With the arrival of Summer (finally, in Melbourne) comes the shrugging off of coats and wearing our most fabulous Summer dresses and tank tops etc. But after the long Winter months, your skin might not be quite what it should be. Right?
And I want you to have the best looking, deliciously smooth and divinely moisturised skin you can possibly have for Summer. I assure you that you will wear all those gorgeous bright summer clothes with such confidence, knowing your skin is the best it can be.
What is my secret???? Well, sweet delicious sugar. Not to eat of course. But as a really effective body, face, foot, lip hand scrub. Actually, anywhere on your body you want to feel perfectly smooth and nourished.
THAT, my friends, is exactly what you will feel when you use a homemade sugar scrub. And the best part….actually there are a few.
1. All the ingredients can be found in your pantry.
2. Ridiculously economical to make…and I mean crazy cheap
3. It will take less time to make, than it would to scoot down the street and buy a litre of milk! True dinks.
So, here are my favourite 5 sugar scrubs. But in all honesty, if you stick to the three basic ingredients, you can add absolutely anything you like. Add it purely for scent. Add something for the beneficial properties it provides your skin. Anything you like. So, here are my top 5, to get you going….
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Oil of choice (I will go into choices more further down)
1 t Baking Soda
Juice of 1 Lemon juice
This is fabulous. A lovely light fresh scent. The sugar scrubs away your dry winter skin. The oil moisturises beautifully. And the citrus helps to brighten your skin, leaving it looking wonderful.
2. Coconut Lime Sugar Scrub
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Epsom Salts
1 t Baking Soda
1 whole Lime Zest and juice
Melt or soften the Coconut oil over a double boiler or in the microwave. And simply add the other ingredients, mixing thoroughly.
Coconut Oil – This ‘super’ oil is great for moisturising and hydrating your skin, among many other benefits.
Epsom Salts – It’s a natural exfoliant and anti-inflammation remedy that is great to treat dry skin, sore muscles, small wounds and EVEN to aid fighting illness.
Baking Soda – Helps to protect feet from odour and microbial infections
Lime – Helps to reduce pain and has a wonderful scent that blends beautifully with the coconut oil ?
3. Vanilla Spice Latte Sugar Scrub
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Oil of Choice
1 t Baking Soda
1/4 cup Coffee Grounds
1 t Vanilla Extract
1 t Cinnamon (optional)
OMG OMG OMG, you will go absolutely ga-ga over the scent of this amazing scrub – particularly if you’re anything like me and you love your coffee….mmmm.
This Sugar Scrub is especially great for use on the face and neck areas also. The brown sugar is finer than white sugar, so for those of you with more sensitive skin, try the brown sugar as it is less harsh and scratchy.
Brown Sugar – a finer granule sugar, so is better suited to more delicate areas of your body – like face, neck and décolletage.
Oil – the choice of oil here may actually be determined by where you plan on using this scrub. A lighter oil for the face. Perhaps a heavier oil for the body.
Baking Soda – due to its anti-microbial properties, this addition is great for use on the face, as it prevents and controls infection
Coffee Grounds – coffee grounds was selected for this scrub because it’s known to reduce inflammation, get rid of cellulite (even if just temporarily), and also has been linked to reducing skin cancer. as well as the caffeine stimulating blood flow to the skin.
Vanilla Extract and Cinnamon – chosen simply for the scent. And may I strongly recommend adding the Vanilla……cherry on the cake for the scent. Heaven.
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Oil of Choice
1 t Baking Soda
1 T Green Tea Leaves
Mix dry ingredients together then add you oil.
Green Tea Leaves – Green tea was selected as it has been known to repair some sun damage and possibly reduce signs of aging. So it is perfect for a Summer Sugar Scrub ? And of course, because of the lovely light scent.
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Oil Of Choice
3 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
2 Drops Green Food Colouring
Firstly, mix the colouring with the oil and then add the sugar and baking soda. This way, you wont end up with all the colour at the bottom of the jar….
The cooling effect of the peppermint oil is wonderful, especially on a warm night. It revives and revvs you up for the day or evening ahead.
NOTE: the green colouring MAY stain your tub or shower base, so determine for yourself if your reallllly need it. You could add some peppermint leaves for some interest in the jar, if you were gifting this one.
TIP: If you use these in the shower, BE CAREFUL as the base can get slippery.
OK….So what oils should or could you use as the base??? Here’s a list with their benefits to help you decide. Click here for a printable infographic of the below details.
Argan Oil: Packed with Vitamin E and essential fatty acids, making this a great moisturiser for hair and skin. In its natural state, , it has a warm, nutty scent that complements your DIY recipes.
Avocado Oil: Rubbing down with Avocado oil can give you the same Omega-3 fatty acids and anti-oxidants that you get when you ingest this delicious fruit.
Coconut Oil: Naturally, Coconuts are packed with Vitamin E, protein and fatty acids that easily absorbs into your skin. It also has antibacterial properties which is excellent on minor abrasions. This oil is solid at room temperature and melting point is 24deg C (76 deg F) which makes it great for DIYs.
Grape Seed Oil: For women with acne-prone skin, grape-seed oil is one of the best choices due to it’s astringent properties. It naturally contains linoleic acid which has healing and anti-inflammatory properties.
Jojoba Oil: Jojoba is naturally very similar to human sebum. therefore it is an excellent choice those with oily skin and scalp as you can benefit from the regulating effects on the epidermis’s natural sebum production.
Olive Oil: Anti-oxidant rich olive oil is an ideal DIY recipe ingredient for those of you with dry skin and eczema. This oil is also an excellent choice for aging skins due to the vitamins A & E contained in this wonderful oil.
Sesame Oil: Sesame oil is an incredible bacteria-fighting choice for your DIY recipes. Ancient Ayurvedic medicine has used Sesame oil for centuries to counteract high cholesterol and viruses. This should be your ‘go-to’ base oil to remedy and heal things like windburn and sunburn.
Sweet Almond Oil: Almond Oil is a natural way to clear dead skin cells. This wonderful elixir oil helps to provide a more even skin tone and remedies dark spots. However, it is derived from a tree nut, so those with nut allergies – DO NOT USE.
These scrubs truly are wonderful (just quietly my absolute favourites are the Vanilla Spice Latte and Coconut Lime – heaven). Skin is soft, smooth and moisturised beautifully. Leaving me glowing for a bit of skin exposure on these beautiful sunny days. You can too.
So easy.
So quick.
So effective.
Love.
Do you have a favourite sugar scrub or scent you love to use in the shower or bath? Comment below and let us share in your aromatic bliss.
This homemade scrubs are really great for keeping your skin healthy and moisturized. It will definitely make your skin soft and smooth. You can create this in the comfort of your home too.