Have you ever used coffee like this before?

If you’re anything like me, you’re not fit to face the world until you’ve had a cup of coffee in the morning. I’m definitely not a morning person, but hand me just one simple, aromatic, somewhat muddy looking cup of coffee and with that first sip I’ve transformed from bear with a sore head into a mild-mannered and cuddly teddy bear.

I’m far from what I’d consider a caffeine addict, I mean I only have three mugs a day, tops, and I’m pretty sure I could cut out two of them without too much bother. But there’s something very magical about that first coffee of the day, some power that makes it the best tasting coffee you’ve ever had; a bizarre sense that you are an absolute coffee virgin, experiencing coffee for the very first time. So, imagine if could experience the extreme caffeine power of that first cup of the day in a way that was actually good for you!

Well, guess what?…You can!

What is this wonder product I hear you all ask, well the product in question is rather aptly named Skin Virgin and it is about to revolutionise your skin!

Skin Virgin is a UK company that makes coffee-based skin scrubs, which target problems such as cellulite, stretch marks, psoriasis, eczema and other skin conditions. Amazingly there are just 4, yes you really did read that right, 4 ingredients that go into the scrub and every single one of those ingredients has an important role to play in making your skin as smooth as the day you were born.

The Skin Virgin exfoliating scrub contains:

Ground Robusta coffee beans
Extra virgin coconut oil
Brown sugar
Organic sweet orange oil

Making it 100% natural, suitable for vegans and possibly the simplest, most effective product you could possibly use on your skin. So, imagine my excitement when the lovely people at Skin Virgin offered to send me a sample to review!

I love getting things in the post; there’s an explicit joy in opening something that you know isn’t a phone bill or a pizza menu., and when my parcel from Skin Virgin arrived I knew exactly what it was, because the smell hit me before I’d even had a chance to pull the package out of the letterbox! Feeling like an overexcited child at Christmas I immediately ripped the envelope open, pulled out the pouch and inhaled the rich smell like a woman possessed. Coffee; sweet, sweet coffee…hmm remind me who said they’re not a coffee addict?

What’s so great about coffee?

We all know that coffee contains caffeine, right? Well, caffeine isn’t just good for waking you up, it’s also amazing at activating skin cell renewal and tightening pores, which means total skin rejuvenation and consequently younger looking skin! Not only this, but coffee is also scientifically proven to help protect the skin against free radicals, which could reduce the risk of skin cancer.

So, basically coffee helps protect your skin both on the outside as well as from the inside.

The coffee used in the Skin Virgin scrub is freshly ground meaning it has a rough texture, making it an ideal exfoliant. Dermatologists recommend that we regularly exfoliate in order to help remove dead skin cells and increase blood flow. The beauty of the Skin Virgin scrub is that because it contains coffee, not only does it gently exfoliate, but the caffeine is able to get to work straight away, leaving your skin feeling silky smooth.

So, if the coffee does all of that, let’s take a look at what the other ingredients bring to the party.

Extra Virgin Coconut oil

Organic extra virgin coconut oil is one of the worlds best, natural moisturisers and basically means that once you’ve scrubbed yourself with Skin Virgin scrub the coconut oil immediately gets to work rehydrating and smoothing your skin. Not only does it contain vitamin E and essential proteins for skin growth and protection, but it also helps to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and generally improve the overall look and feel of the skin. It’s time to say bye bye wrinkles and dry, cracked skin and hello to nourished, silky smooth virginal skin.

Orange Oil

I literally LOVE the smell of orange oil and the sweet orange oil used in the Skin Virgin scrub is OMG sublime! But, it’s not just it’s gorgeous scent that earns it a place as one of the 4 ingredients in the scrub, orange oil is also a natural remedy for high blood pressure, it can improve blood flow, fight against hypertension and can even help lower the risk of heart disease. Combine this with the fact that it’s also been known to improve the immune system and it has strong anti-bacterial properties and it’s clear why Skin Virgin feel orange oil is an essential part of their product.

Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is the perfect exfoliator. The rough, granular texture helps scrub away at dead skin cells and the natural glycolic acid helps condition, protect and moisturise the skin all while giving off a sweet, enticing aroma that satisfies anyone who is guilty of having a sweet tooth.

