I’ll tell you what, I feel like I’m giving away the whole crunchy farm here lately. Between my favorite hair rinse recipe and the homemade laundry detergent I can’t live without – and then this here, today, this frighteningly effective wake-up-and-smell-the-caffeine facial mask, I’m going through all of my tried and true favorites like wildfire. I think it’s time to go crazy and experiment with some new stuff.
But, before I do that, I want you to enjoy this, my very favorite facial mask/scrub ever to be placed on my crunchy face.
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The Mocha-Frappuccino Mask (i.e., coffee, cocoa, and honey facial mask).
Here’s the scoop:
What The Coffee, Cocoa, and Honey Face Mask Does For You
First of all, only use this mask in the morning. I’m not kidding you when I tell you that after I use it, I feel like I could run around in circles for two hours while composing a symphony and calling every member of my family (who likes to talk a LOT). The caffeine on your skin seriously translates into caffeine in your system. It is a definite, absolute wake-me-up skincare experience.
It may not help that I typically drink three cups of coffee while I’m letting it sit on my face, but I drink three cups of coffee every morning anyway, and it never makes me feel like this.
Next: Cocoa, honey, and milk (or heavy cream or yogurt) are very moisturizing, so you get some crazy soft benefits from this mask.
Cocoa and coffee are also both packed with antioxidants, so it’s a great anti-aging and detoxifying mask.
Honey, we covered here.
Last, but probably first: Coffee is genius at taking down puffiness and swelling. This is the absolute crunchiest thing about this mask. Use it in the morning on days when you’re feeling puffy and sluggish, and your day–and face–will instantly change (hopefully for the better). I almost didn’t recognize myself after the first time I used it: Where I used to have extra puff, it was sleek. Where I used to lack a little definition, I looked a little like a rockstar.
Also, coffee is an astringent, so your pores will be tighter and the oiliness you may have on your skin (although this isn’t at all a mask for only people with oily skin) will vanish.
Quick Tips on Using the Mocha-Frappuccino Facial Mask
- Recycle used coffee grounds, but within 20 minutes of grinding. I love the fact that this mask is both effective and green. After you’ve made your pot of coffee in the morning, simply use the coffee grounds for this mask. It will cut down the coffee-effectiveness just a little, but you’ll still get plenty of the benefits. The best way to make this mask is to make your coffee, pour a delicious steaming cup, and then make the mask right away and wear it while you’re drinking your morning brew.
- Wash the mask off in the shower. The coffee grounds can be a little messy, and I’ve found the best way to mitigate that mess is to wash it off while you’re taking your shower. This means, of course, that you should wear a button-down shirt before you put the mask on, as it’s difficult to pull a t-shirt off over a face covered in chocolatey groundy goo.
- If you have leftover coffee grounds (which you probably will) add some olive oil to them and use it as a body scrub in the shower. Coffee grounds also make a great body scrub. You can add olive oil or sweet almond oil straight to the grounds (until you end up with a mushy coffee-ground paste consistency) and throw in a little ground sugar, too, for added scrubbiness.
Mocha-Frappuccino Mask (Coffee, Cocoa Powder, and Honey Facial Mask) Recipe
- 2 Tbsp freshly ground coffee (the finer the grind, the better)
- 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder
- 3 Tbsp. milk (whole), heavy cream, or yogurt
- 1 Tbsp. honey
Mix all the ingredients together well. Apply to a sleepy morning face. Allow the mask to dry for 15-20 minutes. Wash off in the shower, scrubbing VERY lightly over the skin while rinsing.
That’s it. Easy peasy food on your face.
If you try it, let me know how it works for you!
Crunch on, betties!
Food On Your Face : Honey
This recipe is amazing, I’ve tried other coffee based masks but never with the same results and everything is already in the kitchen. Having recently suffered a very difficult bereavement I spend a lot of time with a puffy red face, this mask makes me look a little less like I’ve been hit by a stinging hex and a little more human. Thank you xx
Fantastic mask, thanks!!
Just finished with my mocha-frappuccino facial and although I’m not quite convinced it necessarily “depuffed” my face , it certainly made it tingle and glow. Thanks for a fun facial recipe!
