Food Academy

Bean Around

I am an Environmental Consultant with over 30 years experience helping companies to develop and implement environmental and sustainable solutions. I started Bean Around in 2021 to make hand crafted, sustainable exfoliating coffee soap bars and body scrubs using 100% repurposed coffee grounds that are collected from local coffee shops and cafes in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.

Bean Around coffee soaps and body scrubs are the practical implementation of my 30+ years career.

How it all began. I suffer from psoriasis (a skin condition that causes dry, flaky, red and itchy skin). I have used medical treatments for many years and over time their effectiveness has gradually worn off. I started to research alternative treatments and discovered that used coffee grounds were a gentle and effective exfoliant that could help to ease psoriasis. I began making exfoliating soap bars with used coffee grounds from my kitchen for my own personal use. The soap worked and helped to effectively remove my dry, scaly skin patches and ease itching. More importantly, because the coffee grounds are soft – they provide a gentle but robust exfoliation. At that stage, I had no intention of turning my exfoliating soaps into a potential business.

One day, my teenage daughter was getting ready to go out and needed to remove her fake tan – which she usually did in the shower using an exfoliating hand mitt. Her mitt had been thrown out and with no other alternative, she picked up my coffee soap bar and used it. She couldn’t believe how good it was at removing her fake tan and was far less ‘scratchy’ than her mitt. She asked me to make her some bars for her own use. At this stage the bars were unfragranced. My daughter asked whether they could be made to smell nice. I started experimented with different essential oils and making nice smelling, exfoliating bars. Before long, my younger daughter also started using the bars to remove her fake tan.

Then during the Covid pandemic, I became aware that the only businesses open were coffee shops, stalls and trailers. It made me think of all the coffee grounds that were being generated and disposed of. Wouldn’t it be great if we could collect and use those grounds to make our soaps and resell them through the coffee shops. Bean Around was born. Bean Around is a true family business involving my daughters, Sadhbh (20) & Aisling (18) who help to collect the coffee grounds, develop and make the products and roll out market campaigns through our social media.

The Super Valu Food Academy programe has given me a valuable insight into what is required to develop a ‘home-made’ product into a potential business supplying one of Irelands major retailers. The programme provides an incredible opportunity for small business owners to receive focused mentoring and understand the large retail environment.

Bean Around prevents waste by reusing a resource that is normally thrown away. Our exfoliating soaps and body scrub products are sustainable and offer consumers a real choice to shop ‘Green’ and extend the life and use of our planets resources. Bean Around is at the fore front of the emerging circular economy and offer products that provide consumers with the opportunity to take active steps to help the planet by their shopping choices. Published scientific research also suggests that rubbing coffee grinds on the skin can reduce the appearance of cellulite.

salt and sugar exfoliating scrubs, coffee grounds don’t dissolve, resulting in better, longer exfoliation using less product (and less packaging). Our packaging has been minimised and is 100% recyclable. When it comes to sustainability and helping the planet – we are told that we need to consume less. Our products allow consumers to help the planet by consuming the same - but differently.