How to use food scraps for DIY skincare

By Molly Mitchell

Last Updated: July 5, 2019

If your beauty routine’s getting costly, ditch the chemical peels and instead, use fruit and vegetable peels that you’d otherwise toss in the garbage. These beauty tips are wallet-friendly and Earth-friendly!

Across the globe, roughly one-third of food made for people to eat is wasted. You can make a small dent in this statistic and get great results for your skin and your budget while you're at it.

These methods are natural, eco-friendly, cruelty-free and vegan! Not to mention they don't have plastic packaging and it's all compostable. Plus, the price is unbeatable. Good for your face, good for your wallet, good for the Earth. Why not give it a try?

Banana peels for a sweet exfoliator

Start your beauty routine off right by sprinkling sugar on the flesh side of banana peels and using them as exfoliating loofas in the shower.

Citrus peels for a refreshing zing

Perk yourself up with a refreshing cleanser by rubbing orange or grapefruit peels on your face (avoiding your eyes) and then rinsing with warm water.

Avocado peels for an all-natural moisturizer

For a certain generation, avocados are a household staple. Part of why we love them so much is that every part of our beloved avocados are useful! After your avocado toast breakfast, take a shower and rub the fleshy part of the avocado peel on your face for a hydrating moisturizer.

Plus: You can make a face mask and all kinds of other things out of avocado pits, too.

Potato peels for puffiness

I know you're tired. Me too. Reduce eye puffiness by pressing chilled potato skins to your eyes for 15 minutes, and you can save those cucumber slices for your salad.

Coffee grounds exfoliate your skin and make your hair better

You won't find any parabens in coffee grounds! There are plenty of recipes online for coffee ground face and hair treatments. The grittiness makes it a great exfoliant, and the brunettes out there can try a coffee ground hair treatment to help give those chestnut locks a shiny, richer color.