I have this on my face right now. From the way it’s tingling, I know it’s doing something good. I’m not a coffee-drinker, but I was so excited to try this that I bought a $15 dollar coffee grinder. But, do any of you have dogs? Mine is so freaked out by this that he’s just sitting in front of me and barking.
I love this mask!!!! Made my skin so soft and smooth. Took a pic of it on my face and sent it to my boyfriend!!! It scared him!!
This inspired me to try a new shampoo recipe. I had a mixture of bentonite clay and yogurt left over from yesterday, which was my first time putting yogurt in my hair, and it made me smell like yogurt all day, bleh.
So this morning I added a small amount of brewed coffee, some cocoa powder, cinnamon, and some drops of peppermint essential oil. Mmmm, it smelled like peppermint chocolate. I left it on for 15 minutes or so. I reluctantly washed it out (I wanted to keep it on forever, it tingled and felt refreshing and smelled amazing, wah) and my hair actually is pretty nice today and smells good.
I am very new to no ‘poo, and I’m really excited now that I’m making some progress. Thanks for the creative inspiration!
DARN I was hoping the caffeine wouldn’t affect you quite so much – caffeine gives me migraines, but face oil makes me so puffy! (Plus I hate the smell of coffee) Harumph. Now what.
Oh my gawd, i havent tried the mask yet, but i did try the scrub and it was amazing! i used some yoghurt in it aswell and my skin has never been so soft. 😀 Thank you so muich for this! Il try the mask soon aswell, i have high hopes!
The most important things I forgot to ask, I only have puffy eyelids and upper lip. err..so, this gonna help me?
It sounds exciting reading all these comments. I have had Puffy eyes and lips since 3-4 years. It’s mostly because of Sinusitis, but I think this could help me out.
I have few questions, which many of you might find funny. But I am a man and I have no idea whatsoever about these face packs. So, here are my questions:
1. Can I just use those instant coffee packs available in the markets? Because the place where I work is very remote and I am sure coffee beans are not available here.
2. Does this make your skin dark? I hope not.
3. why is it not advisable to use this pack often?
Thanks a lot in advance 🙂
-Sri, Male, 25 😉
Can i use fresh and decaf grounds?
OMG. This is simply awesomeliciously amazing!! Sometimes when I get puffy and/or bloated, I can feel the ‘puff’ under my chin (feels like a double-chin). I spread this mask under my chin, down to my neck. After washing off the mask, it magically disappears. The recipe is enough for me to do a full body mask (over the top, I know) so I did it! <3
Too awesome, Crunchy Betty. Too awesome. It scares the kids though.
Hi! Just wanted to let you know that I tried the mask and I loved it. I seriously got like, high, from the caffeine. It was wonderful. Haha! 🙂 I blogged about it here: http://www.ashlinixon.com/2012/08/frapp-your-face/
This mask works wonders, but it also induces a lower eyelid twitch for me. I have to follow it with a caffeine antidote if I use it.
can’t wait to try it! can i use instant coffee for this?
I veganized the recipe on my blog 🙂 http://rawfoodlove.blogspot.ca/2012/07/chocolate-coffee-face-mask.html LOVE THIS SO MUCH. and the entire site.
HELLO IS IT SAFE TO DO EVERYDAY?
No. You shouldn’t use it more than twice per week, according to CrunchyBetty
my comment just got deleted i think…weird. will this work with instant coffee?
I don’t have ground coffee could I use instant coffee (the one’s that come in a jar and ready to use with hot water)? will it have the same de-puffing effect?
can u do this everyday?
what if ur allergic to milk?
I make this all the time with unflavored coconut milk.
thank u Annie 🙂 does it work with coconut milk?
Steps of this mask:
1. Make mask.
2. Taste a little bit of it.
3. Wonder why you spend so much at Starbucks.
4. Put on part of mask.
5. Pretend to be tribal warrior.
6. Put on rest of mask.
7. Avoid eating your face for 20 minutes.
8. Wash off.
9. Make everyone in your near vicinity feel how amazing your face feels.
this is soooooooo great. but we dont drink coffee very often. do you think this will work with Choffy? its just like coffee, but its a ground up Cacao bean instead, in stead of a coffee bean. Do you think that this will work?
