Self-Tanning With Coffee – A Complete and Practical Guide
There isn’t much that beats a gorgeous, glowing summer tan, other than being able to get the summer goddess look from the comfort of your own home, with ingredients found in your cupboard or pantry!
Coffee is one of these household must-haves that everybody keeps at home, which can actually be used as a self-tanner.
This does not mean you can just throw a cup of coffee over your legs and expect a bronze tan — there are specific ways to use different types of coffee to self-tan at home, all with pretty great results.
The benefit of using coffee to self-tan is that it is a fairly natural ingredient that won’t harm your skin, and coffee has some great properties that are caring and nourishing to the skin as well.
This article is a comprehensive guide on using coffee as a self-tanner, including the type of coffee to use and whether it is the right choice for you.
If you don’t have coffee at home, this is a great reason to go out and buy some!
Does Self-Tanning With Coffee Work?
While it might not last as long as self-tanning products bought from the store, self-tanning with coffee does yield some results, leaving your skin with a bronzed tone that is summer-ready.
The reason coffee stains the skin is due to the presence of cocoa beans. Cocoa beans have been used for dying different items, even hair, for ages.
The natural brown dye is safe and gentle on the skin, allowing you to achieve a summer tan without the need for hours in the sun, which can damage your skin, or the use of over-the-counter self-tanners that may irritate sensitive skin.
Tips for Self-Tanning With Coffee
Just as with using a chemical self-tanner at home, there are some precautions to be aware of and ways to prepare your skin to ensure you achieve the best tan possible.
Exfoliate your skin
It is essential to exfoliate your skin before applying any self-tanner, including those based on coffee.
This helps your skin appear smooth and even, allowing the self-tan to blend naturally with your skin.
Clean, oil-free skin
Ensure your skin is thoroughly clean and oil-free before applying the coffee self-tanner.
Any barriers on your skin, such as oils, deodorants, or creams, will prevent the self-tanner from applying evenly, leaving you with streaks and patches.
Do a patch test
It does not matter whether you are using a chemical self-tanner or a natural self-tanner; you need to perform a patch test beforehand to determine if you have an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients. It will also help you determine what the resultant tan will look like.
Use circular motions
To apply the coffee self-tanner evenly, gently massage it in circular motions, ensuring an even coverage all over.
Make sure to take note of any color buildup in drier areas, such as the ankles, knees, elbows, and fingers.
Buffer colour build-ups
If you do notice any colour build-ups in drier areas, use a buffer to even out the colour. An even tan will look more natural.
Beware of staining
Coffee self-tanners have the ability to stain clothing and linen just like normal self-tanners do.
Ensure that the self-tanner has dried completely, or that you have showered and removed any excess product, before wearing white or any other light-colored clothing.
Build-up takes time
Coffee self-tanners will not be as long-lasting as chemical self-tanners, so it’s best to apply the coffee self-tanner over a few days.
You will notice that the colour may wash off somewhat in the shower, but by using a self-tanner regularly, you can build up a nice, subtle tan.
Moisturize
Moisturising can only do good, so remember to moisturise your skin after applying a coffee self-tanner.
A coffee-based self-tanner will not dry your skin as much as chemical self-tanners, but moisturised skin holds a fake tan much better, and smooth, nourished skin just looks great in general.
Hydrated skin also helps the tan to fade more evenly.
You should never rush into a self-tan, even with coffee. Make sure to follow the same preparation that you would with a normal self-tanner and the same fake tan upkeep.
This is the best way to ensure your tan looks great and stays looking gorgeous.
How To Self-Tan with Brewed Coffee
Using brewed coffee to make a self-tanner at home is fairly easy. You just need to follow a few simple steps, and you will have a self-tanner ready for use!
Using a coffee maker, brew a cup of coffee with 250ml of water. Make sure to make the coffee strong, so there is enough to effectively dye your skin.
Using more water than this will dilute the solution, rendering it ineffective.
1. Use caffeinated coffee
The caffeine content will help reduce the appearance of cellulite. A darker roast will also result in a darker bronze tan.
2. Allow for cooling
Leave the coffee to rest until it reaches room temperature. Just leave it to sit in the coffee pot until it has reached the right temperature.
3. Add lotion
Add 250ml of lotion to a bowl. Any white lotion is fine, but try to use a heavy lotion if you have one, as the coffee will dilute the lotion quite a bit, and you want to be able to smooth it over your skin easily.
4. Add coffee
Pour the coffee into the bowl and stir until the lotion and coffee are well combined to create an even consistency.
The resulting colour will depend on the strength of the coffee, but it should be a light brown or dark beige.
5. Pour into a container
Find a suitable container to pour the mixture into.
Ensure that the container is clean and easy to dispense from, as this will make the application process much easier.
