DIY Sunday: Exfoliating Sugar Scrub
Sugar has been on the receiving end of some negative press for quite a while now. It’s the most recent demonized ingredient of our daily diet…but, no matter how you feel about sugar in your coffee or sugar on your plate, there is one place that sugar should definitely still be: on your skin!
You already know that regular exfoliation helps to speed up your skin’s own regeneration process by removing dead skin cells and helping unclog pores. The whole process leaves you with refreshed and overall smoother, healthier skin.
The small white, brown or raw sugar particles are excellent candidates for exfoliating the dead or damaged skin cells on your face and body, which in turn helps reveal the fresh, cleansed skin underneath for a natural glow.
A Sugar Scrub is the best way to achieve this! A typical Sugar Scrub, made up of a combination of nourishing botanical oils and some sugar variation, is used as a physical exfoliation to brighten tired or dull looking skin.
They are best used before or during your shower or bath for a gentle yet serious exfoliation that will leave your skin soft and smooth.
Using sugar as the primary “abrasive” ingredient is great for your skin for a number of reasons. First, sugar is more gentle on the skin than that of its salt scrub counterpart. This makes it a better choice for those with sensitive skin and the best choice when it comes to your face.
Sugar scrubs don’t contain the irritating ingredients that you might find in a comparable scrub with plastic microbeads from your local drugstore.
These harsh ingredients can leave your skin dry and stripped of its natural oils – which is exactly the opposite of what you’re going for with your exfoliation routine.
Finally, sugar itself is a natural humectant, which means it retains moisture as well as draws it in from the environment and into your skin- leaving you not only freshly exfoliated but moisturized as well.
Even with a sugar scrub, you’ll still want to be gentle with the delicate skin on your face. Using the scrub in circular motions throughout your face and neck with just a slight bit of pressure is best.
A sugar scrub can be used 2-3 times per week for healthy, smooth and soft skin.
And it doesn’t have to be left to just your face! You can also use on your legs before shaving, before a spray tan, or when you have irritating ingrown hairs.
Finally, this one of the perfect recipes if you’re just starting out with DIY beauty products. You can make a sugar scrub in less than ten minutes, and you probably already have exactly what you need.
The best part is you can go as crazy as you want when it comes to customizing the ingredients to fit your needs. Start your weekly exfoliation routine with a sugar scrub and your healthy, flawless skin will thank you!
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup granulated sugar: white, brown, coconut palm, etc
- ½ cup oil of choice: coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, etc
- Essential oils (optional)
- Small Glass Jar
To Make:
In a bowl, mix all ingredients well and transfer to glass jar. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
To Use:
Use about a tablespoon’s worth as needed. Gently massage into face for a quick facial pick-me-up or bring into the shower with you for a full-body exfoliation. Rinse well and pat dry. Follow with serum or moisturizer to lock in hydration.
To Customize:
So you’ve got the basic recipe down, here are some easy ways to truly make it your own!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice and Cinnamon
- Vanilla Extract
- Lemon, Lime, Orange or Grapefruit Skin Shavings
- Ground and Dried Lavender, Chamomile, Rose Petals or any herb you can think of!
- Ground Oats
- Ground Coffee
- Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Chamomile Essential Oils and more!
- Turmeric, Matcha, Activated Charcoal or any number of other powdered ingredients
- Powdered Coconut or Goats Milk
- And don’t forget to try different oils!
