- History of Coffee Butter
- Benefits of Coffee Butter
- Cultivation & Harvest of Coffee Beans
- How is Coffee Oil Extracted?
- Uses of Coffee Butter
- Coffee Butter Varieties & Their Benefits
- Contraindications for Coffee Butter
IN ESSENCE…
- Coffee Butter is a thick and richly emollient body butter made with cold-pressed oil from the seeds of the Coffea arabica plant.
- Coffee oil can be extracted from either green or roasted beans and each type of oil lends slightly different properties to the resulting Coffee Butter.
- Both Coffee Butter – Green and Coffee Butter – Roasted are packed with vitamins, fatty acids, and antioxidants to care for skin and hair.
- Used cosmetically, Coffee Butter is known to be hydrating, detoxifying, and smoothing; it is also known to be a beneficial addition to rejuvenating formulations and blends intended to improve the appearance of cellulite.
- Coffee Butter is well suited for use in massage, body lotions, and creams, balms and bar soaps, sun protection products, hair masks, pomades, shampoos and conditioners.
HISTORY OF COFFEE BUTTER
Coffee Butter is a rich, all-over moisturizing butter made with the essential oil of Green or Roasted coffee beans. While no one knows the exact origin of coffee, legend has it that it was discovered in its native tropical African forests by a goatherd who noticed a strange energy in his flock after eating the berries of a particular tree. In one variation of the legend, the goatherd samples the berries himself and experiences humanity’s first caffeine buzz; in another variation, he tells an Abbott at a local monastery who then makes a drink out of the berries and shares his subsequent discovery with the other monks.
Legends aside, coffee’s status as one of the world’s favorite commodities traces its history back to the 15th century when cultivation and trade began on the Arabian Peninsula. Despite the religious prohibition, the beverage became popular in and around the Arab world and thus the first coffeehouses were born in Mecca and in Constantinople during the 15th and 16th centuries. Not unlike contemporary coffeehouses, these were places for meeting and socializing, where patrons would listen to music, enjoy performances, discuss the news, and exchange ideas.
By the 16th century, coffee had migrated to Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey, and by the 17th century, it had made its way to Europe. Initial resistance from religious communities did nothing to impede its popularity, and by the end of the 17th century, coffeehouses were thriving in continental Europe, Britain, and the British colonies in America. It was also around this time that coffee started to feature as a breakfast beverage.
Up until this time, the province of Yemen in Southern Arabia was the world’s main supplier of coffee. Shortly after, however, cultivation spread to the Indonesian archipelago and to the Americas in the 18th century, reaching the Hawaiian Islands by 1825. In the 18th century, the Dutch fostered a growing trade based out of Java, which they later expanded to Sumatra and Celebes. Coffee’s legacy throughout the Caribbean, South and Central America quite literally grew out of this trade; it is believed that all the coffee that is now grown in these areas originated from a single tree gifted by the mayor of Amsterdam in 1714 to King Louis XIV, who later had it planted in Martinique, where over the next 50 years, it spread millions of coffee trees throughout the island and its surrounding region. This migration shifted the global balance of production and by the 20th century, Brazil had become the world’s most prominent coffee producer – a position it has retained up to the present.
Today, coffee is one of the three most popular beverages in the world, alongside water and tea, and it remains one of the world’s most highly sought economic commodities. While several coffee species are now cultivated for commercial production, about 70% of the world’s coffee still comes from the original Coffea arabica, which is known to provide the highest quality.
BENEFITS OF COFFEE BUTTER
Coffee is beloved for its reputation as a stimulant, but lesser appreciated, until recently, are its emerging health benefits. Coffee’s star ingredient, caffeine, is known to help enhance mental energy, mood, and various brain functions such as memory and reaction speed. Caffeine is also known to help boost metabolic rate, stimulate adrenaline in the bloodstream, and improve physical performance. In moderation (not exceeding four cups a day), coffee consumption has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, liver, and colorectal cancer, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and depression. It is further a major source of dietary antioxidants for many people. Altogether, it is no wonder coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages. Following this popularity and its many emerging benefits, coffee has managed to find its way into a multitude of aromatherapy and cosmetic applications.
Just as a morning cup of java helps perk us up to set the pace for a productive day, there are many benefits of Coffee Butter that can help boost your beauty and body care routines to bolster your energy for the day. Packed with antioxidants and purifying properties, it is a great way to bolster cleansing, clarifying, and rejuvenating formulations. Used topically, Coffee Butter is intensely moisturizing and endows the skin with a delectably smooth texture, in addition to helping maintain a supple look and youthful brilliance. Coffee oil is also a popular ingredient in cellulite formulations, as its caffeine content is reputed to support the integrity of the skin. Used in a massage, it is a great way to promote a soft and smooth texture all over. Used in hair care, Coffee Butter is richly conditioning, helps to cleanse the scalp, and maintains a voluminous body for a gorgeous bounce. The main chemical constituents of Coffee Butter are chlorogenic acid (green variety), oleic acid, linoleic acid, phytosterols, lecithin, and vitamin E.