6. Apply the lotion
Gently rub the lotion into your skin using small, circular motions. The tan should immediately appear on your skin.
Wash your hands as soon as possible after application to avoid them darkening more than the rest of your body.
7. Wait for the lotion to dry
You need to wait for the lotion to dry completely before getting dressed.
The coffee could dye and stain clothing, linen, and furniture, and it could be difficult to remove once the stain sets in.
8. Maintain your tan
To maintain your bronze glow, use your lotion daily, preferably after showering.
Try and store your coffee self-tanner in the fridge.
You can easily adjust the colour of the self-tanner by adding more coffee or more lotion until you are happy with the overall colour.
The best part about it is that you can make a little extra coffee to enjoy while you wait for the pot to cool.
You can keep the coffee self-tanner in the fridge or bathroom for daily use, so you won’t have to make a new batch every time you want to tan.
How To Self-Tan with Coffee Grounds
When it comes to using coffee grounds to self-tan, there are two different methods you can choose from.
Coffee Grounds and Olive Oil
Coffee is great for your skin, and so is olive oil, making this one of the most skin-loving self-tanning options available.
1. Mix coffee grounds and olive oil
Measure out 250ml of coffee grounds, preferably those from a fresh grind and still warm.
Mix the coffee grounds into a bowl containing 250ml of olive oil.
Stir these together until mixed. You can double or halve the quantity, as long as you maintain the ratio of 1:1.
2. Leave to sit
Leave the coffee grounds and olive oil mixture to rest for 5 minutes. This allows for the coffee to tint the olive oil.
3. Get into the shower
With your coffee mixture, jump into the shower; this stops the coffee from staining other areas of the bathroom.
Massage the coffee mixture into your skin, and rub it all over for 5 minutes.
Concentrate on any cellulite-prone areas. Wear gloves to avoid the coffee from staining your hands too darkly.
4. Let the mixture set
Allow the mixture to sit on your skin for 10 minutes.
Try to stay in the shower if you can, so the oil doesn’t run off and stain anything it happens to get on.
5. Take a shower
Run the water and jump into the shower. Clean off the tanning oil, making sure to remove coffee grounds from crevices on your body, such as underarms, groin, and feet.
Do not shave or scrub your skin during this shower, as it will remove the tan.
6. Repeat twice a week
To maintain the bronze tan, you will need to repeat this process every two weeks. You will have to create a fresh batch of olive oil and coffee each time to ensure it is potent enough to stain your skin.
Boiled Coffee Grounds
Boiling your coffee grounds to create a coffee self-tanner is one of the easiest ways to do it, and requires the least amount of ingredients.
1. Get your coffee
Add 250ml of coffee grounds to a medium pot. Freshly brewed coffee grounds work best, as they will still have a good staining power.
2. Add water
Add 250ml of water to the pot and stir it all in to ensure the coffee and water are well mixed.
This helps with colour saturation and will prevent clumps of coffee from burning at the bottom of the pot.
If you want a larger quantity, increase both ingredients by an equal ratio of 1:1.
3. Boil
Allow the mixture to come to a boil and then leave it to boil for 2 minutes.
Leaving it to boil for too long will result in excessive water evaporation.
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4. Cool
Set the pot aside and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Do not apply the product while it is hot.
5. Apply the mixture
Massage the water and coffee mixture evenly onto your skin.
It might feel slightly uncomfortable to have the coffee grounds all over your skin, but the water will be slightly soothing.
Make sure to wear gloves to avoid over-staining your hands.
6. Let the mixture set
Leave the coffee grounds and water to sit on your skin for 15 minutes.
This is enough time for the tan to set in. Stay as still as possible to make sure the coffee grounds remain on your skin.
7. Rinse off
Jump into the shower and rinse the coffee grounds off your skin.
Do not shave or cleanse your skin, as this might remove the tan. Simply towel off gently when done.
8. Repeat
You will need to do this twice a week to maintain a tan, and you will need to brew up a fresh batch each time.
Best Types of Coffee for Self-Tanning
Depending on the type of coffee self-tanner you use, there are a few options to consider when selecting the best type of coffee.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds can be used as a scrub, which also helps exfoliate the skin while tinting it.
It is always best to use fresh coffee grounds, as these will still contain most of the dye and strength needed to properly tan the skin.
A darker roast will result in a darker tan on the skin.
Brewed Coffee
Dark roasted ground beans are best used for brewed coffee. The resultant brewed coffee will have a dark appearance, which will help you achieve a dark bronze tan.
If a dark brew is too dark, you can dilute it with water.
It is easier to water down a strong brew than try to strengthen a brew which is too weak and won’t have much effect on your skin.
