“This eco-friendly body scrub leaves me with the softest skin ever”
OK, I have a confession to make. Despite writing articles about the important of body moisturising as a beauty editor, I definitely don’t do it every day. I’m only human, okay?? I mean, sure it means my skin can be prone to dryness, rough patches and ashy ankles – but I try to counteract this with one area of my body care routine that I am a bit stricter with: exfoliating.
I love a good body scrub and took it upon myself to test and trial heaps of them (especially during lockdown, when there was nothing else to do). And let me tell you: not all body scrubs are created equal. There were ones that left me red raw (beware of rough, grainy formulas!), one that caused me to break out (a really fun time) and some that genuinely did nothing at all.
But then, I came across one that leaves me with the softest skin I’ve ever had – and it’s been a shower caddy staple ever since. If you want smoother skin, UpCircle’s Coffee Body Scrub with Peppermint, £14.99, might be the key.
I mean, sure – like any granular body scrub, it’s a bit messy and I do have to use the shower head to wash away any splatters that made it up the walls but it’s worth it. I scoop a handful out of pot and (while trying to make sure the grains don’t slip through my fingers), I carefully massage it around my skin in circular motions. Once it’s buffed onto skin, the satisfying grit sweeps away any rough patches and when washed down the plughole, I’m left with amazingly smooth skin.
Alongside its mega results, the brand is big on sustainability, too. The one thing I knew about UpCircle before using this was a lot of its ingredients are upcycled to reduce waste and offset its emissions. When scanning the ingredients lists, expect to see 'rescued' additions like chai spices (for relaxing scents), apricot stones (rich in vitamins) and date seeds (and anti-inflammatory).
The coffee in this particular formula comes upcycled coffee grounds that are sourced from artisan coffee shops – cool, right? Not only that but coffee is a really great addition to any body scrub, thanks to its high levels of antioxidants. In fact, these antioxidants increase once coffee is brewed so the addition of used beans is even better.
It also contains peppermint and eucalyptus to make me up more than any Espresso shot ever could, as well as shea butter and coconut oil. These two are probably the MVPs of the entire body scrub – they’re mixed with the coffee to make sure the gritty, ground-up beans don’t feel harsh and leave your skin feeling super soft. Even if I’m feeling lazy with moisturising that day.
I’ve already worked my way through a couple of these jars, which, FYI, are plastic-free and easy to recycle, thanks to a glass jar and aluminium lids. I’ve managed to get a couple of friends hooked on it and now, maybe, even you. But let me go and stock up first, thank yew.
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