CHLOROGENIC ACID is known to:
- Be a powerful antioxidant
- Have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in laboratory studies
- Have demonstrated antibacterial activity in laboratory studies
- Play a role in maintaining healthy glucose and lipid metabolism
OLEIC ACID (OMEGA 9) is known to:
- Be cleansing for the skin
- Have rich hydrating properties
- Enhance skin absorption
- Help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Help manage dandruff
- Bolster voluminous hair
- Help maintain a healthy immune system
LINOLEIC ACID (OMEGA 6) is known to:
- Help enhance the skin’s barrier function
- Be an antioxidant
- Soothe the skin
- Have strong emollient properties
- Help reduce the appearance of age spots, fine lines, and wrinkles
- Support moisture retention in hair
- Be an effective emulsifier
- Help manage symptoms of acne
PHYTOSTEROLS is known to:
- Help protect skin from environmental stressors
- Help keep skin pliant and supple
- Help skin maintain moisture
- Help maintain voluminous hair
LECITHIN is known to:
- Moisturize skin and hair
- Reduce the appearance of flaky skin
- Help maintain supple skin
- Help manage damaged hair
- Help maintain shiny hair
- Enhance emulsification
VITAMIN E is known to:
- Be an antioxidant
- Have demonstrated antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities in laboratory studies
- Be a powerful emollient
- Help manage dry, itchy, and flaky skin
- Soothe, smooth, and brighten skin
- Help improve the appearance of scarred or blemished skin
- Cleanse pores and balance oily skin
- Contribute to full looking hair
In addition to the cosmetic benefits of Coffee Butter, the associations most people make with its rich aroma can have a wonderful influence on mood. To bookend your day with the warm, embracing energy of a comfort food, try a little Coffee Butter in your morning or evening beauty routines.
CULTIVATING AND HARVESTING QUALITY COFFEE BEANS FOR COFFEE BUTTER PRODUCTION
Native to Ethiopia and tropical Africa, coffee plants are evergreen perennials that can grow between 6 and 15 feet tall when mature. They are attractive plants, known for their glossy green leaves, and clustered white blossoms. As the plants mature, the blossoms give way to fruit containing the seeds that eventually develop into the world’s most beloved beans.
The most popular commercial coffee, Coffea arabica, is mainly cultivated in Latin America but it is also grown in India, Indonesia, and other Asian countries. Ideal climate conditions for Coffea arabica are temperatures between 23 and 28 degrees Celsius (73-82 degrees Fahrenheit), annual rainfall in the range of 1,500 to 2,000 mm (60-80 inches), and a dry period of two to three months.
Typically, coffee plantations are established in cleared forestland, and shrubs are planted in rows, with density ranging from 1,200 to 1,800 plants per hectare (or 500-750 plants per acre). Shrubs are planted at the beginning of the rainy season and require little maintenance until they start producing fruit, which occurs after three to five years. Up to this time, they must be regularly trimmed to provide a balanced structure, which facilitates fruit production. Once fruit appears, it takes about seven to nine months for it to mature, turning from green to a rich reddish-purple. Ripe fruits are known as ‘coffee cherries’, and each cherry houses two seeds – the coffee ‘beans’ in their raw form.
Traditionally, coffee plants were grown in the shade, however recent findings have shed light on the practice, and it is increasingly common for producers to cultivate the plants with little to no shade. Provided appropriate care is afforded to the plants with frequent trimming, weeding and fertilization, the reduction of shading can greatly enhance harvest yields.
Harvesting is a meticulous affair that is done by hand. Selective picking is the optimal practice for a quality harvest; this involves examining the state of each plant and selecting only the best cherries to pick. As the time required to reach maturity may vary among plants, several rounds of selective picking may be necessary for a full harvest. When crops are known to ripen evenly from favorable growing conditions, another harvesting method known as ‘stripping’ may be employed; this entails simply picking all viable cherries, regardless of differences in how ripe they are.
HOW IS COFFEE OIL EXTRACTED?
Once harvesting is complete, coffee cherries and their beans are processed using either a traditional dry methodology, a wet methodology, or a hybrid ‘pulped natural’ methodology. Once processed, they can be left green or roasted before being cold-pressed to extract the oil that is used for Coffee Butter.
