A Cup O’ Coffee for Your Skin from LUSH Cosmetics

Although caffeine is a proven stimulant, I think that part of the invigorating effects coffee has on me are merely psychological. Drinking a cup of coffee in the morning is almost like a ritual, something I do every day before anything else, so that my body and brain just know that when I’m done with it, it’s really time to get in motion and face the day ahead.

I find LUSH Cup O’ Coffee Face and Body Mask to have similar effects: besides the tangible softer skin it gives me, I think that its pleasant scent of freshly brewed coffee, mixed with the sweetness of vanilla and roasted cocoa extract, acts as some sort of aromatherapy pick-me-up.

This mask, which has a 4-month shelf life from date of manufacturing, contains a nice blend of ingredients that are supposed to have the following beneficial effects:

• Agave syrup: anti-microbial
• Kaolin: deep-cleansing
• Glycerin: humectant
• Coffee: caffeine constricts blood vessels, thus giving you naturally firmer skin and helping reduce redness
• Vetiver Oil: anti-inflammatory and cicatrisant
• Vanilla: antioxidant
• Cocoa: antioxidant

I’ve got the smaller of two sizes (150 g/5.2 oz vs. 325 g/11.4 oz), which I have only been using on my face. I usually apply an even layer and wait 5-10 minutes before rinsing off, as directed. When I have the time, I let it sit on my skin even longer, because it doesn’t really get tight or uncomfortable since it never dries down. Then I rinse it off easily with water and while I do so using circular motions, the ground coffee gently exfoliates my skin, leaving it thoroughly cleansed, soft and radiant.

I’ve been using acid-based exfoliants instead of scrubs for the last few years, but I recently finished my Collistar Glycolic Acid Serum and am currently waiting for my first bottle of Alpha-H Liquid Gold to land on my doorstep. LUSH Cup O’ Coffee, with its invigorating scent and gentle scrubbing beads, is really making me enjoy this little break from chemical exfoliators.

What’s your favorite LUSH mask? Are you tempted to try this one? Do you believe that the invigorating effects of coffee aren’t solely based on its caffeine content?

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