Three Homemade Body Scrub Recipes
Create Gentle, Luxurious and Delicious-Smelling Scrubs for Pennies
Oct 5, 2009
Indulging in a fragrant body scrub is one of the most invigorating and luxurious body treatments to experience. Body scrubs exfoliate the skin, which means they help to remove the dead surface skin cells and expose the smooth, supple layer of new skin below.
They're useful for removing rough patches and darkened areas, and they prepare the skin for intense moisturizing or the application of a self-tanning product. Body scrubs also help to unclog pores, remove dust, dirt and environmental pollutants, and increase blood circulation to the skin, and they enliven the senses and leave a person feeling rejuvenated and nourished.
In a spa, the application of a body scrub costs at least $75; buying a commercial body scrub is a less expensive option, but still costs anywhere from $15-50 per jar, with each jar providing enough scrub for only two or three treatments.
Homemade body scrubs are the most cost-effective option. They don't waste packaging, the user knows what's in them, and the ingredients and fragrances can be customized or changed up each time for variety. They also haven't been sitting on a shelf in a warehouse for years, and they don't contain sketchy mystery ingredients like ammonium lauryl sulfate, acrylates crosspolymers or methylchloroisothiazolinone (actual ingredients from a pricey "designer" scrub)!
Ingredients Needed for a Homemade Scrub
Only two ingredients are absolutely necessary to make a basic homemade scrub: oil (jojoba, sweet almond, apricot kernel, avocado or coconut oil are nice and widely available) and a coarse substance such as sea salt, Epsom salts, oatmeal, almond meal, coffee grounds or instant coffee crystals, turbinado (raw) sugar or coarse brown sugar. The remaining ingredients are optional, and give the user endless options for creating the perfect consistency, fragrance and level of moisture and skin nourishment.
Essential Oils and Extracts Add Scent, Luxury
Lemon basil, coconut almond, rosemary mint...the possibilities for scenting a body scrub are endless. Want a scrub for the morning shower? Oil of peppermint, spearmint and thyme combine to create an invigorating and energizing fragrance. Looking for a romantic, sexy scrub? Add a few drops of jasmine oil and a drop or two of patchouli oil to the scrub. In a playful, decadent mood? Add coconut and vanilla extract and unsweetened cocoa powder to the scrub; it smells like an indulgent dessert!
Almond Anti-Cellulite Scrub Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coffee grounds, fresh (the caffeine from coffee is a common ingredient in commercial anti-cellulite treatments)
- 1/2 cup sea salt (available in bulk section of natural foods and grocery stores)
- 1/2 cup coarse brown sugar (or a combination of 1/2 white cane sugar and 1/2 coarse brown)
- 1/2 cup sweet almond oil
- 1/4 tsp. pure almond extract (for fragrance)
Directions
- Mix all ingredients in glass bowl, adding more oil or more salt and sugar, depending on the desired consistency.
- Add more almond extract, if desired, for stronger almond scent.
- Store in refrigerator in a glass or plastic container with lid (a used container from a store-bought scrub works well)
To Use
- Scoop out about a tablespoon or so of scrub, and gently but firmly massage in a circular motion on areas affected by cellulite.
- Allow the scrub to sit on the skin for up to ten minutes.
- Rinse off with warm water, and moisturize.
Decadent Chocolate Coconut Body Scrub Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup coarse brown sugar or turbinado sugar (or a combination of the two)
- 1/2 cup liquified coconut oil
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. or more pure coconut extract
- 3 Tbsp. unsweetened dark cocoa powder (preferably organic, such as Dagoba)
Directions
- Mix the oil, extracts and sugar, adjusting amounts until desired consistency is reached.
- Gently mix in cocoa powder.
- Store in refrigerator in a glass or plastic container with lid.
To Use
- Scoop out about a tablespoon of scrub at a time and massage over body in a circular motion.
- Rinse well with warm water.
Honey Almond Facial Scrub Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. almond meal (almonds ground to a very fine consistency, similar to fine cornmeal; available in natural food stores)
- 2 Tbsp. jojoba oil
- 4 Tbsp. honey (warm to achieve a more liquid consistency, if necessary)
- 3-4 drops essential oil (chamomile, rose or carrot oils are gentle and smell luxurious)
Directions
- Mix honey and jojoba oil over low heat until and stir until well blended.
- Stir in almond meal until desired consistency is reached.
- Add essential oil of choice, one drop at a time, stirring gently, until the desired fragrance strength is achieved.
- Store covered in refrigerator up to one week.
To Use
- Pull hair back with headband.
- Remove makeup, if necessary, and cleanse face with gentle cleanser such as Cetaphil.
- Apply scrub, a teaspoon or so at a time, in a circular motion, to face, neck, and decolette.
- Be careful not to get it into eyes.
- Relax and allow scrub to sit on skin for 10-15 minutes; covering face and neck with a steamed washcloth will enhance the moisturizing properties and make the experience even more relaxing and indulgent!
- Rinse well with warm water, and use a gentle toner like witch hazel to remove any remaining scrub, if necessary.
Tips for Making and Using Homemade Body Scrubs
- Using body scrubs can be a messy process, so it's best to apply them in the tub or shower.
- A film of oil will likely be left on the bottom of the tub or shower; be extremely careful not to slip on this and fall! Some baking soda used as a soft scrub will remove the oily film.
- Coconut oil is solid at room temperature; to liquify it, place it in a pan of hot water.
- A basic ratio for granular ingredients to oil is 2-1; in other words, one cup of sugar to 1/2 cup of oil, or two cups of sea salt to 1 cup of oil.
- Homemade scrubs contain no chemical preservatives, so they should be stored in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.
- Always use essential oil, not "fragrance oil," which is a chemical fake.
- When selecting essential oils to use in body scrubs, make sure they are not skin irritants; oils like rose, lemon, jasmine, lavender and rosemary are all safe to use on the skin.
Experiment, have fun and save a lot of money with these scrubs! If this information was useful, check out these safe, homemade cleaning product recipes.
 |
