Help Center

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.

We believe all life is sacred. That's why we use only the finest plant-based ingredients, and never test on animals. We're proud to be Leaping Bunny approved - you can see our full animal testing policy here.

Nope, never! At UpCircle we love all animals great and small so neither us or our suppliers test our ingredients or products on animals! We're proud to be a Leaping Bunny approved brand- you can see our full policy here.

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

Body Cream, Body Scrubs, Face Scrubs, Cleansing Balm, Face Mask, Face Moisturiser: Glass jar, aluminium lid, cardboard outer box.

Eye Cream: Glass bottle, plastic pump & lid, cardboard outer box.

Face Serum: Glass bottle and dropper, bulb, plastic rim, cardboard outer box.

Face Toner: Glass bottle, plastic spray pump & lid, cardboard outer box.

Soap Bars: Cardboard outer box.

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

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.

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

You can find out which of our products we recommend during pregnancy here: https://upcirclebeauty.com/blogs/upcircle/a-guide-to-pregnancy-safe-upcircle-products

UK based? You're at the best place right here!

European based? Go to eu.upcirclebeauty.com for our European website with fast, free shipping and no additonal customs, taxies or duties!

Based in the US or Canada? Head to us.upcirclebeauty.com for our American site with fast USPS and UPS shipping out of NJ! 

Not based in UK, Europe or US? No problem, we still ship globally from upcirclebeauty.com with fast, tracked shipping! 

Shipping InformationWe ship worldwide! You name the country, we'll ship it there.

Please note: once your order has been placed, we cannot amend any details such as address or items ordered. This is due to the high volume of orders being received and processed by our 3rd-party fulfilment partner. Please double check all your details before placing an order.

Delivery Costs

Orders under £40

• £1.99 with Royal Mail Tracked 48 (2 working days)
• £2.99 with Royal Mail Tracked 24 (1 working day)
• £3.49 with DHL Tracked 24 (1 working day)

Orders over £40

• Free with Royal Mail Tracked 48 (2 working days)
• £1.99 with Royal Mail Tracked 24 (1 working day)
• £2.49 with DHL Tracked 24 (1 working day)

Orders placed before 3pm are usually shipped same day.

EU: Shop our European site HERE. Orders are shipped from our warehouse based in Ireland. If you're based in the EU, you will not pay any additional taxes, duties or customs if you order from this site.

USA/Canada: Shop our US site HERE. Orders are shipped from our warehouse based in New Jersey across the US and Canada. 

Anywhere else not listed above: Flat fee of £19.99 for a fully tracked service on all orders. Average transit time 3-5 working days.

Brexit

From 1st January 2021 the UK will have left the EU. We have now opened a warehouse based in Ireland so that we can continue to ship orders to the EU without additional taxes and customs. You can shop through our EU site HERE. 

Sending a Gift?

We don't include invoices and prices in our orders unless an invoice is needed for customs.  

If you would like to include a gift note in your order let us know before you make your order! We will need to manually place the order for you. Gift notes are hand written and can be a maximum of 25 words. For more info and to place the order contact: 20customercare@upcirclebeauty.com">customercare@upcirclebeauty.com or call us on: 0800 368 9570 

Special Request? Need it sooner?

Send us an email 20customercare@upcirclebeauty.com">customercare@upcirclebeauty.com or drop us a call 0800 368 9570 and we'll do our best to give you a hand.

In the majority of cases, if you've ordered by 2pm UK time Monday - Friday, your order will be dispatched the same day.

We're sorry to hear if there has been an issue with your delivery. Please contact customercare@upcirclebeauty.com or call us on: 0800 368 9570 for assistance in locating your parcel. Please note that if you contact us after 2 + weeks from the delivery date listed on the tracking we will not be able to provide a replacement for the parcel if lost. 

If your order is returned to us due to an incorrect or incomplete address or failure to collect from a delivery office you will be responsible for paying for the return cost as well as an additional shipping fee for us to resend it you. If you request a refund this will be minus our shipping cost and a £3.99 restock fee. 

