work its magic for five to ten minutes, then rinse it off using warm water. If you’re in a bit of a hurry, however, you can apply it to damp skin and, using circular motions, gently polish off those dead skin surface cells.

Take a look at what the mask looks like when applied to skin (this is my arm, by the way!):

I tend to be skeptical about scrubs or any products containing coarse particles of any kind since they tend to irritate my skin, but the LUSH Cup O’ Coffee was surprisingly gentle. Sure, those ground-up coffee beans look a bit scary at first sight, but the kaolin and agave syrup in the formula provide enough of a cushion for these bits to glide on the skin without cutting it or causing any irritation. Also, once you rinse the product off, you don’t feel sticky or balmy, as is the case with some exfoliants that have an oil base.

Best of all, the mix of the cocoa powder and the coffee beans is truly intoxicating, making your senses awaken as you shower and getting you ready for an action-packed day — all before you’ve had a sip of espresso!