Body scrubs are a great way to get rid of “dead†skin cells and re-vitalize your skin. If you have never tried a body scrub before, your body is in for a treat! There are many cosmetic beauty treatments out there that you can buy from pharmacy and grocery stores, but perhaps some of the best type of natural skin care treatments are the ones which you can make simply and easily yourself at home. You just need a few basic ingredients to get started and then you can make your own body scrub!
Basic Ingredients for Body Scrubs
Most body scrubs have a “base†of sugar or salt. However, if you are making a facial scrub, it is best to use something less abrasive for your base, such as oatmeal. The skin on your face is more sensitive and delicate and you use a facial scrub in a different way to the rest of your body.
However, with regard to using salt and sugar as a base, you will want to use a quality salt or sugar. If you are making a salt scrub, choose a salt base such as Epsom salts or Dead Sea salts. If you are making a sugar scrub, choose a sugar base such as brown sugar or turbinado sugar. Both salts and sugars are available in different granule sizes; choose a size you are comfortable with for using on your own body and skin type. Some granule sizes are more abrasive than others so, if you have delicate skin, you might want to start out with a smaller granule size.
How a Body Scrub Works
The salt, sugar or other base product in a sugar scrub acts an exfoliant that rids the body of any dead skin; the salt or sugar granules act as miniscule scrubbing “beads†as you massage the scrub in circular movements over the skin. Once you’ve applied the scrub to your body, leave on for 10 -15 minutes and gently wash off. Your skin should feel silky smooth!
Basic Recipe for Aromatherapy Sugar/Salt Scrub
You can combine both salt and sugar together in a body scrub or use each ingredient separately. I am a big fan of sugar scrubs but there is no reason why you couldn’t substitute salt in the following recipe (or split half and half):
- 3 oz sugar (brown/turbinado)
- 0.8 oz sweet almond oil
- 30 drops of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) essential oil.
The above recipe makes approximately 5 oz sugar scrub.
Simply combine the ingredients together in a bowl and either use straightaway or store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. This recipe is intended for home use only.
To make a more complex sugar scrub (with additional natural health benefits), add in other (appropriate) vegetable oils, essential oils and products such as honey. Both vegetable oils and essential oils contain therapeutic properties for different skin types, depending on the type of oil. In addition, choose high quality vegetable oils that have been cold processed and quality essential oils from a reputable supplier.
Basic Recipe for an Aromatherapy Facial Scrub
There are various ways to make an aromatherapy facial scrub but this is one recipe that I came up with for a client who was pleased with the results; this recipe is for oily skin. You will need to use different types of essential oils for other skin types:
- 0.5 oz ground oatmeal
- 0.5 oz ground almonds
- 5 drops of tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) essential oil
- 5 drops of lemon (Citrus limon) essential oil.
The above recipe makes 2 oz facial scrub.
Simply combine the ingredients together in a bowl; when you are ready to use the scrub, add a small amount of water to it in order to make a paste. Apply to your face and leave on for about 10 minutes; wash off gently. Discard any unused scrub mixture that you have added water to.
Natural Scrubs for Your Body
This article is a very basic introduction to making natural aromatherapy body scrubs. There are many different ingredients that you can use and combine to make natural scrubs at home. You can either read a good book on the subject or take a course in natural body product making to learn more; just make sure you understand the effects on your body of any ingredients you use. Used correctly, this is both a fun and natural way to take care of your body!
References:
- Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, Kathi Keville, Mindi Green
- The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Making Natural Beauty Products, Sally W. Trew, Zonella B. Gould
- Author’s is a certified clinical aromatherapist.
Photo by mhaithaca
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