If your order is returned to us due to a courier issue please contact our customer care team with more information - customercare@upcirclebeauty.com 

We're sorry to hear that your parcel has arrived missing an item and we will endeavor to fix the situation as fast as we can! 

If it looks like box has been tampered with, damaged in transit or not fully sealed please keep the box until the issue is resolved as we will need photos sent over as evidence. Without these photos your claim may not be accepted. 

If there are no obvious  issues with the box we would ask you to keep it until the situation is resolved.

Please contact customer care including the order number and the items that were missing and we will do our best to help: customercare@upcirclebeauty.com 

Everything from our shipping boxes, to our paper tape, to our marketing materials, is fully recyclable. Our fliers and booklets are even made from recycled used coffee cups!

"Reused, repurposed, reloved" is our motto, after all!

We don't include invoices or any other paperwork in our orders.

Absolutely, you can! We will need to manually place the order for you, so please do not order directly on our website. For more info and to place the order contact: customercare@upcirclebeauty.com or call us on: 0800 368 9570 

From 1st January 2021 the UK will have left the EU. We now have a dedicated EU site and warehouse located in Ireland so that customers can continue using UpCircle products without additional customs taxes and fees applying. You can shop our EU site HERE. 

If orders are placed through our UK site and shipped from our UK warehouse orders may be subject to VAT and local customs charges payable by the customer. If the delivery is refused due to these charges and the order is returned to us, a refund will be processed minus our shipping and packaging costs and a £10 handling fee. If you have any questions please contact customer care. 
We are very lucky that many stores across Europe want to stock our products - if you would like more info on a local stockist please email customercare@upcirclebeauty.com  

Yes we do! Please sign up here: https://upcirclebeauty.com/pages/nhs-key-worker-discount

We're so excited to offer refills on over 90% of our skincare range!* We are currently set up to offer refills of the: Cleansing Face Balm; Face Mask; Eye Cream; Face Moisturiser; Face Toner; Face Serum; Face Scrubs; Body Scrubs; Body Cream and Hand Wash.

 *excluding Soap Bars which cannot be refilled. 

1)Purchase the product that needs refilling

2)Receive your freepost label

3)Wash and dry your empty packaging

4)Print and fill out your postage label

5)Put empty product into its original mailing box and attach label

6)Take to post office

7)We'll sterilise, refill and return it to you!

Please thoroughly wash your empties with warm, soapy water until no residue is left in them. 

If you're struggling to get the empty completely clean follow the below process: 

• Half fill the bottle/jar with warm, soapy water. 
• Put the lid back on to the product. 
• Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. 
• Empty the water out. 
• Rinse with clean water. 

We would also recommend to wash the outside of the bottle - any residue left on the product will remain on the packaging during the sterilisation process and can cause discolouration. 

Once we receive your washed and empty product, Anna, our Warehouse Whizz, will sterilise the product using dry heat. This is a chemical-free process that destroys any bacteria present by exposing the glass packaging to very high temperatures for a prolonged period of time. Dry heat can cause the some discolouration to packaging- this is normal and safe! If there is any residue left over in your empties this will burn during the process and be left in your jar to stop this from happening please wash your jars with warm, soapy water- you can read more here. The residue will not affect the products. 

We refill once a week on a Thursday and post all the parcels back out on a 48 hour service. We would recommend to send empties on Monday to ensure they get to us in time so you should have your refills back with 6 days of sending (this not guaranteed and due to the current pandemic there are some delays with couriers. )

We recommend saving your original packaging and returning your empties in this. If you don’t have this don’t panic- wrapping the empties in some protective packaging (think old newspaper) and sending them in a cardboard box will work perfectly! 

Royal Mail recommends waiting 3 weeks from the postage date before counting a parcel as lost. If after 3  weeks, we haven’t received your empties we will send out a new product for you as long as you can provide a proof of postage.  

We can only refill the empties with the same product on the label. We would recommend to check your with your local council to see if the packaging can be recycled or use a scheme such a Terracycle. We will not accept other brand' packaging for refilling. 

