Research summary
This research paper aims to determine the extent to which coffee grounds can be recycled for skin care purposes. Also it aims to create homemade skincare products such as facial masks and soaps using coffee grounds that are generated in massive quantities by coffee shops and instant coffee industries. The coffee industry has a large impact on the global economy. Environmentally speaking, the industry also has a significant impact. Every year, more than two billion tonnes of coffee wastes are produced. Coffee by-products are usually deemed virtually useless. The coffee grounds are directly thrown away during the processing and these coffee wastes end up in landfills all over the globe.
There are numerous research studies on reusing coffee wastes which include coffee pulp and peel, coffee husks and hulls and the coffee effluent or the waste water used in several stages of manufacturing coffee. Since these byproducts are not very accessible compared to coffee grounds, I decided to make use of the latter to create products that will be beneficial for entrepreneurs, consumers, and the environment.
The benefits of coffee grounds have long been known. These have been used as homemade exfoliators due to its abrasive property. Coffee grounds have also demonstrated powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. First, I will find resources on how to process the skin care products namely soap and facial mask. I will research on the other ingredients necessary to make the products such as honey for the mask or glycerin for the soap. Lastly, promoting and packaging the coffee beans as to attract consumers. Collaborating with coffee shops, the coffee beans packaging will be placed with stickers containing information on how to make a homemade mask or homemade soap utilizing ground coffee beans. By using attractive pictures or infographics, consumers would be encouraged in making their own masks or soaps at home. Reusing coffee grounds as ingredients for skin care products will reduce the amount of waste being generated thus benefitting the environment. Also, it will benefit the coffee producers, the recycling enthusiasts, the health sector and consumers.
Research question:
What is the process of product development of reused coffee grounds for homemade masks and soaps?
Research problem statement
Millions of cups of coffee are drank worldwide and 20 million tons of coffee waste per year are generated, majority ending up in landfills. How do we alleviate the landfill use due to tons of coffee waste? How do we look at reusing and recycling alternatives for grounded coffee beans to turn waste into a resource?
Coffee is one of the largest agricultural products mainly used for beverages. With worldwide coffee production reaching nine to eleven pounds annually, 20 million tons of coffee waste will be increasing and would be too much to handle (Neill 2014). According to the International Coffee Organization, more than 600 billion cups of coffee every year (Frangoul 2015). According to the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) Chronicle, the pollution load in the wastewater from the processing of coffee can be 30 to 40 times greater than the one found in urban sewage (Neill 2014).
Many people have tried and tried again to make money from spent coffee grounds, and not too many of them seem to last at it for long. Aside from using as compost, biodiesel and firelogs, spent coffee grounds can be a potential ingredient for all natural skin care products.
Literature Review
Coffee contains powerful antioxidants which protect the skin against free radicals from the environment. Antioxidants help reduce the signs of aging and skin cancer. Aside from its antioxidant properties, it also has anti-cellulite properties. Because of all these known benefits of coffee, it is already an ingredient in beauty products and in spa therapies. About 10 years ago, beauty companies started to use caffeine as an ingredient in face products because of its incredible tightening effects (Howard 2016). Coffee beans reduce inflammation and redness and are used to remove dead skin. In an article published in the academic journal Food Science and Technology, their findings indicated that the antioxidant properties of coffee grounds are 500 times greater than Vitamin C (Jiménez-Zamora, Pastoriza and Rufián-Henares 2015). Coffee has the same pH as the human skin thus it will not make skin feel dry nor oily ("All Natural- Handmade Coffee Soap" 2016). When applied topically, blood-flow is stimulated and helps in reducing cellulite, stretch marks, psoriasis and eczema ("The Benefits Of Coffee Scrub For Your Skin" 2015). According to the studies made in University of Navarra in Spain, plunger, filter and espresso coffeemakers left the highest levels of antioxidants in coffee grounds (Bravo et al. 2012). Coffee mask can be made by using coffee grounds with honey and yogurt. This kind of mask helps with nourishing the skin and tightening the pores (Mukherjee 2014). In creating homemade coffee soaps, one will need soap base, ground coffee beans, soap mold and fragrance oil if preferred (Soukup 2014).
Research method review
A secondary research method can be used for this paper by making use of information others have put together or have published. I can make use of periodicals or databases, Google News for recent articles from various newspapers. Observation of consumers is often a powerful tool in research. By looking at how consumers select products, I will be able to get insights on what the customers prefer or how they decide in buying products. The collective characteristics of consumers will be observed as to solve the question of what consumer do.
Visualization of Proposed Solution
After an adequate amount of research, I can now start with my actual study. It is also important for me to plan and calculate the cost versus the benefit of the products. Canvassing for materials and resources for the product is important. Finding sources on how to process the skin care products namely soap and facial mask will be done. For the coffee beans products to attract consumers, promotion and packaging plays a big role. The coffee beans packaging will be placed with stickers containing information on how to make a homemade mask or homemade soap utilizing ground coffee beans. By using attractive pictures or infographics, consumers would be encouraged in making their own masks or soaps at home and help in saving the environment while taking care of their skin.
Bibliography
"All Natural- Handmade Coffee Soap". 2016. Okinawa.Bookoo.Com. http://okinawa.bookoo.com/i/58809435.
"Antioxidant Effects Of Coffee By-Products 500 Times Greater Than Vitamin C". 2015. Sciencedaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150507082525.htm.
Bravo, Jimena, Isabel Juániz, Carmen Monente, Bettina Caemmerer, Lothar W. Kroh, M. Paz De Peña, and Concepción Cid. 2012. "Evaluation Of Spent Coffee Obtained From The Most Common Coffeemakers As A Source Of Hydrophilic Bioactive Compounds". Journal Of Agricultural And Food Chemistry 60 (51): 12565-12573. doi:10.1021/jf3040594.
Frangoul, Anmar. 2015. "Grounds For Optimism: Turning Coffee Into Fuel". CNBC. http://www.cnbc.com/2015/01/09/grounds-for-optimism-turning-coffee-into-fuel.html.
Howard, Sarah. 2016. "Coffee Grounds – Fantastic Skin Treatment At No Cost". Bellatory. Accessed May 5. https://bellatory.com/skin/-Used-coffee-grounds-fantastic-skin-treatment-at-no-cost.
Jiménez-Zamora, Ana, Silvia Pastoriza, and José A. Rufián-Henares. 2015. "Revalorization Of Coffee By-Products. Prebiotic, Antimicrobial And Antioxidant Properties". LWT - Food Science And Technology 61 (1): 12-18. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2014.11.031.
Mukherjee, Somreeta. 2014. "How To Use Coffee For Skin And Hair - THEINDIANSPOT". THEINDIANSPOT. http://theindianspot.com/coffee-for-skin-and-hair/2/.
Neill, Jenny. 2014. "6 Ways The Coffee Industry Is Turning Waste Into A Resource". Sustainable America. http://www.sustainableamerica.org/blog/6-ways-the-coffee-industry-is-turning-waste-into-a-resource/.
Soukup, Ruth. 2014. "DIY Coffee Bean Soap - Living Well Spending Less®". Living Well Spending Less®. http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2014/01/27/diy-coffee-bean-soap/.
"The Benefits Of Coffee Scrub For Your Skin". 2015. Fitmud. https://fitmud.com/blogs/coffee-scrub/41016065-the-benefits-of-coffee-scrub-for-your-skin.
