Homemade Coffee & Cocoa Face Mask

Happy Sunday!

Although I must say that I am not much of a 'girly-girly', I prefer showers to baths and I rarely wear make-up, and 'chic-flicks' make me cringe. But even I enjoy a good at home spa evening when Zach's out with the boys. But the more I read the labels of the masks that you buy in the store the more I dis-trust them. Like food, if I can't pronounce what's in it I don't think I want it on my body. So I decided to search the web and find a mask I could make with ingredients already in my kitchen. And I found a great one! Its made of ground coffee, cocoa powder, milk and honey and it made my skin so soft!

Give yourself a nice relaxing spa day, evening or afternoon with all natural masks and scrubs. Try this one... although I'll admit its hard to smell it and not want to eat it. Another great thing? It costs a fraction of what similar all natural scrubs cost at Lush!

Coffee & Cocoa Face Mask

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp. finely ground espresso or coffee beans (I use my own grinder, but already ground coffee and even instant coffee work, too)
• 4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder (your basic Hershey's is perfect here)
• 8 Tbsp. dairy product. Choose whole milk, heavy cream, yogurt (must be unflavoured!), almond milk or coconut milk. Use less dairy if you like a thicker paste. Substitutions are allowed: Try an egg instead of dairy if you are an egg mask lover, or substitute oils, such as olive oil, extra virgin coconut oil or almond oil if you have dehydrated skin. If using oils, halve the amount or it will be too runny.
• 2 Tbsp. honey (if you have dry skin) or lemon juice (if you have oily skin)

Preparation:

1. If you have whole beans, finely grind beans in a grinder. Remember, beans should be finely ground so they don't scratch your face. If you just made coffee, you can use the freshly brewed coffee grounds, although they won't contain as much caffeine.
2. Mix coffee and cocoa powder in a bowl.  
3. Add the dairy product and stir until a smooth paste forms. You can use less dairy if you like a thicker paste. 
4. Stir in the honey. (I like to warm up the honey in a warm water bath or in the microwave so it mixes better). 
5. Apply the paste to your clean face and neck. Let the mask dry. Wet a washcloth and press it to your face to loosen the mask, then rinse with warm water.

If you have sensitive skin, you should avoid rubbing your face because the coffee grounds could potentially scratch your skin. It's really up to you, you'll get a feel for what your skin can take and how finely ground the coffee is. You can store the leftover paste in the refrigerator for several days.

Give this a try, I think you will love it!

Have a great Sunday and stay turned for some great new recipes this week.

Stay Healthy!
Andrea :)