The caffeine in our coffee scrubs helps stimulate blood flow, which in turn helps combat skin conditions like eczema, acne, cellulite and stretch marks. But don't worry, rubbing it on your skin won't keep you up at night.

Whilst coffee contains caffeine, when applied to the skin it's absorbed locally. You won't be buzzing all night!

Yes, the scrubs are oil-based so simply apply to damp skin for maximum effectiveness. You can also use it in the bath if that takes your fancy!

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 scrub as the final part of your shower routine. We've added shea butter to leave your skin hydrated post-scrub - no need to moisturise afterwards!

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

We collect used coffee grounds from London's finest cafes, bars and restaurants. This organic matter needs to be kept in best condition, so we use the only natural preservative permitted by Natrue, the European natural cosmetic board. 

Each ingredient can be found in nature. We believe this is a tiny price to pay in order to save good stuff from landfill, and leave the world better than we found it.

Nope, just rinse the shower after use.

No - the amount of coffee grounds used when you scrub is so small there's no threat to your drains! The coffee will then decompose naturally, no pesky microplastics here!!

Our products are natural and do not contain artificial plastics or other toxic ingredients. This is important to consider for the below.

When UpCircle 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.

Polystyrene microbeads have a density which is very similar to that of water (1.04g/cm^3 vs 1g/cm^3). Consequently they neither sink to the bottom nor float to the top, but rather remain "trapped" in water - the clarification process is ineffective.

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. Organic digestive agents are not able to digest and break down the plastic polymers of microbeads. Consequently they remain within the system, unlike the ingredients we use in our products.

After Aeration, a screening process occurs. Common screening does not detect or prevent microbeads, which can range in size between >0.1µm – ≤1mm (0.1 micrometre to 1 millimetre) i.e. very small.

Consequently, conventional waste management systems are unable to detect and prevent plastic microbeads, which is why they are found at huge scale in the world's oceans and rivers.

We are confident that the ingredients in our products do not pose an environmental concern 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.

The skin on your face is a little more delicate, so save the vigour for scrubbing your thighs and go gently on your face! We've fine-tuned our formulations to soften up the texture of our face scrubs. Just a spoonful of sugar, as they say!

We always recommend doing a patch test when using any new product on your skin for the first time.

We've curated scents to suit different facial skin types:

• Floral Blend: combines chamomile, rosehip, geranium and patchouli essential oils, perfect for sensitive skin.
• Herbal Blend: a mix of rosemary, thyme, petitgrain and tea tree essential oils, ideal for oily and combination skin. 
• Citrus Blend: a fusion of rosehip, sweet orange and lemon verbena essential oils, just what you need for dry, dehydrated skin.
  

Apply to damp, cleansed skin in circular motions. Either wash off straight away or leave for a few minutes before rinsing off. Voila!

Whenever, Wherever! Our serum formulation is suitable for use both morning and night. We recommend using the Serum after applying Moisturiser/ Night Cream and as the final step in your routine. 

We always recommend doing a patch test when using any new product on your skin for the first time.

Less is more with a serum, a couple of drops on your fingertips is enough for your face and neck. Our serum will not clog your pores, it will absorb quickly. So, the short answer is no!

This may sound mad, but oil eliminates oil. So serums can be great for oily skin types, which tend to be more likely to breakout. Believe it or not, our serum can help fight your breakouts. It provides moisture while the vitamins and antioxidants fight damage, like UV rays and acne-causing bacteria. See for yourself, give it a try.

Absolutely! Our serum can double up nicely as a hair / beard oil. Keep split ends and wiry Gandalf beards at bay by massaging a couple of drops of oil to your luscious locks. Again, less is more! Only apply to the mid-lengths to ends of your hair, avoid the roots.

Chai is the Hindi word for tea. But "chai tea" generally refers to tea steeped with a blend of stronger spices. The chai spices we use in our soaps have been brewed to make Henny & Joe's chai syrups. Henny & Joe's are a family run chai tea company based in Bath.

