The increasing demand for sustainable and natural cosmetic products has led to the utilization of biodegradable waste materials in personal care formulations. The present study was aimed at formulating and evaluating an eco-friendly body scrub using spent coffee grounds (Coffea arabica) and rice powder (Oryza sativa) as natural exfoliating agents. Shea butter, jojoba oil, tea tree oil and vitamin E were incorporated to enhance moisturizing, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Three formulations (F1–F3) were prepared and evaluated for organoleptic properties, and F3 was found to be superior to the other two due to its higher proportion of rice powder compared to coffee grounds and a greater amount of butter than oil compared with F1 and F2. The parameters such as pH, spreadability, washability, exfoliation efficacy (by the tape-stripping method), antioxidant activity (using the DPPH assay), grittiness, acid value and preservative efficacy was also compared. The formulations showed acceptable pH (6.2–6.8), good spreadability, easy washability and effective exfoliation. Antioxidant studies revealed significant free-radical scavenging activity. The study concludes that spent coffee grounds and rice powder can be successfully utilized to develop an effective, safe, and eco-friendly body scrub.
1Sujith S. Nair, 2Adwaith P. V., 3Ayshathul Afra P. P., 4*Chaithanya Manoharan and 5Manjima P. (2026) studied this question.