Good morning!!!
I just found your page, and I live in China. So the items in my kitchen are… well a little off than what most people have!!
I made this with coconut milk, cocoa, coffee grinds and raw honey. My stomach rumbled and thought it was dessert time!!!
At the moment sitting here with the face mask dripping down my face making me really wish my boyfriend were abouts to taste it as it tastes better than most desserts!!! There is so much left over that I shall be trying out in the shower.
I do have to say that this was my favourite honey mask I’ve tried out.
My skin on my body felt fantastic!!! And I live in the desert so it usually feels not so nice. My face… it felt great and my students noticed how glowey it looked. BUT I don’t know if it was because of the humidity or the face mask, but I did notice I got a little greasy in my T-zone faster than usual.
Hi I have acne. And I usually do the oatmeal + yogurt + honey mask which really helps. And I was wondering if It would have a depuffiness effect if I just add instant coffee powder and cocoa to it? Instant coffee because that’s the only coffee I have and coffee grounds are not common where I’m from. I really want to try this recipe out and I do hope you reply me soon! Thank you so much !
I’ve been using this mask 2-3 times a week for the last three weeks. I’m in love! Thank you so much!
Hi CrunchyBetty, i have tried your recipe and i must say that I LOVE IT. My skin has never felt this delightful before 😀 thank u sooo much. I’m just wondering: do u have any facial mask recipe for face-whitening? I am getting tanner and tanner everyday and i don’t like it 🙁
I just thried this mask and it is AMAZZZZING! My face feels smooth and looks refreshed. I used the leftover mask as a body scrub. It mad a huge mess in the shower but cleaned up really easy. It left my skin smooth too. I didn’t even need to apply lotion when i got out. I might even try this on my hair the next time I make it. 🙂
My only problem is my one-year-old is really mad that he can’t eat it. I love your site. It is so freeing to do things that make you beautiful and don’t harm you. It’s really very healing to the soul. Thanks for sharing.
Crunchy Betty, I want to try this coffee mask. But I’m concerned: Washing the grounds off in the shower seems unwise: grounds don’t really melt, and I don’t want to cause blockage in the pipes of my old building. Have you never had a problem with drainage after doing your coffee masks?
I had the same concern. So, I didn’t wash it off in the shower. I brought some paper towels into the bathroom along with a plastic bag to contain the dirty ones. Then, I wiped my face with the damp towels. Then, I rinsed with water in the sink.
wow, my skin felt AMAZING after this! soft, smooth, refreshed wonderful! the only things on this that i found was , -if you use milk (like i did) may want to reduce the amount. I used 3 Tbs like it called for & i thought it came out a bit runny. So maybe start with 1 and then add as needed, or try using the yogurt instead of milk, that may help. -if you are a one bathroom household, may want to wait until you are sure you can have some unintrrupted Spa time b/c you may be a while. -this recipe makes A TON. a person on the website suggested using leftovers as a body scrub. great idea it leaves the rest of you feeling and smelling great but again, make sure no one is going to be pounding on your door b/c you will be awhile in the bathroom. If you do use as body scrub, be prepaired for a mess. this stuff ends up every where and you will have to clean your tub after use it. i am still finding coffee grounds in the tub even after the kids and hubby have used the tub!
And for the mask! I can’t wait to try it out!
Thanks for the Vitacost link! I buy tons from them 🙂
I used Starbucks French Roast beans. This mix smells delicious! Also, tasted a small little bit of it… Its good enough to eat! haha. Thanks for the recipe, it already feels amazing!
HI! I just found this last night, and had been dying to try it out. This morning, after I made my coffee, I got it all set up, and on my face(Made a huge mess in the process, but I can’t get near foodstuffs without making a mess). After about 15 minutes, I got carried away, hopped into the shower, and covered the rest of myself. I only waited about 5 minutes before I washed. There was no way I was standing in the shower for 20 minutes covered in goop.
Even though I only made 5 minutes on my body, ALL of my skin feels amazing. I loved this so freaking much. Keep on keeping on!
(For the record, I also did my first no ‘poo wash today!)
