How To Make An Organic Body Scrub In Less Than 5 Minutes

Mar 17, 2016

We’re back at it again with the DIY beauty and body products. Why? Because it’s awesome. This article will walk you through how to make any body scrub. Where most pieces cater to a single recipe, this will teach you how to customize, personalize, and enhance your beauty routine. So, you want soft skin? Of course you do, don’t we all? But you should know that there is no need to be buying overpriced body scrubs *cough* Lush *cough*, when you can make your own in 5 minutes.

BASE

First thing’s first, you must pick your base. This will be the hard, gritty, “scrubbing” component that will buff away dead skin, leaving you with silky smooth everything.

Coffee Grinds
What is fantastic about coffee grinds is that they don’t dissolve in water like sugar does. There is nothing worse than making a lovely scrub, only to have it fall away in your hands once you’re in the shower. The grinds are typically quite coarse, which will make for a fantastic base, but be prepared to scrub your shower clean afterwards! Note: grounds should be used fresh .

Brown Sugar
This base is great because it is probably already in your pantry. Brown sugar packs together better than white sugar, and doesn’t dissolve as quickly in water. It is one of the gentler options as it isn’t quite as sharp or coarse.

Sea Salt
Who doesn’t want to smell like the ocean? I’m seeing so many “salt sprays” and “salt scrubs” on the market these days, and it really is a shame they are so wildly overpriced. Salt does wonders for the skin, and it makes for a great base.

Ground Chia or Walnut Powder
These share similar characteristics as coffee grinds insomuch as they don’t dissolve in water. They work as fantastic exfoliators and are a little more unique!

Cinnamon
You can always throw some ground cinnamon in your recipe, although I wouldn’t recommend it as the feature base. It is more of a complimenting exfoliator, and it also has anti-inflammatory properties!

MOISTURIZERS

Now, let’s talk binding ingredients. You want something to bring it all together or else you’re just left with gritty powders and grounds. Here are some suggestions.

Coconut Oil
This is a wonderful choice because not only is it anti-bacterial and smells amazing, it is also super moisturizing. While the exfoliant get’s rid of old skin cells, coconut oil will nourish the new layers beneath for radiant skin. Other oils such as jojoba, sweet almond, olive, or castor can work too!

Raw Honey
This stuff has been used since the beginning of time for vibrant skin. It is packed with amazing benefits and is also very moisturizing. This will bind all of your exfoliants together to make a super scrub. (Oatmeal is also a great choice)

Lemon
This is something that is quite flexible in skin care routines and can be used for literally everything. Here I am featuring it as a secondary binder to make a gritty paste, but it can also be used as a scent or complementary ingredient. It can rid dark spots, scarring, stretch marks, and other skin imperfections.

COMPLIMENTARY

Now that you have your base and binder, you can play with different feature ingredients.

Essential Oils
Rose, Lavender, Orange Blossom, Tea Tree, Peppermint, the list goes on. Each essential oil has unique properties with different aromatherapy purposes. Although they will make you smell amazing, these are highly concentrated, potent little gems. Note: Be careful not to use too much in your scrub.

Extracts
I use vanilla extract in a lot of baking and beauty products. You can use almond, vanilla, coconut, or whatever you’d like. Just be sure they are pure, not artificial.

Fresh Squeezed Juices
If you’re looking for a citrus scrub (grapefruit anyone?) then this is for you. You can add lemon, orange, pomegranate, anything you want. The acid in the citrus also helps exfoliate and brighten the skin.

Viola! Your very own homemade body scrub. You can mix and match with your ingredients to make something harmonious and lovely. I, personally, love coffee grounds/brown sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla. Another great choice is sea salt, grapefruit and coconut oil. Whether you want to smell warm and cozy, or like a summer day on the beach, the choice is yours!

CAUTION: These ingredients cater to recipes for a body scrub. Using coffee grounds or sea salt is way too harsh for the face and should only be used on the body.