Barista Bath and Body claims industry first with coffee-based skin care line

Although a number of products launched on the market in recent years have tapped in to the anti-oxidant and skin health properties of coffee, this is the first to go all out and brand the product line around the ubiquitous beverage.

The sporadic use of coffee and caffeine-based personal care products means that it has very much remained a niche ingredient within the personal care segment, but the launch of this new line could help to change this.

Complete line built around coffee​

“Others may have one or more products made with coffee or coffee extracts but none have a complete bath and body line,”​ Christine Willett, CEO for Barista Bath and Body told CosmeticsDesign.com USA.

“Likewise we are the first company to use actual ground coffee, brewed coffee, coffee seed oils, and coffee extracts in our products,”​ she said.

“We source and grind organic, fair-trade coffee: we brew it for our shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and soap; ground coffee is used in our scrub and soap; coffee seed oil is used in our conditioner, and coffee extract in our soap and lip balm.”​

Coffee brewed to specific pH levels​

According to the company, the coffee it uses in the formulas is brewed in a specific manner to give a pH range of between 4.5 and 5.5, which helps to maximize all the active properties.

The lower pH of the formulation is said to give the line better properties for skin moisturizing and odor-absorbtion as well as helping to give shinier and more voluminous hair.

Coffee, and in particular caffeine, are high in anti-oxidants. Most cosmetics companies using the substance simply use coffee powder or coffee oil, but there are a number of ingredients companies marketing more sophisticated extracts, including Sabinsa.

Tapping into naturals trend​

Barista’s line has also been specially developed to tap into the all-important and fast-growing market for natural products, and is consequently claimed to be the first ever coffee containing skin care line to be free of parabens, sulfates and phthalates

For the moment, Willett says that the line will be be focused on the North American market, but the company has also had enquiries from Europe, Asia and South America, which she is hoping to pursue.

Barista will be platforming the new line at the forthcoming Cosmoprof, to be held in Las Vegas, 18 – 20 July.