Make Your Own Brown Sugar Body Scrub
I’ve discovered that one of life’s little pleasures is a good body scrub. Their abrasiveness and exfoliating combined with their moisturizing oils are a welcome treat for my skin. I feel just a little more pampered than when I’m only using ordinary hand or body lotion.
But the price tags on some body scrubs are NOT one of life’s little pleasures. When I recently thought maybe I’d like to try a brown sugar body scrub, I discovered there are some brands (like this brown sugar body scrub
) that will set you more than $30 for a small 7 oz jar. Yikes!
* I think I’ll make my own *
And that’s just what I did. I came up with this homemade brown sugar body scrub recipe that’s working out just fine, thank you very much. The price tag is more my style too 🙂
On my first experiment with this recipe, I tried using only brown sugar. But when the oil was added to the mixture, it was really dark and murky looking and just not very visually appealing. In fact “yucky” is probably the best word to describe it. Yup, it was downright yucky looking. On my next try I added in a little white sugar – much better!
For the oil in my scrubs I like to use this sweet almond oil
, but olive oil or coconut oil will work too – OR – a combination of these oils. The 1/3 cup of oil used in this recipe is equal to about 5 tablespoons. So on a recent batch of this recipe when I wanted to combine oils, I did 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 3 tablespoons of my almond oil.
For a little extra fun, I also add a 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract to this mixture. It’s the perfect little hint of fragrance to go with the brown sugar. I also add in a bit of Vitamin E oil to my recipe.
I was quite pleased awhile back to discover I could easily buy Vitamin E oil in the pharmacy area at Target. However if you don’t have any Vitamin E oil on hand, it can be an optional ingredient.
If you notice some separation of the sugar and oil as this mixture sits, that’s OK. In fact I’ve decided that’s a good sign that there’s enough oil in the mixture for it to be moisturizing. Just stir the mixture again as needed. I usually just stir things up with my fingers a little bit when I’m next using my body scrub again.
Click here to see a few more of my body scrub recipes.
Brown Sugar Body Scrub
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/3 cup White Sugar
- 1/3 cup Oil (olive, coconut, almond, or a combination)
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp Vitamin E Oil (optional)
Instructions:
- Combine the brown sugar and white sugar in a mixing bowl.
- Add the oil, almond extract, and Vitamin E Oil (if using) and stir everything together until well mixed.
- Transfer to a small jar or other covered container for storage.
- To use: Scoop out a small amount of the scrub and rub over your skin. Then rinse off with water and pat your skin dry with a towel.
Notes:
Could you use Jojoba oil instead of vitamin E?
You could use jojoba oil for the 1/3 cup of oil in this recipe (rather than using olive oil or coconut oil), but if you do not have Vitamin E oil, I would just leave that ingredient out.
Do you use Fractionated Coconut Oil or the stuff that gets hard? (Kind of a dumb question, but I just want to make sure I do it right) I’m soo excited about trying this! Thank you for sharing!
I almost always use olive oil when I make this. If you use coconut oil, I think the fractionated would work the best but if you can’t find that, the regular coconut oil should work too.
Happy Monday Bev,
I can’t wait to give this a try. During the winter I make peppermint scrub and bath salts but I (until now) haven’t had a Fall version.
Thank you so much for your ideas, work, efforts and time?
Blessings to you!
Minnie
Yes, this brown sugar version is a favorite of mine in the fall and I think you’ll like it too Minnie!
how long should I leave it on before I shower?
I think the best way to use this mixture is in the shower. Just rub it around on your skin and then immediately rinse it off. If you are not using it in the shower (for instance just using it on your hands at the sink) it can be rinsed off as soon as you are done rubbing it around on your skin. You will get nice moisturizing benefits from the oil in the mixture even when the mixture is rinsed off very soon after you apply it.
Can is be left out, is there any special storage directions?
The only optional ingredients are the almond extract (for some fragrance) and the Vitamin E oil (for a little extra moisturizing). The sugars and the oil are essential ingredients for making the scrub. You will want to keep the scrub in a covered jar or container with a good fitting lid so the mixture doesn’t dry out.
thank you.