We surprised ourselves by realising that we actually haven't yet included coffee oil as our Oil of the Week, especially considering how much we love it. But it's time to change that: herewith our Oil of the Week - coffee bean oil!

What is Coffee Bean Oil?

Coffea arabica seed oil or coffee bean oil is the pure, cold pressed oil of the seeds (green coffee beans) of the coffee plant. It has the utterly delightful aroma of rich, brewed coffee and makes a fabulous addition to skin care products. It contains high and balanced percentages of fatty acids such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid and steraric acid and has been scientifically proven to:

• Improve the appearance of wrinkles and redness.
• Increase firmness and texture in the skin. 
• Increases elastin and collagen production, as well as production of specific proteins in the skin that decrease moisture loss and improve hydration levels. 
• With its caffeine content, it is a great depuffer, skin wake-me-up and boosts circulation.
• It is also rich in antioxidants.

This all helps your skin appear more youthful.

Now that we know why coffee bean oil is simply amazing, here are five great ways to use it!

Luxury Night Serum

My absolute favourite way to use coffee oil is in the form of a simple but luxurious night oil serum.

You can choose any combination of your favourite skin oils to blend with the coffee oil. Go for the more 'fancy' oils so as to maximise the skin benefits overnight. My go-to combo is:

• Coffee bean oil
• Prickly pear seed oil
• Pomegranate seed oil
• Jojoba oil
• 10 drops squalane
• 1 drop Vitamin E

Method:

1. There is no hard and fast rule about how much of each oil to use - I simply add the vitamin E and squalane to a 30ml or 50ml pipette bottle
2. Top up the rest of the way with more or less equal proportions of each oil.

To use, squeeze out one pipette-full into your palms following a shower or whenever you do your nighttime skin routine. Warm the oil by rubbing your palms together, then apply all over your face, massaging it in.

Whipped Coffee Sugar Scrub

This delicious whipped sugar scrub is emulsified which means it will turn all creamy on contact with wet skin in the shower, and will be easy to wash off - no greasy residue.

Ingredients:

• 10g polawax
• 8g oliveM 300
• 54g coffee bean oil
• 24g cetearyl alcohol
• 100g brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 2 drops Vitamin E

Method:

1. Melt the polawax, coffee oil, oliveM 300 and cetearyl alcohol together.
2. Let this mixture cool till viscous but not completely solid.
3. Stir in the Vitamin E oil and sugar.
4. Whip by hand or electric beaters until light and fluffy.
5. Decant into a jar.

If you have left over coffee grinds, you can also add in some of those to the scrub.

Morning Coffee Gel Oil Cleanser

Gel cleansers are fun to make and lightweight to use on skin. This cleanser is the perfect skin wake-up, incorporating coco glucoside and betaine as surfactants, and coffee oil as the cleansing oil.

Ingredients:

• xanthan gum gel
• 0.5g coco glucoside
• 1g cocamidopropyl betaine
• 1 T coffee bean oil

Method:

1. Make up a portion of the xanthan gum gel according to the recipe hyperlinked.
2. Weigh the coco glucoside and betaine, and blend together.
3. Stir this surfactant mixture into the gel.
4. Add in your coffee oil,blending everything well.
5. Pour your gel cleanser into a glass jar.

To use, take out a small amount with your fingers, wet your hands and rub together to lather up, then apply to your face. Rinse off and apply moisturiser as usual.