Who doesn’t love a cup of coffee right? There is nothing like a cup of coffee to give you a kick start for the day. But did you know coffee can do a whole lot more than just keep you awake? It’s filled with antioxidants, and some even claim that coffee could potentially prevent cancer.
A major component of coffee is caffeine, and recently we’ve been seeing an influx of skincare products championing caffeine and coffee. A brand that’s become so popular in the last few years in the area of coffee in skincare is ‘mCaffeine (or I am Caffeine), and one of their bestsellers is the – ‘mCaffeine – Naked & Raw | Coffee Body Scrub.
I’m not new to coffee body scrubs, I was introduced to it with Skin Yoga’s super hydrating coffee scrub and then figured out how to make my own at home once I was done with it. Two years ago, ‘mCaffeine was everywhere, and I mean everywhere – every other advertisement online was about ‘mCaffeine, and Instagram was literally chock-a-block with influencers singing praises about the body scrub. I wasn’t too keen initially, but I did like a good coffee scrub, and a few weeks later I had my very own jar.
‘mCaffeine targets millennials and focusses on online marketing and sales. They sell via their own website and many other online platforms like Nykaa, Amazon and Flipkart.
The body scrub retails for INR 449 for a 100 gm jar.
Nykaa, my go-to for everything skincare and make-up is where I picked this up. I paid full price and also got their Body Polishing Kit (Coffee Body Scrub + Choco Body Butter – 30 gms each) for free.
Value for Money – Low – Product lasts about 15 to 20 showers (depending on how much product you use) which would average to about INR 26 / use. If I were to make it at home, I’d average about INR 3 – 5 / use (depending on how you get your coffee).
'mCaffeine
‘mCaffeine, an Indian brand, has been developed, funded and manufactured in India and by Indians. The brand was launched in 2016 and they had a massive image rebranding exercise in 2018.
‘mCaffeine focuses and champions caffeine in all of their products and have three unique product lines – Naked & Raw Coffee, Naked & Rich Choco and Naked Detox Green Tea. Each product line has multiple products under their skin, body, and hair range.
Their website is extremely easy to navigate and gives the customer the option of searching for products through product line, product range (like skin, body or hair) and skin or hair concerns.
‘mCaffeine is certified 100% Natural by AYUSH, SLS Free, FDA Approved, dermatologically tested, Cruelty Free and is not tested on animals, Paraben Free, and is Engineered in India.
At first glance the brand looks great, but when I started digging about a little the picture changed drastically. I have a few issues with this brand –
1. Transparency – There is nothing available online regarding this brand. I found an old article about when they launched in 2016, that’s about it. Their website just mentions that it’s “India’s 1st caffeinated personal care brand where beauty has no colour or gender” and pictures of their founders and few key partners. There is no way for me to understand what the mission and goals of the brand are, what are they trying to achieve – like they could have atleast mentioned that they are certified 100% natural by AYUSH (it’s on the packaging, but not the website), SLS Free, FDA approved etc.
2. Claims – Caffeine is good for the skin, but it isn’t a miracle cure! Caffeine is a potent antioxidant and can help significantly in promoting growth of collagen as well as protecting the skin from premature signs of aging. However, caffeine cannot be extracted with oil and is hydrophilic (water loving) – the popular coffee scrub is made with coconut oil, there is zero caffeine reaching your skin and works only as a physical exfoliator. The packaging also mentions that coffee is great for cellulite reduction, which there is a slight possibility of but requires caffeine again for that to happen. The entire packaging is misleading.
3. Marketing Material – I went back over 1,000 Instagram posts to try to understand more about the brand (since there was no other way I could get any information), and I noticed that they had a sort of image rebranding. Two things I noticed, one of which left a sour taste in my mouth was the excessive sexualization of both men and women in the new marketing material. I had seen some of these images before, in isolation they look absolutely fine, but as you keep scrolling you’ll find pictures and videos of women in bikinis rubbing oil on themselves and six pack male models with a coffee scrub being applied on them, posts on taking showers together – if nothing else, they ruined many perfectly nice bras and towels in my opinion! Another aspect which isn’t necessarily bad is that they’ve partnered with almost EVERY influencer out there – it’s an effective way to market, but these influencers are now just selling the products and not doing what a consumer would want them to do – be honest. I was definitely one of the consumers who ended up buying this product because of mainstream influencers I follow recommending this.
What's in my product?
Ingredients: Coffee, Sorbitol, Glucose, Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut Oil), Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Green - Yay!! Blue - Good/Fair Orange - Bleh! Red - Nope!