This was just what the doctor ordered! I saw amazing results…my skin looked dewy, pores tighter and a lot of puff gone. Several people noticed and I feel like I am getting my groove back. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it is for sure the best mask ever.
Celeste
I woke up yesterday looking like I drank a bottle of soy sauce. I went on Google to try and desperately find some way to fix my puffed face. I have never done any type of “homemade” beauty treatment. I found this recipe and I have to say it is AMAZING! I cant even tell you how in love I am with it. I made my roommate (who looked at me like I was crazy with my brown goop) try it. She loved it too. So now your basically amazing. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes. I never comment on anything but had to this time. So yeah thank you CrunchyBetty!
Dear CrunchyBetty,
This mask makes me look like I just got a facial! Thank you so much 🙂
I’ve tried this mask twice and wanted to share my thanks, and my personal ratings:
1. Glow: 5 stars (VERY glowing. Not sure why, maybe the caffeine?)
2. Scent: 5 stars (I want to eat this.)
3. De-puff: 3.5 stars (I eat very little at night, which makes me less puffy in the morning to begin with, but I have no doubt this would help with facial edema)
4. Smoothness: 5 stars (!!! Really smooth. It’s not just the scrubbing action from the coffee grounds, either, because I don’t get this effect with regular packaged scrubs)
5. Buzz: I actually don’t feel too much of a caffeine buzz, but perhaps this is related to the de-puff effect — if you’re experiencing less depuff, then maybe you’re not absorbing as much of the caffeine? I have no idea!).
Anyway, amazing. Thank you for this great site!
Hi, this sounds so awesome! I want to try it, but it’s hard to get fresh coffee beans where I live. 🙁 Will this still work if I bought ground coffee in a packet?
I used Tim Horton’s fine ground coffee. lol! worked great!
Thanks! Will try it out. 🙂
AWESOME! How have I been crunching this long and only just now found this post?
My 4yo watched me put this on my face and asked why. “So you can lick it off” I said. “oh, okay” he was totally game, so I let him lick out the bowl (decaf). Now he has his own version of the mask on his face. Perhaps the reason little people have such lovely facial skin is because they have food on their face so often. hmmmm.
My hubby is the sort to take up cage fighting after the age of 35. Not the timid sort. HOWEVER, I do NOT plan on letting him see my face like this! He would be traumatized….
how long do coffee grinds stay fresh for? or do i have to brew new grinds everyday? ( I am not a big coffee drinker)
what a great multi-tasking recipe! I created almost the exact thing last year and named it Caffe Latte al Miele. Will have to give this one a try with yogurt.
using this with yogurt is DIVINE. it was like frosting my face. 😉
I use this recipe regularly for a few months now. I’ll never stop. I can look all shiny and well rested on days when I’m just not. Plus, it takes the puff out of my face from my allergies. I found that if I use fresh coffee grounds I actually get sort of a caffeine high from it.
I have coffee, milk and honey on my face! Feels good! Can’t wait to share the results! Love the win-win situation of making my own consumer goods while saving the earth. Thanks for sharing such great tips and ideas!
Just made this mask and tried it! But I added a little coffee (liquid) about 3 tbsp, I also used yogurt (Fage total) …..Wow the results were amazing, looked like I had a face lift, tight and smooth!!! While the mask dried it was so tight and after 20 mins I rinsed it off scrubbing lightly. I even put it on my eyes, My eyes looked amazing as well as I can never find anything to make them look as great as this mask did…
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS RECIPE
awesum results..besides climbing the walls from the caffiene :p
Ok, first off, I NEVER leave feedback for this sort of thing – but I am so grateful for your recipe I felt strongly compelled to do so.
Messy? Most definitely… but works WONDERS!
I found this site looking for some caffeine including facial treatment recipe, as I am sick and tired of paying Sephora big $$ for products that work because they have some weak refined v ersion of an ingredient I could buy at the grocery store or find in a garden for. A fraction of the cost – not to mention you get a much more potent effect when you’re isolating the key “magical” ingredient…
I love putting this mask on when I wake up, then lying back down for another 20 to 30 mins while it dries. I do notice a slight caffeine perk, the smell motivates me out o bed to actually get a cup of coffee… and my skin is so soft, toned and glowy when I’m done… truly amazing, kudos and many many thanks!