In conducive climates, coffee cherries are subjected to a natural drying process. This is the most traditional method of drying and is typically employed with lower-quality beans. Once harvested, the cherries are hand sorted and cleaned with water, then spread out to dry in the sun. Natural drying is generally a slow process that can range in duration from several days to several weeks. Ongoing maintenance is required to prevent fermentation and mold from forming during this process. Like traditional harvesting methodologies, maintaining the quality of the drying cherries is a meticulous practice that is done manually, either by raking or hand turning. A moisture content of 12-13 percent (by cherry weight) is the aim of the drying process. Achieving an appropriate moisture level is extremely important for the quality of the coffee beans; if they are too moist, they are at risk for fungal and bacterial proliferation, and if they are too dry, they could break, which would render them defective. Once the target moisture content is achieved, cherries are mechanically hulled to separate the beans from the membrane that encases them, known as the parchment skin or pergamino.
In climates that are not conducive to natural drying, wet processing is employed after harvesting. This is the most common method of production for Coffea arabica beans. Because this method is less labor intensive than dry processing and yields more uniformly high-quality beans, it is generally preferred. As the first step in wet processing, a pulping machine removes the skin and pulp from the fresh fruit immediately after harvesting. The beans are then placed in holding tanks to ferment for a short period of time. Once fermentation has been completed, the beans are washed and dried either in the sun or with hot air driers. As a final step in wet processing, the parchment skin is mechanically removed from the beans.
Pulped-natural processing is a third method that combines some elements from both dry and wet processing. In this method, cherry pulps are removed mechanically, after which beans are dried without undergoing fermentation. Any remaining residue is not removed until after the beans have been dried. This processing method is known to produce coffee beans with a balanced aroma.
Once processed, oil can be extracted either from the green beans or from beans that have been roasted. While the green beans are soft, spongy, and possess a slightly grassy aroma, roasting brings about chemical changes that endow the beans with their characteristically rich coffee aroma and corresponding flavor profile. Roasting also reduces the amount of caffeine present in the green beans. Depending on the temperature and duration of the roasting process, as well as any pretreatment given to the beans, it is possible to obtain greatly different flavor profiles and a variety of caffeine concentrations. Beans lose some moisture weight when they are roasted but they are also known to expand physically due to changes in their cellulose structure. Extraction should take place soon after roasting to preserve the potency of the aroma.
Cold pressing is the preferred method of coffee oil extraction because it does not interfere with the properties of the oil and the chemical constituents from the beans remain intact. This method is performed by crushing or grinding the beans under a millstone or using an oil press. Because the mechanical action of grinding generates heat, the temperature must be closely monitored during the cold pressing process to ensure the oil’s integrity is not compromised. The temperature should remain below 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) to maintain the oil’s integrity.
Green coffee beans produce an oil that is light brown to yellow in color, while roasted beans produce an oil that is green to dark brown. The oil obtained from green coffee beans is nearly odorless while the oil obtained from roasted beans possesses the signature coffee aroma.
USES OF COFFEE BUTTER
Just as a cup of coffee is a welcome addition to most occasions, so too is the essence of coffee, a fantastic ingredient in all kinds of cosmetic applications. From massage butter to body scrubs, beauty bars to bath blends, lotions to lip balms, and hair care to craft perfumes, Coffee Butter is about as versatile as the imagination can get.
In perfumery, the scent of coffee is adaptable and tends to pair well with a variety of strong aromatic essences such as resins, woods, spices, tobacco, and leather. It often features in men’s fragrances, which makes it particularly suitable for men’s care products. Because coffee is often used as an olfactory cleanser, Coffee Butter – Roasted is also a great ingredient to use in a blend meant to help mask other odors. This is beneficial for anyone who is regularly exposed to strong odors as part of their work or hobbies and does not want them lingering on the skin.
To make a solid perfume infused with the lavish scent of a fresh brew, melt together 1 tablespoon of Coffee Butter – Roasted with 1/2 cup of a Coconut Carrier Oil and 1 tablespoon of grated beeswax. Once melted, remove from heat allow to cool for a few minutes before adding 1/4 teaspoon of Vitamin E oil and several drops of Coffee – Roasted Essential Oil. If desired, you can add further essential oils to the mix to round out the fragrance. We recommend Allspice, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Vanilla, or Nutmeg as compliments to the coffee aroma. Stir to blend and then pour the mixture into a container to cool before applying to the skin.
