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 which are caring and nourishing to the skin as well.
This article is a complete guide on how to use coffee as a self-tanner, which type of coffee to use, and if 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 works to stain the skin is the 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, giving you a summer tan without having to sit in the sun for hours, damaging your skin, or using over the counter self-tanners which might be irritating on sensitive skin.
Tips for Self-Tanning With Coffee
Just like when using a chemical self-tanner at home, there are some precautions to be wary of, and ways to prep your skin to ensure you get the best tan possible.
Exfoliate your skin
It is so important to exfoliate your skin before applying any self-tanner, even the coffee type. This helps your skin be smooth and even, which allows the coffee self-tan to look natural and smooth on your skin.
Clean, oil-free skin
Make sure that your skin is perfectly clean and free from oils before applying the coffee self-tanner. Any barriers on your skin, such as oils, deodorants, or creams will get in the way of the self-tanner applying evenly onto your skin, and you will be left with streaks and patches.
Do a patch test
It does not matter if you are using a chemical self-tanner or a coffee self-tanner, you need to do a patch test beforehand to see 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
In order to apply the coffee self-tanner evenly, apply it in circular motions, rubbing it in evenly all over. Make sure to take note of any color build up in drier areas such as ankles, knees, elbows, and fingers.
Buffer color build-ups
If you do notice any color build-ups in drier areas, use a buffer to even out the color. 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. Make sure that the self-tanner has dried or that you have showered and removed 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 you should be patient and apply the coffee-self-tanner over a few days. You will notice that the color might wash off quite a bit in the shower, but by using a coffee self-tanner regularly, you can build up a nice, subtle tan.
Moisturize
Moisturizing can only do good, so remember to moisturize 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 moisturized 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 as well.
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 to be used!
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 and not be effective.
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 into a bowl. Any white lotion is fine but try and use a heavy lotion if you have, 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 combine to create an even consistency. The resulting color will be dependent on the strength of the coffee, but it should be a light brown or dark beige color.
5. Pour into a container
Find a suitable container to pour the mixture into. Make sure that the container is clean and is easy enough to dispense out of, which will make the application process much easier.
6. Apply the lotion
Rub the lotion evenly into your skin using small circular motions. The tan should immediately appear on your skin. Wash your hands as soon after application as possible 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 around the house, and it could be difficult to remove once the stain sets in.
8. Maintain your tan
In order to keep your bronze glow, you will need to use your lotion daily, preferably after you shower. Try and store your coffee self-tanner in the fridge. You can easily adjust the color of the self-tanner by adding more coffee or more lotion until you are happy with the overall color.
The best part about it is that you can make a little bit of extra coffee to enjoy while you are waiting for the pot of coffee to cool! You can keep the coffee self-tanner in the fridge or bathroom to use daily, 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-tan options out there.
1. Mix coffee grounds and olive oil
Measure out 250ml of coffee grounds, preferably those that are from a fresh grind and which are still warm. Mix the coffee grounds into a bowl containing 250ml of olive oil. Stir these together until mixed. You can double up or half the quantity, as long as you keep 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 dark.
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 from your skin.
6. Repeat twice a week
To maintain the bronze tan, you will need to repeat this process twice a week. 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 into a medium pot. Freshly brewed coffee grounds work best, as it will still have a good staining power.
2. Add water
Add 250ml of water to the pot, and stir it all in to make sure the coffee and water are mixed well together. This helps with color saturation and will prevent clumps of coffee from burning at the bottom of the pot. If you want a larger quantity, increase both ingredients with an equal ratio of 1:1.
3. Boil
Allow the mixture to come to a bowl, and leave it to boil for two minutes. Leaving it to boil for too long will result in too much water that evaporates.
4. Cool
Set the pot aside and allow the mixture to cool until it reaches 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 make, there are a couple of choices when deciding on the best type of coffee.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are good to use as a scrub which also helps to 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 give the skin a darker tan.
Brewed Coffee
Dark roasted ground beans are best to use 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 water it down. 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 will do nothing but good for your skin!
When using a coffee self-tan lotion, you should apply it daily to maintain the 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.
In between the days of application, keep your skin hydrated using your favorite moisturizing cream. While the coffee is great for your skin, you will need to keep it nourished in-between applications.
Moisturized skin holds a tan much better and will allow for the coffee grounds to stain your skin more evenly, not clinging to drier areas.
The Benefits of Coffee for The Skin
Most of us look to coffee to give us an extra boost of the energy in the morning, but coffee can also be your skins best friend.
It is quickly growing in popularity as an alternative treatment for skin, containing many properties that are great for promoting healthy skin. With antioxidants and phenols, coffee helps to fight free radicals, which in turns prevents skin damage. It is one of the beverages with the highest amount of antioxidants, which has many far-reaching benefits.
So, other than giving your metabolism, energy levels, and mood a kick 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 to dilate blood vessels beneath the skin, which helps to improve overall blood flow, decreasing the appearance of cellulite.
This coffee 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 is in contrast to the energy it offers 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 aging of the skin, and improve the appearance of skin which has begun to age.
Source of vitamin B-3
Coffee is rich in vitamin B-3, niacin, which is created by a breakdown of a key compound known as trigonelline. Niacin could help to prevent nonmelanoma skin cancers, and even 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 when it comes to wounds or frequent skin infections. The chlorogenic acid found in coffee is both antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. 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-aging can also help treat sunburned skin. Mixed with a gentle lotion, or used in liquid form, coffee can help soothe and restore the skin back to normal.
There are so many different skin benefits that coffee has to offer, and there are so many different ways to apply coffee 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, and who can say no to the delicious smell of coffee?
Coffee As An Exfoliator
If you are wanting 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 to remove excess dead skin cells and prepare your skin for a self-tan, but the anti-inflammatory properties and other benefits will leave your skin looking healthy, nourished and glowing.
The coffee grounds will also help to reduce the appearance of cellulite, which will only help to make your skin and tan look incredible.
Coffee and Self-Tanning
Many of us would not expect a simple yet delicious household ingredient such as coffee to have so many great benefits for our skin.
Not only are its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties so 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, and treat yourself to a fresh brew while you wait for your tan to develop!