~V
Your comment totally made my day. Isn’t this the best?!?! You should definitely try the nutmeg microdermabrasion from today, too. You’ll love it, as well.
Yay! SO glad searching led you here!
Hi! 🙂 I just wanted to say i looooove your sight! AND I LOOOOVE THIS MOCHA MASK! IM ADDICTED! its my second morning to have it on and im in love! Im making my mom try it this weekend when i go to visit lol. Thank you! And im wandering … what if we even tried putting an egg white in with it?? For the EXTRA healthy CRUNCHINESS!??? let me know what you think 🙂
<3 Keresa
I have the mask on my face now and must say it smells so good and feels tingly. I only had skim milk in the house so I used it, hopefully it works just as well 🙂
Time to rinse off…
COMPLETELY IMPRESSED! My skin feels so much better than I thought it could. I have to tell you I am a licensed cosmetologist (in Ohio) and I am eager to tell my clients about this facial mask… Is that okay?
Oh, heck yeah! You can definitely tell them about it. Isn’t it awesome? It will always be my favorite, go-to right before I go out at night.
Glad you loved it!
i CANT GET RID OF IT sorry not can
hello
just a quick question
would this be good for acne prone skin
i have tried everything and nothing works. i dont have bad acne just a couple bumps on my cheeks but i can get rid of it
It would be good for your skin, but I’m not sure it’ll solve your acne problems any better than, say, the aspirin and honey mask. You could do it, anyway, just to see … and because it’s SUPER fun and smells delicious!
I had the bumps on my cheeks, too (kind of just under my cheekbones) for a while, but they really cleared up when I started taking omega-3 fatty acids (I use Barlean’s cod liver oil).
Also! I’m up in the mountains RIGHT NOW, writing an ebook about recipes just for acne! Be sure to sign up for the newsletter, so you’re notified as soon as it comes out. I’m really excited about it!
I USE GROUND ESPRESSO COFFEE AND HONEY OR OLIVE OIL (THEY BOTH FEEL REALLY GOOD)ON MY FACE. IT IS UNBELIEVABLE HOW GREAT MY SKIN LOOKS AND FEELS AFTERWARDS. I ALSO PUT THE COFFEE AND OLIVE OIL IN MY BATH WASH AND USE IT IN THE SHOWER. I FOLLOW UP WITH NIVEA SKIN FIRMING LOTION AND WOW. MY SKIN FEELS SO SOFT AND AMAZING.IT FEELS LIKE I SPENT A DAY AT THE SPA FOR JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CASH. I HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON FACE AND BODY LOTIONS AND GOT NOTHING BUT A EMPTY BANK ACCOUNT. I HAVE ONLY BEEN USING THE COFFEE MASK FOR LESS THAT A WEEK AND THE BATH WASH COMBINATION FOR ONE DAY, AND HAVE SEEN AN AMAZING DIFFERENCE.
I just discovered your website yesterday and have tons of your ideas to try! This particular mask sounds like a miracle worker but I have one concern…I have been told to avoid caffeine by my heart doctor because of a tachycardia. Do you know if the caffeine affect is primarily topical versus entering the bloodstream? If so, is there something else you would recommend to replace the coffee in this mask? I will check with my cardiologist next month but wondered if you had any idea. Thanks and keep up the great website! It truly is fascinating and something we can do inexpensively to take care of our bodies.
Hi there! I’m so glad you’re here. But I have some bad news for you: From personal experience, I can tell you that the coffee does, in fact, get into the blood stream from the skin. Whenever I do this, I definitely get a little more of a coffee “jitter” (I drink 3 cups a day, so I’m even pretty desensitized). I would say steer clear of the coffee – you can still ask, but I’d be hesitant to do it. And, of course, I’m not a medical professional, so do what you think is best.
So it depends on what you want out of the mask itself. The coffee, I find, adds a little extra glow and a LOT of depuffing. You could just leave the coffee out, and the mask would be nice and moisturizing on its own. Or, you could try adding some blended cucumber to the mix for extra depuffing action. Or some well-blended apple would be REALLY nice, as well (which would clarify and soften). Actually, apple and cocoa powder sounds like two really lovely scents. I’m going to have to try that soon, myself!
