The same thing that wakes up the world every morning wakes up the skin too: gentle exfoliation, caffeine and a scent you cannot mistake.

What is coffee?

Coffee is the seed of the fruit of an evergreen shrub of the genus Coffea. Two species dominate: arabica, with a finer, more aromatic profile, and robusta, stronger and higher in caffeine. The green seeds are roasted, and roasting creates the hundreds of aromatic compounds that give coffee its smell and its deep brown colour.

What are the benefits of coffee?

Ground coffee grains have rounded edges and a consistent size — which is why coffee is one of the gentlest natural exfoliants. But it is also rich in caffeine and chlorogenic acid, substances with well-known antioxidant activity. On the skin it:

• Exfoliates gently, without scratching
• Stimulates surface microcirculation (caffeine)
• Gives a firmer, more rested look
• Offers antioxidant protection from its polyphenols
• Brings a warm, earthy scent and natural colour, with no colourant

Caffeine on the skin

Caffeine is well absorbed by the epidermis and is one of the most common actives in body scrubs and eye-area products, precisely for its effect on microcirculation and the “tight” look of the skin.

Where does it come from?

Coffee originates in Ethiopia and is grown today in the “coffee belt” around the equator — Brazil, Colombia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Central America — at altitude and in a tropical climate.