Between bad weather, quarantine, and travel restrictions, you may not have been able to get your regular dose of Vitamin D. With summer knocking on your front door, an all-natural coffee self-tanner may be just what you need to get a bronze glow quickly. Sunbathing and tanning with natural sunscreen isn’t an option for everyone at the moment, so this natural beauty hack can save you a lot of time and effort. It’s time to break out your summer clothes to bare all to the sun, including that marvellous tan! Learn more about this safe and natural coffee self-tanner, as well as how to make it in this recipe of the month.

Ingredients

For this easy coffee self-tanner, you’ll need:

• Instant coffee
• Water
• A damp towel

The measurement of each ingredient depends on how light or dark you’d like the tanner to be. You can adjust the strength to your preferences by adding more coffee or more water.

Properties of the Main Ingredient

Here we’ll explore the benefits of the main ingredient in this lovely coffee self-tanner. 

Coffee

This fragrant bean can naturally help the body and skin in many ways. Coffee can help with:

• Reducing cellulite – The caffeine present in coffee works to dilate blood vessels, which can help improve blood flow throughout the body. Better blood flow means that your skin will be getting more of the nutrients it needs, as well as decreases the appearance of cellulite. 
• Combating signs of ageing – Coffee contains lots of antioxidants which help fight free radicals and ageing. Applying coffee to the skin can reduce redness, dark circles, sun spots, and even wrinkles. A scientific study from 2014 found a direct correlation between consuming coffee and a decrease in photoageing effects.
• Fighting skin cancer – You can find plenty of Vitamin B3 (niacin) in coffee. This comes from trigonelline present in coffee beans but becomes niacin when the beans are roasted. Niacin is believed to help prevent nonmelanoma skin cancers and future skin growths. 
• Treating acne – Coffee possesses both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties which makes it great for wound healing. Combining these properties with the exfoliation provided by coffee grounds make a potent acne treatment. When used topically, coffee can calm the skin and help restore balance.

Crafting your Coffee Self Tanner

There’s not much of a procedure that goes into making this coffee self-tanner. One of the nicest things about this self-tanner is how simple it is to make. Instant coffee works best as it’s already designed to be diluted in water. To start, heat some water then add instant coffee to the boiling water, just as though you were making a coffee. You may want to make a larger or “Americano” sized coffee to have more coffee to use.

Once your coffee is made, grab a towel (this should be a towel you don’t mind staining!) Next, soak the towel in your freshly made coffee. Finally, gently pat the towel all over your face and body. Be careful with your eyes and other sensitive parts of the body. You should now have a fragrant and all-natural coffee tan.

Tips for better results

First off, to avoid patches where the skin doesn’t absorb the coffee properly, it’s best to moisturise first. Moisturising your skin before applying the self-tanner will ensure that your skin is hydrated and improves coverage. It will be easier to smoothly apply the coffee self-tanner over skin that is hydrated. Your skin will also be able to absorb the coffee self-tanner better with an even barrier across the entire body.

Second, as Mayca described in her Instagram post, in Spain it’s common to take black tea baths to improve the length of a tan. Black tea contains natural plant dyes that stain or darken just about anything they touch. That’s why teeth get stained by tea and coffee! You can try to use this effect to your benefit by taking a coffee bath. This may help you keep your bronze glow all summer long.

The Takeaway

Skip the synthetical chemicals this summer and get the perfect tan with this all-natural coffee self-tanner. Please, let us know in the comments if you tried this self-tanner and how it worked for you! If you’re looking for more natural beauty resources, remember to check out WapoBeauty’s Soapmaking eBook. Those searching for guided learning should visit WapoBeauty’s Complete Facial Skincare Online Course for Beginners and discover how to make professional, safe, and stable natural beauty products. Join the ranks of students who found this class valuable and rewarding! 

ABOUT OUR BLOGGER:

Ashuni Pérez is an American writer based in Valencia, Spain. She has a passion for natural beauty and the environment. Ashuni loves to cycle and drink smoothies in the sun. Follow her on Instagram at @ashuuuuni