Coffee Butter can be applied topically to maintain moisture and prevent dryness or flakiness. Used in this capacity, Coffee Butter – Green is ideal for a detoxifying massage, as it is known to cleanse and clarify the skin while soothing it. As Green Coffee Oil is known to help reduce the appearance of cellulite and to help manage symptoms of acne, sores, itchiness, scaling, and dead skin cell build-up, an all-over massage with this butter is a wonderful way to pamper the body and promote radiantly healthy-looking skin. Coffee Butter – Green also makes a nourishing night treatment for mature skin to help retain exquisite softness and smoothness. When adding Coffee Butter – Green to massage oils, creams and lotions, it may be necessary to gently warm the butter until its texture can be incorporated. For a creamy whipped butter blend, try combining 1/2 cup Coffee Butter – Green with 1/2 cup Cocoa or Shea Butter and 1 cup Coconut or Almond Carrier Oil. Melt the ingredients together and mix thoroughly. Once cooled, refrigerate the mixture for one hour to solidify. Once set, use a hand mixer to achieve a fluffy consistency. Chill for another 15 minutes before use or transferring to a storage container. With its signature full-bodied fragrance, Coffee Butter – Roasted is ideally suited to a luxury aromatherapy massage to hydrate and soften the skin while stirring up a warm, comforting mood. The smooth, whipped consistency of Coffee Butter – Roasted makes it ideally suited to massage either on its own or as an addition to creams and lotions.
Coffee Butter is a fantastic base for an exfoliating scrub to help cleanse the skin and support healthy circulation. Both Coffee Butter – Green and Coffee Butter – Roasted varieties deliver a rich dose of antioxidants to the skin to bolster a smooth, energized look. To make a detoxifying exfoliation scrub with all the delicious delight of a gourmand fragrance, combine 1/8 cup of melted Coffee Butter with 1/2 a cup of coffee grounds and 1/4 cup of Sweet Almond Carrier oil. Massage gently into the skin in circular motions to help slough off dead skin cells and polish the underlying layer. For a more sweetly scented version of this scrub, try adding brown sugar to the mix!
To make a natural lip balm to manage chapping and help protect against environmental stressors, melt 1 teaspoon of Coffee Butter together with 1/2 teaspoon of grated Beeswax and 1/2 teaspoon of a carrier oil of your choice. If desired, a few drops of essential oil can be added to the blend. If using Coffee Butter – Roasted, some good choices to combine for fragrance are spicy oils such as Clove, Cinnamon, or Nutmeg. Coconut Carrier Oil is also a good choice for such a deliciously fragrant blend. Once combined, pour the blend into lip balm molds and allow to solidify.
Coffee Butter makes a wonderful addition to soaps, to help them endow skin with a silky-smooth texture and facilitate a comfortable shave. New Directions Aromatics offers many simple solutions for soapmaking with our variety of Melt and Pour Soap Bases and a selection of Nature Tint Colors. For a customized beauty bar, simply melt the Soap Base and mix it with the melted Coffee Butter and if desired, a Tint Color of your choice. A little bit of melted Coffee Butter can also be added directly to a bath for a moisturizing soak. Use Coffee Butter – Roasted in the bath if your aim is a fragrant soak with all the essence of a steamy cup of coffee.
Used in hair care, Coffee Butter helps to manage dry, unruly hair, replenishing its moisture for a satiny look and feel. For a hydrating pre-shower treatment, melt a small amount of Coffee Butter – Green and massage into hair. Do not leave in for longer than 20 minutes, as the Butter has the potential to harden again, making it difficult to wash out. If using Coffee Butter – Roasted, you can extend the duration as the consistency of this Butter is already smooth at room temperature. Rinse with warm water once the treatment duration is complete. Both Butters can also be melted down and added to a regular shampoo or conditioner for extra moisturizing properties. If using Coffee Butter on its own, it is best to apply only to the ends of the hair rather than to the scalp, to avoid a heavy or greasy look and feel.
A GUIDE TO COFFEE BUTTER VARIETIES AND THEIR BENEFITS
| COFFEE BUTTER – GREEN |
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| COFFEE BUTTER – ROASTED |
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See our full raw butters section.
CONTRAINDICATIONS FOR COFFEE BUTTER
As with all other New Directions Aromatics products, cosmetic butter is for external use only. Coffee Butter is not meant for ingestion and should be stored away from children to prevent accidental ingestion. Prior to using this product, it is recommended to conduct a skin patch test to check for sensitivities. To do so, apply a dime-sized amount of Coffee Butter to an area of the skin that is not known to be sensitive. If there is no adverse reaction within 48 hours of conducting the test, the butter can be considered safe to use. Avoid contact with eyes. Coffee Butter may cause side effects that have not been listed here. In the event of an adverse reaction, discontinue use immediately and see a physician for a health assessment and appropriate remedial action. To minimize the risk of any side effects, consult with a medical professional prior to using this product.