Coffee

Spill the beans, or should we say seeds

Did you know that coffee beans aren’t beans at all? They’re actually the seeds of small spherical fruits grown on the Coffea plant, which ripen to a bright red or pink colour. Ex-seed-ingly interesting!

What is coffee?

The coffee tree is an evergreen member of the Rubiaceae plant family. The tree’s cycle of producing coffee beans starts with little fragrant, star-shaped white flowers, which turn into round berries. Nestled within each fruit are two seeds, which are harvested and then roasted, resulting in the punchy coffee beans most cafe frequenters know and love. The taste and caffeine content of coffee beans change dramatically after roasting and can also vary between different types of coffee plants. Lush uses coffee from the two most popular varieties of coffee plant – Coffea arabica and Coffea robusta.
Coffea arabica is the most widely produced type of coffee, often favoured by coffee shops. The main reason for this is that the oval-shaped beans generally possess a more aromatic, sweet and almost fruity flavour. They have a lower caffeine content than Coffea robusta, and are usually oilier too.
Coffea robusta (also known as Coffea canephora) has smaller, more rounded coffee beans. When consumed, the flavour profile tends to be earthier and much stronger, with a more bitter taste. They have a higher caffeine content and are easier to grow in different environments thanks to their hardy nature.

What are the benefits of coffee in cosmetics?

• Revives the skin.
• May stimulate blood circulation.
• May promote healthy hair growth.
• Softly exfoliates when rubbed on the skin.
• Helps achieve chocolate undertones in natural hair colouring.

Where does Lush source coffee?

Lush* sources coffee from a few suppliers. One supplier in the Netherlands uses coffee waste to produce sustainably upcycled coffee byproducts. We also purchase coffee beans from a producer in Brazil, who grow coffee using an agroforestry system. We then work with a local roastery based close to our manufacturing sites in Poole, Dorset who roast and grind these Brazillian Coffee beans for us. Find more information in the description of the main coffee ingredients we use:

Coffee Oil
Ground Coffee
Caffeine Powder

*With several manufacturing sites across the globe, sourcing information may vary depending on where your Lush products were made.

Caffeine: supercharged skincare

The compound coffee is most famous for! In recent years, caffeine has made a bit of a buzz (pun intended) in the cosmetics world. But what are the advantages of caffeine for the skin? Topical application may be beneficial, as it is believed that caffeine can be absorbed through the skin. Caffeine may have some positive short-term effects on encouraging hair growth and minimising hair loss, though further research is needed in this area. It is also thought to be useful in temporarily tightening, smoothing, and firming the skin. Caffeine also has antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect our cells from oxidative stress caused by pollution and UV rays, which can lead to signs of premature ageing.
How much caffeine is actually in coffee? Coffee is renowned for its naturally high caffeine content; however, the exact amount of caffeine can vary depending on the type of coffee plant and how it is processed.

Did you know?

The popularity of coffee dates back centuries. Some of the earliest records suggest that it originated in Ethiopia and spread throughout the Middle East first via Somali merchants and then, later, under the influence of the Ottomans, who continued to trade coffee westwards into Europe. It was favoured across cultures for its rich flavour and the stimulating effects it was thought to have on the mind, nervous system and digestive system.