Be Your Own Barista: 3 Ways To Elevate Your Everyday Morning Coffee

Sometimes the happiness that comes from a store-bought latte isn't even the flavor or the foam—it's simply the lack of effort that went into making it. However, at $8 a pop in some cities, your bank account might not reflect that same joy.

Pouring milk into black coffee is just not the same experience as sipping on warm, airy foam. While milk frothers can certainly get expensive, it's worth the investment if you're going to save money on store-bought drinks later on. 

If you step inside an organic market, chances are you'll find a cafe filled with "wellness lattes." By this, I mean hot beverages with coffee or tea as a base, mixed in with loads of healthy, supercharged ingredients. One common offering: the skin-loving latte. Think beverages infused with collagen, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, etc.

To upgrade your own cup at home, you can always just add a scoop of collagen powder to your coffee. Look for a blend with hydrolyzed collagen peptides (as that's the form that has been shown to support skin elasticity, hydration, and dermal collagen density1) and some additional ingredients like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, biotin, etc., to get the most bang for your buck. 

Another reason cafes can feel so luxurious: There's more than one menu option to choose from. So why not replicate this beverage diversity in your home as well? One way to do so is by stocking up on ingredients to whip up at least one or two other beverages. 

Spend some time thinking about what you would crave other than a plain coffee or latte. Is it chai tea? Maybe an Earl Grey latte? How about matcha? Or perhaps a mocha? Even an iced tea can feel fun!