How To Maintain a Coffee Self-Tan
You will have to apply your coffee self-tanner more often than an over-the-counter self-tanner, as the coffee dye is not as strong as the active ingredients used in traditional self-tanners.
The benefit of this is that coffee has amazing natural properties that are beneficial for your skin.
When using a self-tanning lotion, apply it daily to maintain your tan.
This is because it is more likely to fade once you have showered or had a swim.
Simply adjust your daily routine and apply the lotion evenly after your daily shower.
Using coffee grounds lets you apply less frequently. You can apply the coffee grounds mixture twice a week to build up and maintain a tan.
However, you will need to brew up a new batch each time.
Between the days of application, keep your skin hydrated with your favourite moisturising cream.
While the coffee is great for your skin, you will need to keep it nourished in between applications.
Moisturised skin holds a tan much better and will allow the coffee grounds to stain your skin more evenly, rather than clinging to drier areas.
The Benefits of Coffee for The Skin
Most of us look to coffee to give us an extra boost of energy in the morning, but coffee can also be your skin’s best friend.
It is quickly gaining popularity as an alternative treatment for skin, boasting numerous properties that promote healthy skin.
With antioxidants and phenols, coffee helps to fight free radicals, which in turn prevents skin damage.
It is one of the beverages with the highest amount of antioxidants, offering numerous far-reaching benefits.
So, in addition to giving your metabolism, energy levels, and mood a boost in the morning, here are the other benefits of coffee when used as a scrub, mask, paste, or self-tanner.
Reduction of cellulite
The caffeine content in coffee helps dilate blood vessels beneath the skin, which improves overall blood flow and reduces the appearance of cellulite.
Thiscoffee scrub on Amazon is great for reducing cellulite!
Calming agent
Due to the antioxidants found in coffee, when applied to the skin, it can act as a calming agent, which contrasts with the energy it provides when consumed as a beverage.
Anti-aging
When applied directly to the skin, such as when coffee is used as a self-tanner, it can help reduce the appearance of redness, fine lines, and sunspots.
This helps to prolong the ageing of the skin and improve the appearance of skin which has begun to age.
Source of vitamin B-3
Coffee is rich in vitamin B3, also known as niacin, which is derived from the breakdown of a key compound called trigonelline.
Niacin may help prevent non-melanoma skin cancers and potentially work to prevent other skin growths.
However, trigonelline is only broken down into niacin once coffee beans have been roasted.
Inflammation reduction
Chlorogenic acid and melanoidins in coffee act as an anti-inflammatory for the skin. Chlorogenic acids also help to reduce hyperpigmentation.
Acne
Coffee can help combat harmful bacteria associated with wounds or frequent skin infections.
The chlorogenic acid found in coffee exhibits both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. When using coffee as a face scrub, these properties help to fight off acne.
Dark circles
The high caffeine content in coffee helps to dilate blood vessels, which can reduce the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.
Post-sun care
The benefits of coffee, which help with anti-ageing, can also help treat sunburned skin.
When mixed with a gentle lotion or used in liquid form, coffee can help soothe and restore the skin to its normal state.
Coffee offers numerous skin benefits, and there are various ways to apply it to the skin.
All these ways of applying coffee can be done at home, using simple ingredients that can all be found in your cupboards and pantry.
Whether you choose to use a coffee scrub, mask, paste, lotion, or self-tanner, your skin will thank you for it, being nourished and cared for. Who can say no to the delicious smell of coffee?
Coffee As An Exfoliator
If you want to use a chemical-based self-tanner to have a longer-lasting self-tan, you can still treat your skin with all the benefits of coffee by using it as an exfoliator to prepare for your self-tan.
Mix some coffee grounds with a small amount of olive oil and scrub it all over your skin.
This helps to remove any excess dead skin cells, which could cause the self-tanner to be darker in drier areas.
This should not tint your skin if you do not leave the coffee grounds to soak in with the olive oil.
Not only will this coffee scrub help remove excess dead skin cells and prepare your skin for a self-tan, but its anti-inflammatory properties and other benefits will also leave your skin looking healthy, nourished, and glowing.
The coffee grounds will also help reduce the appearance of cellulite, which will only enhance the appearance of your skin and tan.
Coffee and Self-Tanning
Many of us would not expect a simple yet delicious household ingredient like coffee to have such numerous benefits for our skin.
Not only are its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties helpful, but the dark stain from coffee can leave your skin looking like you have spent a week in the Bahamas, just without the sun damage.
Compared to chemical self-tanners, coffee self-tanners will not result in a long-lasting tan, but they will help improve the appearance of your skin and are easy enough to make and use at home.
Get your coffee brewing and all your other ingredients ready to make a fresh batch of coffee self-tanner at home. Treat yourself to a fresh brew while you wait for your tan to develop!
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