Ever thought about what happens to those waste coffee granules that make your morning latte? No? Us neither until we heard about the absolutely awesome Optiat who turn all that waste coffee into something magical. With some seriously exciting things on the horizon including brand new coffee scrub scents, face serum and a lip balm we seriously heart them. They are even venturing into the world of waste spices used to make chai tea in their new soaps, which are palm oil free, vegan, cruelty free 100% natural and launching in October.

Anyway, enough of all of that! On with the questions!


Optiat uses left over waste coffee grounds from everyone’s morning cuppa and turns them into body scrubs. How hard was it convincing people to rub leftovers on their skin?

Surprisingly easy! The ingredients that we repurpose into our products retain their quality. Coffee, for example, has been shown to be higher in antioxidants once it has been brewed than beforehand, so the used coffee grounds that make up our scrubs are just as good (if not better) for your skin! The fact that it is collected from artisanal coffee shops and restaurants also means that it is the highest-quality Arabica coffee, as opposed to the lower-grade, cheaper Robusta coffee found in most coffee scrubs. So with this in mind it’s actually pretty easy to show people that the repurposed element of our products is actually a major perk – more sustainable and superior quality!

Optiat coffee scrub


It’s Summer and we want our skin to look banging so we can wear clothes that don't make us overheat!  What are the benefits of coffee on skin?

Where to begin?! The coffee grounds act as a natural microbead-free exfoliator, buffing away any dead or dry skin and leaving you feeling silky smooth. The caffeine in coffee helps stimulate blood flow, effective against skin conditions such as acne, eczema, cellulite and stretch marks, addressing those areas in need of renewal and regeneration. The caffeine can also help to brighten up your complexion, leaving you with a fresh-looking glow - perfect for the summer! Plus, coffee is the same pH as your skin - meaning it won't leave it feeling dry. That’s a whole lot of skin goodness to be throwing to landfill!


You are all about creating a circular economy – what does that mean and why is it so great?

Creating a circular economy means moving away from the traditional linear economy of 'take, make, waste' to one in which resources are recovered and reused at the end of their service life. For us it is all about seeing potential where others don’t. We’re starting a movement to make circular skincare both aspirational and accessible. We aim to show people that these ingredients still have a huge amount to offer us. If we can produce high quality, effective skincare products by promoting sustainability as our core message, our hope is to demonstrate that we can all be more resourceful. Our products provide access to new, innovative, and interesting ingredients that work for you, and the environment.

Hopefully, Optiat is proof that waste doesn’t need to be wasted.

How can we turn our own coffee waste into a scrub at home?

We post lots of at home beauty recipes on our blog, including face masks, body butter and makeup remover! You can find our easy DIY coffee scrub recipe here.

What’s your favourite chocolate bar? (Oh wait D&D of course). Ok what’s your favourite flavour of D&D then?

We are HUGE Doisy & Dam fans here at Optiat HQ, we even feature your bars in our themed gift boxes! I think my absolute favourite has got to be the organic Goji & Orange dark chocolate bar. It’s delish.


Optiat is stocked in Waitrose, Whole Foods, Planet Organic, Topshop, As Nature Intended and Booths. Full stockists can be found on their website here.


Fancy buying some choc