Simply Sweet Skin Softening

sugar_body_scrubYou can hide under sweaters, scarves and socks throughout the winter, but summer’s sandals, shorts and sleeveless tops put skin on display. Give yourself a healthy glow by shedding any layers of scaly, dead skin along with the layers of woolen clothes through a homemade beauty treatment.

Things you need:
Coconut Oil
Sugar
Mason jar
Essential Oils (optional)

Things to do:
1. Melt coconut oil. Or, if you can’t find coconut oil, use olive oil which is just as beneficial for your skin although it does have a stronger scent. The amount of oil to use depends on how big a batch you want to make.
2. Pour in enough sugar to make a paste.
3. If you like, you can enhance the treatment with an aromatherapy effect by adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil.
4. Pour the skin treatment into a clean glass jar with a secure lid.
Scoop a bit out every day when you shower and rub it over the parts of your body that need help exfoliating like elbows, knees and feet. Unlike some home beauty treatments, which should be made in small batches and used immediately to avoid spoilage, this one keeps beautifully for months. You can make this a beautiful gift for a friend by pouring in into a mason jar. Decorate the jar with stickers or decoupage images to personalize it. Wrap the jar with a towel to protect the artwork as you pour the body scrub in. Tie some colorful ribbon or raffia into a bow and give your friend a gorgeous gift.

Your body scrub can also be part of a beautiful home foot treatment that will leave you feeling pampered and your feet feeling (and looking) more lovely. Fill a foot bath (or large pan) with 1 part water and 1 part apple cider vinegar. Rinse any dirt off your feet first, and then soak your feet in the vinegar bath. The vinegar will cool hot, aching feet after a day of hiking or yard work in the summer sun. The vinegar will take the both the ache and the odor out of your feet, leaving them cool and refreshed. After soaking your feet for 5 minutes, rub the coconut oil-sugar exfoliant into your soles. Then soak the feet again in the vinegar for another 10 minutes. Have a towel handy to wipe your feet off afterward.

Photo Credit: My Sweet Garden

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37 Comments

    1. You can buy essential oils from Amazon, or try essentialoil.com they have every kind of essential oil that you could ask for! The oils themselves should add color to your scrub.

    2. I use to make sugar scrubs using Turbo sugar I bought at Whole Foods. It really works great and you can get in larger bags. As far as colors, you go to the herb area and use just about any of the herbs and they will also give you color as well as benefits from using some of them.Also you can use dead sea salts to use from someone with oily skin in the same way as the sugar scrubs. Just dont shave after using salt. Also make sure you have a mat in the shower when using the scrubs because the oils will make it slippery.

      1. Fantastic advice Linda! Especially about placing a mat in the shower because of the oils. Thanks so much!

  1. If I want to make 6 mason jars how much coconut oil will I need? Sugar? Also, what type of sugar do you find works best? Thanks for your help ) I have the coconut oil and essential oils so Im almost ready to begin my gift making )

    1. Oh very good questions! For a basic rule, you want one part oil to two parts sugar. So for 6 mason jars (Im assuming pint jars) you would want approximately 4 pints sugar and 2 pints of the coconut oil. I prefer sugar cane sugar personally, but you could use also white or brown sugar. Both would work fine, brown sugar is better for sensitive skin though. Hope this helps!

  2. Im thinking I would like to try this and I have some pretty plastic jars can they be used? Thank you for your time..

    1. Hi Karen! I would think that plastic jars would be perfectly fine to use for this project! Thanks for the great question and happy crafting!

      1. If using pure, unadulterated, essential oils, you should never use plastic jars with one exception….the #1 PET recyclable containers are now deemed okay. Always do your research before giving advice.

    2. NEVER use plastics (jars) ifYou are using essential oils. Especially citrus oils will pull out the toxic chemicals out ofThe plastic and you will be putting that directly into your body. Always use glass. Essential oils are AMAZING, but do your research and know what your doing before you just follow what others tell you to do.Happy scrubbing!

  3. How do you keep the coconut oil soft? I tried this a while back and it hardened as it got cool and was hard to get out of the jar.

    1. To keep the coconut oil in a soft liquid state, you can mix it with jojoba oil or olive oil. It melts around 75F, so you can also just fill a sink up with warm water and set your jar in the sink. This should heat it up enough, so that it returns to its liquid state.

  4. Helpful comments! Iv added food coloring to the scrubs Ive made and havent had any problems with staining. I just add a wee bit. A little goes a long, long way.

  5. Hi Jessica, Im creating a coconut oil newsletter, and I was wondering if I could you this recipe in it. I will ensure the recipe is authored by you and links directly back to this page. Please contact me via email and let me know. Thank you!

      1. The coconut oil I is in a jar. It is solid and not oily. This is not the right kind is it? Should I use olive oil instead? I know I can melt the coconut oil but I am afraid it will harden in the jar?? Help!! I bought everything but it is just sitting on the counter.

        1. If you are using solid coconut, you can melt it in the microwave for a couple seconds and it will melt. It should be fine once you mix all of your components together but it may become a little more solid after it all settles. If you want something a little more liquid-y you can try using olive oil, or almond oil instead. It is all your preference! Happy crafting!

          1. I would stay away from heating in the microwave since the essence of this project is to be natural. Avoid radiation at all costs.

  6. Hi Wanting to do a little something as gifts for family.The coconut oil- I have bought some but its solid – is this correct? Will it be liquid when all mixed together or have I got the wrong stuff?( 4 parts sugar to 2 parts coconut oil correct,,,)

    1. Hello Mum of 3. No worries, you bought the correct stuff, coconut oil will be in a solid form. When you are mixing everything together, you can melt the oil the microwave for a few seconds. Your mixture may harden once it has settled but the recipients can always warm it up under some hot water or put it in the microwave again. Happy crafting!

  7. You can always add orange, or lemon extract. Or about Any other extract. Sometimes I add coffee and coco powder. Although be ready to clean your tub. Coffee is a much rougher scrub. Ground of course. The possibilities are endless. Use scrap fabric to make scarves for the jars. Buy those cheap oils that are imitating our favorite perfumes. Like one of the ladies said, DO YOUR HOMEWORK!! Look into how things affect your skin. A little Google goes a long way. Different herbs, oils, and added properties can make a world of difference. Look up how they affect you in all sorts of ways, then label them with the right advertising. Thanks!!!

    1. Be careful when using extract in place of essential oils. I make scrubs and body butter and sometimes when scenting with extracts can have an alcohol smell that overpowering. Happy Scrubbing! Michelle check us out on FB@ ScentSations!

  8. I would like to see colors in my scrub.please recommend me any particular brand of essential oil which can give color to it.

    1. If you like to add color to your scrubs, I would recommend adding a couple of drops of food coloring to each batch. Essential oils do not naturally have color. Just simply add a drop at a time until you get the desired shade. Do not worry, the food coloring in the scrub will not stain the skin. I hope this helps a bit. Happy crafting Rose!

  9. Hi I am allergic to coconut oil, so although you recomend olive oil as an altenative, as it does have that heavier smell, could I perhaps use Sweet Almond Oil instead? its just a thought, its usually used as a base oil for body massage takes essential oils well, so I wonder if its a suitable alternative but I am new to making scrubs so would welcome your advice on this. Thanks Ann.

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