Hey there…. sitting here at the computer with the mocha etc mask… feels and smells GOOOOOD! Thanks for the recipe!
Quick questions… I have more mask mix than I can use at one time..
How long can I keep this mix? obviously in the fridge…
and how often should one use this mask? daily? weekly?
Hi! Hope you saved it in the fridge. It’ll keep for 3-5 days, and I wouldn’t do it more than twice a week, and then I’d take a break from it for a week or two. I usually do one of these every two weeks, sometimes more often if I have something special to “depuff” for.
How’s your skin look now?
omg i tried this………. everything u sad is true. it really works…
thanx
OK, so I just did this one tonight as my Food On Your Face do-over. I can’t believe how soft my skin is right now!
Pictures and blog post tomorrow!
I was just thinking today — I wish Betty would post about coffee grounds – and then I went to your search bar and there it is. Coffee on my face tomorrow morning!
tried it this morning- yummy!
what a mask! i’d love to try it n lock my room door coz i might scare my fam if they see my face with that black coffee over my face,lol…
Haha. It’s so super fun. And you know what I’ve found? One of the most fun things about putting food on your face is freaking out your loved ones. Fiance has gotten to the point where he just shakes his head and laughs.
You know you’re REALLY loved when they accept you with food on your face. Heh.
Hi there
I have extremely sensitive skin – a skin condition called ichthyosis form erythroderma (means scaly red skin) – and I am going to try this. My skin is dry and red to the point that I look like I have been very severely sunburnt. If this mask reduces swelling and inflammation, it’s worth a try. I just need to get my hands on some coffee because I don’t drink the stuff!
I will let you know how it goes.
Carly
Hey, Carly. I just saw this but wanted to mention to you that, perhaps, with your skin condition, coffee may not be the best thing to put on it. I don’t know (because I’m certainly not a doctor and not capable of giving medical advice) what exactly the erythroderma entails, but it sounds like you might want to stay away from anything potentially acidic like coffee. My first thought, when I read your comment, is that perhaps you might want to crush up some aspirin and mix it in with yogurt and try applying that. It’ll lessen the swelling, moisturize, and take away pain. Also, have you tried just putting straight cucumber juice on it? Good luck!
I just wanted to let you know that I tried the face mask and loved it!
O.k. I did this one today! I had to resist the urge to heat it up in a mug and throw some marshmallows in it (good thing it’s not winter or I might have)! It smelled so good… even after rinsing and moisturizing my Hubby said my face smelled like chocolate (that’s gotta be a good thing). My skin was nice and soft after. Usually I just toss my coffee grounds under the blueberry and camellia shrubs (they supposedly like it) but now they’ll have to share with me.
Yay! I’m so glad you tried it. Ridiculously yum, no? Just thinking of how it smells right now gives me all kinds of energy!
Ooooooh!!! I want to try this? Puffy face gone? Slimmer?
I’m so totally IN!!! 🙂
This sounds yummy enough to make me wish I drank coffee so I’d have the grounds around to give it a try.
I to am going to have to try this out! Thanks!
Um, hi–this mask is genius. I haven’t tried it yet, considering I just read this blog 5 seconds ago but you know what? I’m TOTALLY putting this on my to do list! I love mochas so much that I often want to pour them over my head & sing their praises. This mask seems like a more sensible approach to celebrate this great love affair. Thanks for sharing, cuz!!!
Yay, cousin! You have to tell me what you think when you do try it. I’m so happy you’re here, I’m kind of crying a little bit. Cousins!
I’m seriously impressed!
Someone who loves coffee and fresh ingredients and manages to find a way to make them turn her into a rock star!
You have inspired me to go get myself a nice steaming hot cup of coffee now….!
For reals. Every time I think about it, I want a cup of coffee. If it weren’t so darned close to midnight …
cant WAIT to try this – I have all the ingredients on hand, I may have to do it today!!!
You have to tell me what you thought of it – especially the “slimming’ part (I don’t know what else to call it right now). I just know that whenever I do it, my face looks skinnier, and that … that is as crunchy as it gets.