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Over the past few days, I decided to experiment with a few yummy ingredients in my kitchen and create some all natural exfoliators for my skin. Lately I’ve been washing my hands more than usual, washing more dishes by hand, and cleaning the house more frequently than before. All of this has taken a toll on the moisture in my skin.
After experimenting between sugar and salt, I found that sugar provided the perfect texture for exfoliating skin without being too harsh. I also found these all natural sugar “buffers” were perfect for removing dead skin on my lips, legs, feet, and more. Below you will find three of my favorite mixtures so far. Feel free to customize some of these scrubs and store them in an airtight container so you can exfoliate your skin year-round! Enjoy!
How to Apply Sugar Scrubs
Sugar scrubs are a great natural way to “polish” the skin! You can use a sugar scrub after washing your hands, in the shower, or when taking a bath. You should ideally apply your scrub on wet skin such as after washing up. If you apply your scrub on dry skin, you risk harming your skin since it may feel a bit abrasive upon application. When applying your sugar scrub, use circular motions and massage it into your skin. After application, simply rinse and follow-up with a moisturizing lotion, serum or oil. I learned from one dermatologist that applying moisturizer after exfoliating your skin with a scrub is best, since the skin will absorb it more rapidly. Wash + Exfoliate + Moisturize = Glow
Coconut Mint Fresca Scrub Ingredient Benefits:
Granulated Sugar – For this recipe you can use pure cane sugar, fine sugar, or raw sugar. I used granulated sugar, since it gave me the perfect texture for a body scrub. I found that even though raw sugar is more organic, it is also more coarse and felt very rough on my skin. The granulated sugar in this recipe brightened my skin after use, and revealed a smoother texture.
Coconut Oil – According to Healthline, coconut oil has antimicrobial properties that can protect your skin against harmful microorganisms. Coconut oil also has the ability to hydrate and moisturize your skin without clogging your pores. If you do not have coconut oil, you can always use other oils in your house such as olive oil, but I found that olive oil altered the scent of my scrubs slightly. Other oil options to consider are avocado oil, sweet almond oil, or jojoba oil. Experiment with various oils until you find one that works best for you. If you choose to use coconut oil, be sure to not store this scrub in the refrigerator. Coconut oil will turn solid once it reaches below 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
Peppermint Essential Oil – This lifting oil is from the mint family. Peppermint essential oils are a great way to start your day in the shower! Peppermint essential oils are also known to help alleviate muscle pain and headaches. According to the FDA, this oil should never be ingested, but has great benefits topically. I found that using this oil in my scrub left my skin feeling cool and stimulated.
Coconut Mint Fresca Body Scrub
Materials
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp coconut oil liquid form
- 10 drops peppermint essential oil
Instructions
- In a glass bowl, combine your sugar, coconut oil, and peppermint essential oil drops.
- Use a spoon or a spatula and stir ingredients together. Add additional oil until you reach your desired consistency. Your scrub should feel sandy and not soupy. Once combined, use the spatula/spoon to scoop the scrub out of the bowl into an airtight storage container (I used a 4 oz mason jar for this recipe). Enjoy!
Lemon Drop Scrub Ingredient Benefits:
Lemon Essential Oil – Organic lemon extract has a lot of natural cleansing properties, mood boosting benefits, and is known to be a natural exfoliant for the skin. However lemon oil, lemon juice, or any citrus could be an allergy for some individuals. So I recommend only using this scrub if you do not have any known citrus allergies.
Lemon Juice – If you do not have any lemon essential oils around the house, you can substitute this recipe with lemon juice. I tried both ways and was very happy with the results. Lemon juice has similar properties to lemon essential oil, and it is also known to brighten the appearance of skin naturally.
Raw Honey – Honey for your skin is like applying liquid gold! When I added honey to my scrubs, I noticed a brighter radiant glow after rinsing. Honey is also a natural ingredient to hydrate the skin, it’s antimicrobial, and it can also naturally reduce the appearance scars!
Honey Lemon Drop Body Scrub
Materials
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp coconut oil liquid form
- 10 drops lemon essential oil or juice of one lemon
- 1 tsp raw honey
Instructions
- In a glass bowl, combine sugar, coconut oil, lemon essential oil or the juice of one lemon, and honey. Use a spoon or a spatula and stir ingredients together.
- Add additional oil until you reach your desired consistency. Your scrub should feel sandy and not soupy. Once combined, use the spatula/spoon to scoop the scrub out of the bowl into an airtight storage container (I used a 4 oz mason jar for this recipe). Enjoy!
Brown Sugar Vanilla Latte Ingredient Benefits:
Brown Sugar – Out of the three body scrubs I listed in this post, I have to say this one is my favorite due to the brown sugar component. I noticed the more moisture in my skin after using this scrub. When I did some research on brown sugar, I learned that it contains glycolic acid, which fights bacteria. It also promotes cell growth by gently removing dead skin cells, and personally I believe this was the most gentle of all the sugar alternatives, since brown sugar naturally contains molasses.
Ground Coffee – Not only is ground coffee a good exfoliant, but I also noticed that ground coffee was more resilient against water. This means I did not have to apply as much product to exfoliate my skin. The caffeine properties in coffee also stimulates blood flow, which can have a natural tightening affect on the skin.
Brown Sugar Vanilla Latte Body Scrub
Materials
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground coffee
- 5 tbsp coconut oil liquid form
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp honey
Instructions
- In a glass bowl, combine brown sugar, coffee grounds, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and honey. Use a spoon or a spatula and stir ingredients together.
- Add additional oil until you reach your desired consistency. Your scrub should feel sandy and not soupy. Once combined, use the spatula/spoon to scoop the scrub out of the bowl into an airtight storage container (I used a 4 oz mason jar for this recipe). Enjoy!
VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS
Oh wow. These look fantastic! I love the idea of being able to use something I made. I know exactly what’s in itand where it came from!
Very cool!! I will admit I don’t really use exfoliators that much, besides my lufa. I need to start!
I have to try all of these. I’ve been making my own exfoliators and masks for a while now, and it’s so much fun!
I think I’ll make up some of these as a Mother’s Day gift for my wife. She’ll really like that.
What a fun idea! I would love to try to make these body sugar scrubs and try them!
I’m so all over the brown sugar vanilla latte!. I love using natural products, but this one sounds so good! Especially on my poor feet!
I have never tried a coffee scrub before. That sounds both useful and fragrant (I love the smell of coffee more than I love the taste).
I am all into natural products. Thankfully, I have all the ingredients that you have mentioned. So, I will try making this!
Wonderful sharing and I always thought we use salt instead of sugar. But I may give it a try and hopefully they works!
this looks great! <3 a great diy scrub. i need to gather these ingredients and do my own as well. thank you for sharing!!
Wow, this is next level. The photos look amazing!
Totally love thisssss <3
I am going to do a deeep body scrub tonight, you have inspired me gurl
great pics too
<3
I need to try these recipes, they are all good and naturals. Thanks for sharing these things with us.
I’m all about Body Exfoliators and if they are natural even better! Thanks so much, I will make this one.
I like your Natural DIY Body Exfoliators list! Anything with lemon is so refreshing! I’ll definitely do that!
thank you so much for this. these look great and all natural too so will deffo be trying this out x