Optiat Coffee Scrubs

One of the reasons I absolutely love beauty boxes is because every now and again you come across a product that you just absolutely love and had it not been in that box, you might not have come across it. Optiat, which I chose as my selection from January You Beauty Box (here) is described as being a nature friendly company who transform used Arabica coffee grounds into scented scrubs that make you look and feel fantastic. 

It is no secret that I absolutely adore coffee scrubs and these two are just incredible as is the story behind the brand.

Founder William Brightman explains the concept behind his coffee scrub idea:

"Having received a cafetiere for Christmas, I began making my own coffee. However, I realised that post-brewing, the freshly brewed grounds had to be thrown away. With more than 55 million cups of coffee drunk every day in the UK, this represents a big waste problem. Indeed, it turns out that more than 500,000 tonnes of coffee grounds are sent to landfill every year in the UK alone! I saw an opportunity to change this."

So why do I love coffee scrubs? Well the smell firstly. Coffee is just an incredible scent and I adore it. Secondly the fine grounds act as a natural exfoliator which gently removing the surface layer of dead and dry skin cells. Thirdly, Coffee is the same pH as your skin so using it in this way isn't drying. Fourthly it is high in antioxidents. The antioxidant level in brewed coffee grounds is much higher than those in freshly ground coffee. We all know that antioxidents help to fight free radicals, one of the main causes of the signs of ageing and finally the caffeine in coffee helps stimulate blood flow, it is effective against skin conditions such as acne, eczema, cellulite and stretch marks and works to address those areas in need of renewal and regeneration.

So the two scrubs that I selected for this beauty box were Lemongrass Lifter and Mouthwatering Mandarin. Lemongrass Lifter s described as follows: "Scrub up zesty after getting hot and sweaty. A blend of used Arabica coffee grounds and lemongrass essential oils, this Lemongrass Lifter refreshes you after working up a sweat". If you love the scent of Lemongrass then you will love this. Not only is the scent of freshly brewed coffee just incredible, but mixed with the zesty tang of the lemongrass and in a morning it is the kind of which drags you awake.

The second scrub which is aptly titled "Feel Great" Mouthwatering Mandarin Coffee Scrub - has the following description "Scrub up deliciously for date night. A blend of used Arabica coffee grounds and mandarin essential oils, Mouthwatering Mandarin keeps you feeling fruity all night long". Unlike the Lemongrass Lifter scrub, I actually do prefer to use this one in an evening rather than a morning, possibly because I find orange scented products quite relaxing rather than invigorating. On the skin, again it is a delight to use and the orange scent mixed with coffee is just delightful.

Both of these scrubs are not only suitable for your entire body but they can also be used on your face, something I haven't yet tried. When using you only need to squeeze the tube slightly to have more than enough product and then you simply massage it onto the skin in circular motions to ensure it is being used to its best ability and yes it is a bit messy.

A 220g tube is priced at £9.99 here and as well as these two scents there is also two other options - Potent Peppermint and Vanilla Velvet to try.  So if coffee scrubs are your thing you need to try these and if you have never tried a coffee scrub but are quite intrigued then you need to try these!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise