If you’re looking for a basic recipe for an exfoliating sugar scrub that you can make at home, read on! Soon you’ll be hopping in the shower and enjoying the benefits of smooth, silky, moisturized skin, for minimum cost or effort!
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Have you ever been pampered by getting a salon pedicure that includes a luxurious foot scrub? Or you received a fancy sugar scrub as a gift that you savored each long, luxurious bath? Remember how soft, smooth, and wonderfully moisturized your skin felt afterwards?
While spas and natural, specialty stores offer some great salt and sugar scrubs that polish and exfoliate beautifully, we can’t always afford to use them on a regular basis.
What if we could re-create that luxurious spa feeling whenever we wanted to, with our own homemade exfoliating scrub!
Today we are diving into the kitchen and creating a Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub that will delight your senses, soften your skin, and be surprisingly simple and inexpensive to make! Let’s get started!
Why Exfoliate?
As we age, our skin needs a little boost in shedding dead skin cells and keeping itself soft as a newborn baby’s bottom! (ok, that might be a stretch for us, but we try our best!) That’s where exfoliating products come to the rescue.
Sugar and salt are both wonderful physical exfoliates for the skin. They slough away dead skin cells on the surface that can cause a rough, dull complexion. Exfoliating leaves our skin better able to drink in the moisturizing lotions we use to further nurture a beautiful complexion. But how do we know which one to use, sugar or salt?
The Difference Between Salt and Sugar Scrubs
There are a few differences between salt scrubs and sugar scrubs and how they interact with your skin. Here are the pros of using a sugar scrub:
- Sugar particles are rounder and thus less abrasive than salt, making it gentler to use on the body and even the face.
- Sugar is less drying than salt.
- Sugar doesn’t sting like salt can, especially after shaving, or if you have minor cuts or skin abrasions.
And here are the pros of using a salt scrub:
- Salt pulls toxins from the body and reduces inflammation. That’s why athletes will soak in a salt water bath to ease sore muscles.
- The extra abrasiveness of salt is great for rough spots, such as on the feet, elbows, knees, hands and legs.
If you’re just looking for an all-over, gentle exfoliant that leaves your skin soft, glowing and nourished, then a sugar scrub is the choice for you!
The Benefits of Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has been widely popular due to its great moisturizing properties. This oil is effective in moisturizing all skin types, yet is especially helpful for those with extra dry, itchy or sensitive skin. The oil is light and absorbs readily, without feeling greasy. Coconut oil is resistant to becoming rancid and stores well, making it a great ingredient for homemade beauty products.
And now, without further delay, here’s the recipe!
Exfoliating Coconut Sugar Scrub
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar (White sugar is pictured above; however, I love using raw turbinado sugar, it’s soft yet has great grit! Best found in your local grocery store.)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (found in most grocery stores with cooking oils, or online)
- 1/2 tsp. fragrance oils or all-natural essential oils (I used a mixture of coconut and vanilla fragrance oils, like a yummy suntan oil!!
- large mixing bowl
- spoon
- rubber spatula
- glass measuring cup
- glass or plastic 8 oz. jar (Minimize risk of broken glass by using plastic; or keep glass jar out of the tub and away from small children when not in use.)
Instructions
- Measure out 1/2 cup coconut oil into glass measuring cup. (Notice that coconut oil from the jar is thick, like butter. You need to melt it so it mixes with the sugar properly. After it cools, it will thicken again.)
- Place glass measuring cup with coconut oil in microwave and heat on high for 30 seconds. Stir, and if it’s still lumpy, heat again for increments of 10 seconds at a time.
- Pour coconut oil into bowl.
- Measure out 1 cup of brown or turbinado sugar, add to oil in bowl. Add 1/2 tsp. fragrance or essential oil. (I mixed part coconut fragrance oil with part Tahitian vanilla fragrance oil for a beautiful, tropical scent that reminds me of suntan oil!)
- Mix well.
- Spoon into jar.
- Add a small scoop if available, to keep water and bacteria out of the jar, maintain its freshness.
- To use: scoop up a small handful and rub gently into your skin, using a slow, circular motion. Leave on a couple minutes as you shower, then rinse off thoroughly. (Be careful stepping out, the scrub may leave an oily residue that you’ll want to clean up to avoid a fall!)
- Gently pat dry with a towel. Follow up with a moisturizing lotion, if desired.
Tips and Tricks for Sugar Scrubs
- Adjust your oil and sugar ratio according to your preference, if needed. Like it more creamy? Add more coconut oil. Like it super gritty? Extra sugar, please!
- Experiment with different essential oils or fragrance oils. Just keep the measurements about the same for this recipe.
- Store your sugar scrub with its lid tightly shut. Extra water and bacteria can shorten its shelf life. Normally its shelf life is recommended as a couple months, though I’ve been known to use them much longer!
- Exfoliate your body no more than once or twice a week. Too much exfoliation can irritate skin, especially if it’s sensitive. See how your skin responds, and respond accordingly with the exfoliation routine that works for you.
Sugar Scrubs Make Great Gifts!
Once you’ve experienced the luxury of your homemade exfoliating sugar scrub, you’ll want to share the joy by gifting it to others! Whether it’s for a personal friend or family member, a last-minute bridal shower or a holiday party at work, who doesn’t love being pampered with a natural bath scrub?!!!!!
To package your Exfoliating Coconut Scrub attractively, simply scoop it into a nice, clean jar with a scoop, add a pretty tag on a string, and you’re all set!
Summary
I hope this basic recipe and exfoliation tips will help you get started making your own sugar scrubs. I’m sure you’ll be surprised at how easy (and inexpensive!) it is to supplement your beauty routine with homemade sugar scrubs.
If making your own skin care products and soaps is something you can get your hands and head around, check out my articles “Make Your Own Liquid Hand Soap” and “27 Uses for Liquid Castile Soap“.
Did you try this recipe? How did it turn out? Did you try any of your own variations?
Let me know in the comments below!