Ideally, I’d like to see only the highlighted ingredients in the product, however, the ingredients in grey aren’t necessarily bad. Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate is an extremely mild surfactant, and Potassium Sorbate & Sodium Benzoate are mild preservatives that work best together.
Let’s talk about the key ingredients in the body scrub –
1. Coffee (Pure Monsooned Arabica Coffee)
Coffee granules are a wonderful way to exfoliate the skin on our body. Coffee is brimming with antioxidants as well that have been proven to help reduce signs of aging. The main component of coffee is caffeine, and I’ve spoken in depth about all the benefits of coffee and caffeine when applied to the skin in the previous blog as a part of our “What’s on the Label” segment – you can access it here.
2. Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut Oil)
Every Indian has heard about the benefits of coconut oil from the time we were little kids, and we do incorporate it into our daily routine in one way or the other. Why exactly is it revered by so many South East countries though? Let’s try to find out –
How it works?
Unlike most oils, coconut oil is a saturated oil, meaning when consumed the body does not have to break it down and can be used directly by the body for energy resources.
Approximately 50% of coconut oil is constituted by an important fatty acid called Lauric Acid. There have been a few studies on Lauric Acid and it is considered to be a promising ingredient against acne-causing bacteria. A 2009 study found that the lowest concentration to prevent acne-causing bacteria growth is of lauric acid and is over 15 times lower than that of benzoyl peroxide. While this is promising, there haven’t been enough studies done on Lauric Acid to understand the full spectrum of pros and cons.
A double-blind research confirmed that extra virgin coconut oil is as effective in treating xerosis (extremely dry skin) as mineral oil. Another study found that coconut oil is more effective than mineral oil in treating mild to moderate atopic dermatitis (eczema) in children.
How safe is it?
Coconut oil is a plant extract at the end of the day, and like most plant extracts can cause skin sensitivity. Coconut oil and Lauric Acid are both quite comedogenic, which could counter any benefits it might have for helping with acne. Those with sensitive and very sensitive skin might also get breakouts on using coconut directly to the skin. Always patch test before applying.
Another myth that needs to be addressed is about coconut oil containing natural SPF. Studies have shown that coconut oil can block about 20% of UV light, meaning it let’s in 80% of the UV light that damages the skin. 20% works out to be a SPF factor of 4 – 5, which is nowhere close to the recommended SPF. Please always use SPF of 30 minimum – coconut oil is just not going to cut it.
3. Sorbitol
Sorbitol is essentially a sugar, and functions similarly to glycerine in the sense it has humectant properties, can act as a thickening agent, and a slip agent as well.
The interesting fact about sorbitol is that the sugar component of sorbitol acts as a prebiotic to our skin, meaning when sorbitol is broken down by the good bacteria living on our skin, the by-products are beneficial for our skin, and some of them act as antioxidants that have been known to calm the skin.
4. Glucose
Glucose is essentially sugar and is known to act as a humectant and help lock in moisture, reduce transepidermal water loss and keeping the skin hydrated.
My thoughts on the product
I definitely have mixed feelings about this product, and without giving too much away let’s jump right into the product review. As usual let us break this down into packaging, touch & feel, how to use, changes noticed on using it for over a month.
1. Packaging
I have to give credit where credit is due,
and their packaging is fantastic. The colour schemes are brilliant as well. The outer packaging is a sturdy cardboard box which has been reinforced with a stronger cardboard box inside to support the weight of the product. The packaging is all in black, with hexagonal shapes embossed on them, while the colours and logo contrast it quite well. The front of the package graphically depicts the main ingredients (coffee and coconut in this case). The packaging speaks about the brand, what is in the scrub, why coffee is good for the skin, precautions, full list of ingredients and directions of use.
The product comes in a solid glass jar with a black lid. I can’t wait to finish the product so that I can re-use the glass jar. The labelling on the product also provides the list of ingredients and directions of use as well as precautions to be followed. The product also comes with it's own spoon, a nice wooden one which can be reused.
They have obviously spent a LOT of money on the product and understood what would catch the eye of their potential customers. They have also spared no expense in their marketing campaign targeting many influencers and getting them on board. If only they had simplified instead of over complicated and spent that money wisely on developing a better product.
Fancy packaging also means the extra price will be loaded on you as a consumer.
2. Touch & Feel
The largest issue when it comes to using
coffee grounds as a physical exfoliant is the lack of uniformity in the size of granules, leading to some areas of the skin being slightly over exfoliated while the others are not. The best thing about store bought coffee scrubs in comparison to homemade coffee scrubs is the larger scope of uniformity in coffee granules – and this is probably the only thing I like and appreciate about the product.
