Body scrubs are a fantastic, feel-good way to keep your skin smooth and beautiful through exfoliation. They always include some type of oil (this makes your body super soft), and an exfoliating agent – which can range from sugar, salt, coffee, baking soda, or anything else that can naturally and gently scrub your skin.
Exfoliating your skin rids it of the layer of dead skin cells that essentially build up on the surface – your epidermis (the outer layer of your skin). These dead cells go through a cycle of cell production and then new replacement about every 28 days. (1)
These dead cells can make your skin look dull and sallow.
You can help this process along by sloughing off those cells through exfoliation, and in doing so, make your skin radiant and glowing!
You can purchase a body scrub, but they can be (and usually are) prohibitively expensive. Instead, consider making your own right at home! It’s easy, very inexpensive, and oh-so healthy!
When you make your own, you are pampering your skin and making it smell divine, and in addition, you are giving your skin a treat of essential minerals and vitamins that make your skin shine with health. (2)
Get some clean glass jars to store them in, and get ready to have some fun! After mixing up the recipes, just use regularly when you shower or bathe, scooping up a nice handful and scrubbing by hand or with a washcloth or loofah on the areas of skin you need it most (arms, hands, elbows, feet, legs, etc.)
5 homemade body scrubs for smooth skin you can start making today
1. Easy Homemade Sugar Scrub Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 parts coarse sugar
- 1 part olive oil
- 15-20 drops of your favorite essential oil or oil blend (3)
2. Coffee-Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup ground coffee
- 1 cup coconut oil (4)
3. Pumpkin-Honey Baking Soda Scrub
Ingredients:
- 1 can pumpkin
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1/4 cup honey (4)
4. Brown Sugar and Oatmeal Homemade Body Scrub
Ingredients:
- 2 cups loosely packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup whole oats, ground in a spice grinder
- 1/2 cup grape seed oil
- Zest from one lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (5)
5. Spicy Sugar Scrub
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon dried rose petals
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups sesame oil (6)
Homemade body scrubs for gifts
These homemade body scrubs also make fabulous gifts for every occasion. Just get some labels, personalize them, and voilà! A unique and thoughtful present!
Just double up the recipes so you can have one for yourself (you deserve pampering too) and one for your friend or loved one.
Sources for this article include:
(1) http://www.americanskin.org/
(2) http://www.brit.co/
(3) http://www.glueandglitter.com/
(4) http://www.brit.co/
(5) http://www.marthastewart.com/
(6) http://www.wholeliving.com/