The aromatic spice blend includes Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cardamom and Vanilla to produce an exquisite, intoxicating scent.

Our ingredients aren't selective in their love, they love ALL skin. So yes, our soaps are face-friendly!

That said, we always recommend doing a patch test when using any new product on your skin for the first time.

Nope, we are proudly palm oil-free. We like rainforests here at UpCircle, so our products will always steer clear of palm oil!

Our Face Mask, Cleansing Face Balm and Face Moisturiser.

We always recommend doing a patch test when using any new product on your skin for the first time.

They are a great source of antioxidants, lipids and vitamins (such as Vitamins A and E). The presence of the powders enhance the dispersion of the end product (the ease with which the products can be spread across the skin).

The products are housed in glass jars with aluminium lids. The jars come in a cardboard outer. All packaging is 100% recyclable.

Not at all! The fruit stones are ground down to incredibly fine powders using state of the art  grinding and sieving machines. Our powders are 0-50 microns – the smallest particle sizes that can be achieved.

Yes, they are certified by COSMOS!

Our eye cream is great for firming, brightening and protecting the delicate skin around your eyes.  It contains Cucumber extract, an astringent, that helps to reduce the signs of aging. The caffeine-rich coffee oil will help to reduce puffiness and dark circles and make eyes shine.

Maple extract is rich in antioxidants and acts as an anti-inflammatory, meaning that it reduces redness and helps skin appear brighter. It also helps strengthen the skin barrier and boost collagen production. 

The maple bark extract comes from forests in southern Quebec in Canada. The forest biomass obtained from the Boreal forest is sustainably managed. The Quebec government (where the bark is sourced from) has adopted both the Forest Act and the Regulation respecting standards of forest management for forests in the domain of the State. The purpose of these Acts is to foster recognition of the forest as a common heritage and promote sustainable forest development in order to meet the economic, environmental and social needs of present and future generations while giving proper consideration to other potential uses of the territory. The c.2.4 million tons of bark produced each year is of no use to the wood industry and is considered a waste product. The bark also happens to be the part of the tree with the highest concentration of extractive compounds. 

We recommend using it before applying your moisturiser. Press the pump once to release a small amount of cream onto your finger tips. Dab onto the delicate eye area and allow the cream to soak into the skin.  

Although the word "acid" makes it sound like something out of a chemistry set, this acid is not the burning kind! It's actually a natural substance that's produced by our skin to help it maintain moisture.  Hyaluronic acid helps to hydrate and plump the skin- you can read more about it here. We always recommend doing a patch test before using any product for the first time.

Toners help to close pores, protect, refresh and prepare skin! It will add extra hydration to your skin leaving it plump and radiant! 

Toners are used in between cleansing and moisturising morning and night. If you are using an exfoliator or mask you would use a toner after this! Our can also be spritzed anytime throughout the day to refresh and revive skin!  

Although the word "acid" makes them sound like something out of a chemistry set, these acids are not the burning kind! They are actually natural substances that are produced by our skin to help it maintain moisture.  Hyaluronic acid helps to hydrate and plump the skin. Salicylic acid helps to clear pores and reduce their appearance. That said, when using any new product for the first time, we always recommend doing a patch test first.

If you’re using enough toner to warrant a towel you might need to rein it in a little! A quick spritz is all you need to see and feel the effects. 

Water is often the first ingredient in cosmetic products, it therefore plays an important role in the sustainability of the overall formulating process. Thus, water is a great target ingredient to replace with a more sustainable alternative to drinkable water. The minerals, vitamins, amino acids and functional actives present in the fruit waters have more benefits for the skin than a mineral filtered water. The water is also hydrating, refreshing (smells great) and protective. 

Our body cream helps to hydrate and nourish skin. It will help to reduce inflammation and redness, leaving your skin feeling soft, smooth and supple. 