The product is an extremely fine powder, and quite gentle on the skin. You can apply this directly on wet skin and spreads decently. There obviously is quite a bit of spillage and you’ll find it everywhere, but this is common to all powder form of body scrubs.
The product is a lighter shade of brown than I’d expect a coffee scrub to be, and boy does it smell just like coffee. After a shower, my entire bathroom smells of coffee, unfortunately I do not – and this has been one of the few downers. One of the reasons I love coffee scrubs is because I smell like a cup of coffee after, this one just doesn’t deliver.
Depending on how much you use, this should last you about 15 to 20 washes or so – I use about 3 – 3.5 spoons each time.
3. How-to-Use
The directions on the packaging recommends, “On wet body, take enough quantity, apply scrub to shoulders and spread it all over the upper body. Take enough quantity again to apply on legs. Avoid any contact with eyes. Gently scrub in circular motions for a few minutes, focusing more on knees, elbows and neck. Rinse with warm water. Pat dry and follow with the application of body lotion or body butter to soothe and close the open pores. Use it twice a week to glow on”
Additionally, the brand advises to “Keep away from direct sunlight. Keep out of reach of children. Do not consume. For external use only.”
One point to note is that you would want to keep this as far away as possible from your face AND neck. Using it on your shoulders and base of your neck is okay, but the skin on the neck is also very delicate and it would be better to avoid this on the neck.
Also, pores do not open and close as mCaffeine claims it might.
I also prefer using this only once a week.
4. On using the product for over a month
I have normal to slightly dry skin on my body. I have a genetic skin condition known as Keratosis Pilaris (KP) where there is a keratin buildup which forms a plug and blocks the hair follicle. This results in tiny bumps wherever there are hair follicles. For me this is prominent on my upper arms, back and upper thighs. It is not curable and the easiest way to keep it under control is to exfoliate the skin regularly. Additionally, my back seems to be more susceptible to clogged pores and I get many whiteheads on back. I do not particularly have skin sensitivity, but my skin does react a little especially in those areas where the KP is more prominent. I also have dust, pollen and nickel allergies and this can cause severe urticaria (rashes) at times.
When I am being sold a body scrub that over markets itself as a magical product that will exfoliate dead cells and reduce puffiness – The least I’d expect is decent exfoliation! This has been formulated keeping normal to oily skin types in mind but trust me when I say this is not going to take off any oil / sweat build up – My loofah does a better job!
I noticed absolutely no change in my skin anywhere in my body – this is a nice product to have, makes you feel good about attempting to take care of your body and skin, but honestly does nothing, not even properly exfoliate.
However, keeping in mind that it has also been formulated with mild surfactants and very mild preservatives, I believe this could be a good option for sensitive skin types, who’ve had issues with other body scrubs. The coffee grounds are quite fine and chances of it being too harsh on the skin are unlikely.
Final Thoughts
A bougie product – something that looks good on your bathroom counter, that smells good, makes you feel fancy but honestly does little to nothing for your skin.
Initially I thought that maybe this is not best suited for my skin, but I’ve tried a few of their products, and honestly, they’re all “Meh”… I’ve tried 4 of their products including the body scrub, and not one of them worked for me.
I would rather spend the exorbitant price tag for Skin Yoga’s coffee scrub, or attempt to make it myself at home, but buying another jar of mCaffeine’s coffee scrub is something I never see happening - EVER.
Overall Rating: 3 / 5
Personally would give it like a 2, but it didn’t particularly do anything wrong, and there is scope for this to work well for those with sensitive skin.
Do NOT recommend for other skin types. – Please do NOT ‘Scrub on and Stay Raw!’ could be detrimental to your skin.
Disclaimer: I am not a dermatologist. The product review is my personal opinion on the product, and what I understand from articles available online. The overview on ingredients has been sourced from websites that specifically look to provide information on commonly used ingredients in skincare and make-up.
Wherever I have mentioned a specific fact or figure, these have been sourced from published Journals, Paula’s Choice Ingredient Dictionary or INCI Decoder, and Journal sources listed on these websites. Information gathered from specific websites will be referenced as well.
I neither take credit for this information, nor can I guarantee the accuracy of these facts and figures and do not take responsibility for the same.
My main aim is to help people understand the various ingredients in their skincare and how those ingredients work, to help make intelligent purchase decisions with regards to skincare. If I have made any error or mistake, please do let me know, and we can work together to make the necessary changes.
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