Now, here’s the thing, I must admit that when I first ripped off the top of the sample pouch and the bitter smell of coffee hit my nostrils, I was somewhat dubious about whether I would be happy about smelling like my local branch of Costa. But, here’s where Skin Virgin have got clever, because the rather surprising combination of coffee and sweet orange oil makes this scrub smell good enough to eat. Imagine a chocolate orange flavoured tiramisu and you are halfway there; it’s sumptuous and decadent and an absolute treat for the senses.

I raced upstairs to the bathroom, eager to try it out and proceeded to scoop out a handful and start scrubbing my legs. Which leads me on to…

Lessons I have learnt when using Skin Virgin scrub:

Don’t scoop out the scrub with wet hands!
Don’t leave the packet open on the edge of the bath!
It will get messy!
The bath will need a good clean after!
The dark coffee stain will wash off!

I’m telling you this to make your ‘first experience’ of Skin Virgin perhaps slightly less messy than mine, but hey isn’t everyone’s first time a little bit messy?!

Put all this to one side and I tell you what, this is by far one of the best exfoliators I have come across. It does everything it promises to:

it scrubs
it smells AMAZING
it smooths

and I can honestly say that it left my legs feeling smoother than they have felt in a long time – and it takes a LOT to impress me!

We chatted to Skin Virgin to scrub down deep and find out the bare facts about what their product can do and to find out some of the key things about how we should be using it.

Firstly, they are keen to point out that even though their scrub contains 100% natural ingredients they have still carried out a stability test, challenge test and a microbial tests (all performed at the Melbec laboratory in the UK) to guarantee that what they are giving their customers is the absolute best!

They say that, “By using Skin Virgin every day, it can heal a variety of skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, cellulite, acne & patchy dry skin” and based on what I have seen of it so far along with the backing of their huge fan base; they already have over 20,000 followers on Instagram, as well as customers stretching across the globe, it’s clear that they are definitely doing something right.

How to get the best out of your Skin Virgin scrub.

Owing to the fact that this is a natural based product, it inevitably has a shorter shelf life than a product riddled with a million different chemicals. Skin Virgin recommend that a 200g pack of coffee scrub will last you approximately one month if used 1-2 times a week. An unopened pack will last up to 12 months and once opened it will last up to 6 months, providing it has been sealed properly. However, I challenge anyone to actually make a pack last this long, because once you’ve tried it you’ll be looking for that coffee fix every single morning!

Skin Virgin scrub is so gentle that as well as being able to use it on your body, you can also use it on your face. The company recommend that you do a patch test first if you have particularly sensitive skin, but otherwise it is time to smear that coffee all over your face and watch it perform it’s magic. Apply a small amount to the face and rub in with small, circular motions, leaving it to dry for approximately 5 -10 minutes. After that time, rinse until granules have gone and then finish up by using a light face wash to remove any excess oil.

Even though the packaging looks as though it’s made of recycled paper, it’s actually a waterproof, sealable pouch, which means it can be kept in the shower or by the side of the bath or sink as long as it is properly sealed. Skin Virgin advise that their product be kept in a cool, dry place in between scrubs, because if the coffee scrub gets slightly wet, although it will dry over time it may alter its effectiveness next time you go to use it.

Skin Virgin scrubs are currently available priced at a bargainous £12.95 from their own website www.skinvirgin.com and the company are also in the process of having the product stocked online with Holland & Barrett. Which leads us on nicely to their big plans for the future and how we, as their valued and enthusiastic customers, can help spread the word about Skin Virgin.

Skin Virgin have started up a Crowdfunder campaign with the hope of raising enough investment to gain both awareness of their coffee based scrub as well as to help push forward with innovative new products that use this powerful, awesome natural ingredient. They need to spend some money on researching new, unknown natural products with the aim of revolutionising the beauty sector as well as our beauty routines and would like to have an extensive range of new, all natural, skin care products by the end of 2016. To kick this off they are in the process of developing an all natural eye cream to help remove dark circles, tighten the skin around the eyes and act as a natural anti- wrinkle cream. This exciting and innovative new product is expected to launch in the summer 2016.

Pledging even just a small amount not only helps Skin Virgin continue on their natural skin care quest, but also gives you the opportunity to experience Skin Virgin products yourself, as they are offering the following rewards to all of their crowdfunding pledgers:

200g pack of Skin Virgin coffee scrub
50% discount off new products, including ‘Cocosugar’ lip scrub and ‘Almond&Argan super conditioning body cream
The opportunity for you to act as a tester and reviewer of their new products
Free scrubs for a whole year!

Finally, we asked Skin virgin to sum up their scrub in just three words…