Date seeds are composed of polyphenols and other antioxidants. – It’s considered a “super seed”. The extract is very high in antioxidants and acts as an anti-inflammatory (calms redness, helps to even out skin tone). It also helps to minimise the appearance of thin blood vessels as it induces vasoconstriction, making it a great treatment for varicose veins. The date seeds are usually discarde, by making use of them we stop waste from ending up in landfill and provide an alternative revenue stream for the farmers who would otherwise gain no value from this part of the plant.

Apply morning or evening to clean, dry skin. Massage gently into skin in circular motions. 

We may love the film and the country but we don't like our skin feeling greasy!  So we made sure our body cream has a rich creamy texture, that’s lightweight and fast-absorbing, with a non-greasy finish. 

Our body cream is suitable for all skin types. It's very gentle, soothing and nourishing. Included in The The Pamper Kit is a sample of the body cream, so you can try it out first if you're feeling unsure!

Niacinamide, or Vitamin B3, enhances the skin’s natural barrier function by  

stimulating the dermis and increasing the fat content of cells. This replenishing  

action means the skin is better at protecting itself against breakouts and  

retaining water, resulting in minimised pores, evened skin tone, smoothed lines  

and strengthened skin. 

Niacinamide is suitable for everyone but especially beneficial for oil, irritated and 

acne-prone skin.  

Blueberry extract is rich in vitamin A and a source of pro-retinol making it great for minimising the signs of ageing and promoting skin regeneration. As well as being rich in antioxidants, the extract helps to shield skin from blue light exposure, protecting against UV light. This is a hero ingredient!  

Pro-retinol is a fat-soluble compound derived from retinol. It has similar properties to retinol and is used for similar reasons- mainly to minimise fine lines and wrinkles. It naturally occurs in our skin and nature. It is much milder and more stable than retinol meaning it is more suitable for sensitive skin and doesn’t have side effects such as redness, itching and excessive drying on skin.  

Both products are great for deeply nourishing and moisturising skin and will provide plenty of hydration to keep you looking great. The night cream is a much richer cream designed to help skin repair and regenerate from the day’s ware and tear with hero ingredients such a pro-retinol, blueberry extract and niacinamide . The moisturiser with argan powder is a much lighter cream designed to help protect the skin during the day – it is rich in antioxidants and vitamin E which are fab ingredients for protecting the skin from free-radicals and environmental factors such as pollution.  

The Night Cream does still have a smell however, it doesn’t contain any essential oils or ingredients to create a smell making it great for very sensitive skin. 

Kiwi water is a by-product of the juicing industry and is a great, sustainable alternative for us to use instead of drinking water which is often the first ingredient in products. Kiwi is a fruit widely used in cosmetics for its moisturising and antioxidant properties making it a fab ingredient for our hydrating hand + body wash.  

This hand + body wash has been carefully formulated to provide hydration to skin to keep skin feeling and looking fresh. Formulated with 0% alcohol it is great for all skin types especially those with dry/ sensitive skin. 

As a brand we want to minimise waste where possible and this includes making multipurpose products so you don’t have to buy hundreds of products that all do pretty similar things – in the spirit of this we created this hand + body wash. It is gentle enough to use all over and will keep you as clean as a whistle.

You don’t have to but they smell AMAZING together and will give the best results when used together. 

Bergamot water is a by-product of the juicing industry and a great, sustainable alternative for us to use instead of drinking water which is often the first ingredient in products. The scent of Bergamot is known for its ability to boost your mood and alleviate stress. It’s antibacterial properties prevent congested pores and breakouts and balance sebum production.  

We recommend to apply after washing hands/ showering.  

Our Hand + Body Lotion and Body Cream are both moisturisers suitable for the body. Our Hand + Body Lotion is infused with the residual water of organic bergamot fruit, a by-product of the juicing industry that gives the lotion an uplifting, zesty scent. The lotion is light-weight and fast-absorbing, making it the perfect morning “pick me up”. By contrast, our Body Cream has a much richer, creamier texture. The Body Cream is formulated with the antioxidant-rich extract of leftover date seeds, hydrating shea butter, and nourishing linseed and olive oil. The combination of these ingredients gives the Body Cream an earthy, decadent aroma that’s reminiscent of a spa.

