General Questions

What do you stand for?

Quality skincare that gives salvaged natural ingredients a new lease of life. We'll never compromise on our mission to leave the world better than we found it. That's the UpCircle promise.

Where did the idea come from?

Back in 2015, we had a thought: If we're throwing away a cafetière full of coffee grounds every morning, how much is going to waste from coffee shops all over London? A lot, as it turns out. So we decided to do something about it. We needed a way to give those coffee grounds a new lease of life. And UpCircle was born.

Are your products vegan and cruelty-free?

We believe all life is sacred. That's why we use only the finest plant-based ingredients, and never test on animals.

Where are your products made?

We're proud to say all our products are made in the UK.

Were you previously called Optiat?

Yes! We started life as Optiat. However, we soon came to outgrow that initial vision and as part of our continuous brand development process, we evolved... Our ambition is to have an UpCircle product in every home and we felt this would be most achievable with a more unified and holistic approach. We took our learnings from Optiat and built on them to create UpCircle.
We stand for all round better skincare by elevating leftover natural ingredients and bringing them back to life as beauty products your skin will love.

Were you on Dragons' Den?

Yes we were - you can read all about our experience here.

Is your packaging recyclable?

Yes, the packaging for every UpCircle product is fully recyclable.

Shipping Costs

Where do you deliver?

We're global - you name the country, we'll ship it there!

What are your shipping costs and times?

All UK orders shipped with Royal Mail, free on orders over £20, £1.99 otherwise. We ship internationally 1st class; Europe £9.99, everywhere else £14.99.

Coffee Scrubs

What happens to coffee in the drains?

It’s worth noting that the actual quantity of coffee involved in a single use is absolutely tiny (5-10 grams worth of total product vs. average of 50 litres of water per shower/bath) so there’s no actual risk of any blockage!
• When the coffee scrubs are washed down the drain from the shower or bath, they enter the municipal sewer system. • The first step of waste management is for the contents of the sewer to enter Clarification tanks. These use differences in density to separate the fats and oils, which drift to the top, from the heavy metals and other solids, which drift to the bottom. • After Clarification follows Aeration, also known as Digestion tanks. Here, a bacteria-rich environment is created. This quickly consumes natural materials, including the likes of coffee grounds, sugar and salt which are ingredients found in our scrubs. • To conclude, we are confident that the ingredients in our products do not pose a concern to drains/sewers post-use. • Given that they are ingredients that are used in human food consumption, they are able to be dealt with by conventional waste management processes, unlike plastic microbeads.

Will the caffeine keep me awake if I use this at night?

Whilst coffee does contain caffeine, when it is applied to the skin it is absorbed locally. This means that it won’t keep you buzzing all night long!

Does this replace my soap / shower gel?

The main benefit of our scrubs is as an exfoliator, buffing away dead skin to reveal fresh, soft smooth skin. We recommend that you shampoo and soap as usual, and then use our scrubs as the final part of your shower routine. We’ve also added shea butter which leaves your skin hydrated post-scrub – so you won’t even need to moisturise afterwards!

Do I need to leave this on or can I wash it off straight away?

You can certainly wash off straight away, but we recommend leaving for a few minutes to let the caffeine have full effect.

Will this stain my tiles / bath / shower?

Nope! Just make sure rinse your shower after use.

Is this ok to use if I have sensitive skin?

Our scrubs are natural, so the main allergens are within the essential oils.

Why do you use a preservative?

We collect used coffee grounds from cafes, bars and restaurants all across London. As a result, this organic matter needs to be kept clean. We use the only natural preservative that is permitted by Natrue, the European natural cosmetic board. This preservative is considered natural because each ingredient can be found in nature. We believe this is a price worth paying in order to address the 500,000 tonnes of coffee grounds sent to landfill in the UK alone every year!

Any further questions?