Easy D.I.Y. Salt & Sugar Body Scrubs
Looking to get crafty this holiday season? Making your own salt or sugar body scrubs is so easy and will be a guaranteed hit. Or choose to just pamper yourself. Or both. Either way, be sure you take the time to make these spa-level luxuries that can be made at home for just a few bucks.
The process for making body scrubs with salt and sugar is exactly the same. Choose sugar for a more moistening effect, and salt for a more detoxifying and exfoliating effect. These are also known as body polishes, glows, and even (in the case of the salt) bath salts. No matter what you call them, these products are versatile and amazing.
SUGAR or SALT GLOW (aka Body Scrub or Polish)
1 cup Sugar or Salt (Natural Brown Sugar- Turbinado, Sugar in the Raw, etc. or any of the myriads of Sea Salts available)
1/2 cup almond, olive, grapeseed, jojoba oil (anything really, other than canola, soy or vegetable oil)
5-10 drops Essential Oils (nice choices include lavender, clary sage, rose geranium, or anything citrus)
DIRECTIONS: This recipe is so easy. Simply mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and there you go! The oil to salt/sugar in the recipe above is simply a suggestion. If you'd like a thicker consistency simply add more salt or sugar, or less if you'd like it less firm. Take care to avoid contact with water, since it will start to dissolve. Since there is oil in this recipe it will have a shorter shelf life, likely about 6 months, so keep an eye out (or nose out) for rancid oil...the smell is distinctive, once you smell it you won’t forget it!
TO USE: This is lovely in the bath or shower. Take a bit in your palm or put on a soft washcloth and rub into skin in a circular motion. It will dissolve into your skin and feel (and smell) wonderful. Another way to use these scrubs is as a dry rub as a part of a home manicure of pedicure. After soaking your hands or feet, rub them vigorously with the scrub over a towel, then lightly rinse off. Your skin will feel great! They can also go right into the bath and used like bath salts, one of my favorite uses.
POSSIBLE ADDITIONS: Ground coffee, almonds, or oats; Powdered or ground herbs; Use an herbal infused oil instead of a plain oil like grapeseed, etc. (See my blog post on Violet Oil to learn to make your own)
SUGGESTED COMBOS: Rose-Cardamom, Lavender-Sage or Lavender-White Sage, Cardamom-Coffee, Pine-Ginger.....you get the idea. HINT: Choose you blends based on desired medicinal effect...aka lavender for relaxing, ginger for sore muscles, rose for love medicine, sage for cleansing, and so on.
And most of all- Enjoy!