The Hand + Body Wash is housed in a glass bottle with a plastic pump. It is 100% recyclable and included in our refill scheme. 

Always burn candles in a well-ventilated room and on a heat-resistant surface.

Do not leave a burning candle unattended.

Avoid drafts, vents, ceiling fans or other moving air pathways to encourage even burning and minimize smoke or a flickering wick.

Never touch a burning candle or move a candle when the wax is liquid.

Never extinguish candles with water.

Make sure a candle is completely extinguished before leaving the room.

Keep candles out of the reach of small children and pets.

Never burn a candle on or near anything that can catch fire.

We use soy Naturewax from renewable sources in North and South America.

Once opened we are unable to accept products for returns and refunds. To be eligible for a return, the item must be unused and as-new and in the original packaging. Before purchasing full sized products we would recommend trying our Pamper Kit. You can check out our full policy here. If you have any questions please contact: customercare@upcirclebeauty.com 

We all know the 'Oh no! I'm out of Moisturiser' feeling and we all know it is not one we enjoy! With subscriptions you can stop this from ever happening again by automatically receiving the products however often you need them. To set up a subscription select the 'SUBSCRIBE & SAVE (15%)' option at checkout and follow through the steps! Your chosen products will be sent to you without you ever having to lift a finger! 

We'll be sorry to see you go but you can cancel your subscription at any time through your account. Once an order is placed you will not be able to cancel the order but we'll send you a reminder email a few days before so it isn't a surprise. If you want to skip a charge or change the product to a different variant you will also be able to do this through your account page. If you need any help contact customer care! 

Once you've placed your order you will receive an email to activate your account, from here you will be able to mange subscriptions. You can also access it through the login page.

Klarna is a payment service provider who take end-to-end responsibility for your payment. They support 60 million consumers worldwide in over 70,000 online stores and are very safe to use.

Klarna's Pay in 3 instalments and Pay in 30 days credit agreements are not regulated by the FCA. Use of these and any missed payments may affect your ability to obtain credit from Klarna and other lenders. 18+, UK residents only. Subject to status. T&Cs apply. klarna.com/uk/terms-and-conditions

If you have chosen to Pay Later (30 days), Klarna will send you an email with further details on how to pay. Your email will contain a link to Klarna where you can settle your payment with your credit or debit card. If you do not pay Klarna within the grace period, late fees may apply.

You can pay immediately with debit or credit card (Visa/Mastercard/American Express) or PayPal in the checkout or take advantage of our Pay Later payment option, where you can pay for the goods once you have received them via debit or credit card.

After we have sent your order, you will receive an email with payment instructions, telling you when you need to pay by. Typically this is 14 or 30 days after the order is shipped. If you do not have your email to hand, you can contact Klarna's Customer Service here.

You will need to provide your name, address and email address. For some orders you may need to provide your mobile number or date of birth, too. All information will be sent to your email address, including payment reminders and links to your online statements. It's very important that you give us the correct details as otherwise you will not receive the payment information and so be liable for delayed payment fees.

If you have received your goods and want to pay, either log in at www.klarna.com or click the link from the email Klarna sent you regarding this order. If you cannot log in to pay, contact Klarna's Customer Service here.

Although Pay Later is widely promoted, it is not always universally available. The Pay Later method is automatically generated by algorithms that are dependent upon a number of factors including amount of order, the store, previous order history and item availability. Alternatively, you are able to complete your order by paying by credit or debit card at the checkout as normal.

Payment information is processed securely by Klarna. All transactions take place via connections secured with the latest industry standard security protocols.

If you would like to cancel your order, please contact UpCircle Customer Services at customercare@upcirclebeauty.com

Yes. When selecting Klarna as a payment method, you can choose to deliver the goods to an address other than your billing address. At the checkout, you will be given the option to enter a separate delivery address.