Would you use an exfoliator made of old coffee grains?

When I came across a little beauty brand making unguents out of God knows what leftovers, I thought, how sweet, and oh dear, how long will that last?

Four years, 2,000 UK stockists and 750 USA ones later, I think we can cut the condescension.

Upcircle is the brainchild of siblings Anna and William Brightman. They are ridiculously young

(27 and 29) and formidably well intentioned. When they say things like “we want to leave the world a better place”, it doesn’t ring completely hollow, because the products stack up.

In case you’re wondering, those leftovers are not the completely disgusting kind. More the are-you-sure? variety. They started with coffee grains, when William, who was still working as a hedge funder, noticed how much went to waste. Upcircle now reuses grains from more than 100 coffee shops as well as camomile stems, chai spices and fruit stones to make highly effective skin care, from exfoliants to moisturisers.

Caffeine has long been used in the beauty industry for its stimulating properties. It made perfect sense to add the grains for exfoliation, while the date seeds in their body cream are high in antioxidants, which help fight signs of ageing.

Ingredients are certified organic, vegan and ocean-friendly and packaging is recycled or recyclable.

“Our customers range from eco warriors to aspirational skin fanatics and they care about these issues,” says Anna. “So do we. We’re a young brand and we’re not afraid to let our opinions be known.”

Grains of hope: sibling founders of Upcircle, William and Anna Brightman, top, use 10 repurposed ingredients, including maple bark and coffee grains